Chinas Dynasties Circa 2100 BCE - 1911 CE

The history of China stretches back into the mists of time. For centuries, scholars from China and abroad believed that the ancient dynasties - those prior to the Qin - were simply mythical. However, the discovery in 1899 of oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty dating back to c. 1500 BCE proved that this dynasty actually existed. The bones provided impressive amounts of information about the Shang royal family, religious beliefs and other aspects of life more than 3,500 years ago. Firm evidence for the Xia Dynasty has yet to be found... but do not bet against it! 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors Period (c. 2850 - c. 2200 BCE) Xia Dynasty (c. 2100 - c. 1600 BCE) Shang Dynasty (c. 1700 - 1046 BCE) Zhou Dynasty (c. 1066 - 256 BCE) Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BCE) Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280 CE) Jin Dynasty (265 - 420) 16 Kingdoms Period (304 - 439) Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 - 589) Sui Dynasty (581 - 618) Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907 - 960) Song Dynasty (906 - 1279) Liao Dynasty (907 - 1125) Western Xia Dynasty (1038 - 1227) Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234) Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)

The Effect of Inflation in Ethiopia - 6723 Words

Published in Computing and Systems Technology Division Communications, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 18(2), 1995. Low Cost Virtual Reality and its Application to Chemical Engineering - Part Two John T. Bell H. Scott Fogler University of Michigan June 1995 Introduction and Update from Part One This article has been broken up into two parts, the first of which presented an introduction to virtual reality and some discussion of what low-cost hardware and software options are available3. This second part will cover some applications of virtual reality, including areas where VR is being or could be applied to chemical engineering, and in particular the work being done at the University of Michigan’s department of Chemical†¦show more content†¦The Windows 3.1 solution is still being sold, and is a popular product, but unfortunately the SPEA card is no longer available, which puts a damper ( at least temporarily ) on the DOS product. However, Sense8 now has an alternate product, using OpenGL and Windows NT. OpenGL is based upon the graphics language developed by Silicon Graphics for their high-end graphics supercomputers, and will be supported by the new Windows NT operating system. Because of the huge potential market for CA D applications and computer games, a number of companies have announced plans for OpenGL graphics accelerator cards, which will be initially expensive, but will rapidly drop in price as volume sales and competition develops. Some systems available now from InterGraph corporation rival high-performance SGI workstations in performance for a fraction of the cost, but the nice thing about it all is that Windows 14 NT will support OpenGL applications whether or not a graphics accelerator is present - they will just run faster with the special cards. Current Applications of Virtual Reality, Including Possible Future Applications, and Their Extension to Chemical Engineering Virtual reality has been applied to a wideShow MoreRelatedPosition Paper On State Of Poverty In Ethiopia. Nathan808 Words   |  4 PagesState of Poverty in Ethiopia Nathan Dawson Poverty is defined to be a state when â€Å"[A person’s income is below] a minimum income level used as an official standard for determining the proportion of a population living in poverty.† (‘poverty line’ Dictionary.com, 2016). In 2015, the USD purchasing price the international poverty line was set at $1.90 (Worldbankorg, 2016). Ethiopia, on average, falls well below said poverty line with the â€Å"real income per capita (income after inflation based on year 2000Read MoreDeterminants of Gross Domestic Saving in Ethiopia: a Time Series Analysis7053 Words   |  29 PagesDeterminants of Gross Domestic Saving in Ethiopia: a time series analysis Kidane Badeg Contact: Kidane Badeg MoFED P.o.Box 1905, Addis Ababa , Ethiopia Email: kbadeg@mofed.gov.et Abstract The study conduct a time series analysis of the determinants of gross domestic saving in Ethiopia using co-integration and error correction econometric modeling(ECM), and employed data for the period of 1971-2009 collected from National bank of Ethiopia (NBE), MOFED, CSA and world bank on annual base. TheRead MoreCalculating Marketing Budget1261 Words   |  6 Pagesand a key to exist in the business environment especially in the financial sector where competition is strong. In Ethiopia there are 16 private commercial banks and three public owned banks. There is strong competition among these banks to take market share and earn profit especially for those banks that enter the market recently. In addition according to the National Bank of Ethiopia Directive, all commercial bank have to reach 500 million paid up capital in the coming four years. In order to achieveRead MoreGlobalization and Its Discontents1109 Words   |  5 Pages 3. Protests not new in developing world, ARE new i n developed world 4. Now, with communications advances, even 16-year olds have an opinion on NAFTA 5. As result, even conservative politicians must pay heed to negative effects of globalization (Chirac cited as example) I. Globalization A. Brought much good through int’l trade (Nike facftory example) B. Social benefits as well: Greater connection throughout world has allowed things like the InternationalRead MoreNatural Disasters And Urbanization On Foreign Aid For Basic Resources1977 Words   |  8 PagesINTRODUCTION Ethiopia faces detrimental consequences from an unstable agricultural system and has become dependent on foreign aid for basic resources. Efforts must be made in Ethiopia to both prevent and reverse the negative effects that both natural disasters and urbanization have had on the health, environment, and economy of this third-world country. Although the country is continuing to make improvements to become educated on more modern and efficient farming techniques, more progress isRead MoreFactors Affect Profitability26818 Words   |  108 PagesIndustry Amdemikael Abera A Thesis Submitted to The Department of Accounting and Finance Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Accounting and Finance) Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 2012 Addis Ababa University School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared by Amdemikael Abera, entitled: Factors Affecting Profitability: an Empirical Study on Ethiopian Banking Industry and submitted in partialRead MoreUrban Outfitters : A Growing Clothing Corporation1820 Words   |  8 PagesTerrain, and BHLDN. The company is looking to take another step to support their success by building a new textile factory in Ethiopia. But is this a viable decision? Some of the reason s Urban Outfitters may decide Ethiopia would be a great investment because of its labor resources, its growing infrastructure, and its economic sympathy towards foreign investors. Ethiopia is a strong, diverse country located in the eastern region of Africa also known as the â€Å"Horn of Africa†. The land area is 1,221Read MoreAnalysis Of Somaliland Announced s Secession From Somalia Essay824 Words   |  4 Pagesthe United Arab Emirates, which takes in more than half its total exports. Just three countries United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Oman account for 82.5 percent of all exports, predominantly in livestock, and about 11.7 percent Somaliland exports to Ethiopia which is the closest friend that Somaliland has in Africa. Regional partners often impose strict restrictions on Somaliland, mainly out of security fears because Somaliland is still part of Somalia which is the unsecure nation in the world,† saidRead MoreAppraisal of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s Strategic Success3080 Words   |  13 Pages................................ 4 Vision, Mission and Objectives ....................................................................................... 4 Current strategies of commercial bank of Ethiopia........................................................ 5 Strategy of Commercial bank of Ethiopia since 2006 -2011 .......................................... 6 External Environment Assessment (PESTEL analysis) ...................................................... 7 Political Factors .........Read MoreEssay on Fair Trade Coffee772 Words   |  4 Pagesgrow. Many coffee farmers around the world receive market payments that are lower than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debtWithout urgent action, 25 million coffee growers face ruin. The knock-on effects for national economies are just as catastrophic. 30 years ago, LEDCs received around 30% of the total value of international coffee sales. Today, this has slumped to just 10%. As export earnings from coffee shrink, national economies fail

Soldier’s Home Free Essays

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story, â€Å"Soldier’s Home†, a young man named Krebs is unable to relate to his mother and home life after he returned from the First World War. After Krebs saw death and destruction in the wars most bloody battles, he returns home where his parents try to get him back to his normal routines. His view of the world has changed drastically since the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Soldier’s Home or any similar topic only for you Order Now He no longer feels love in his heart and cannot lie to his mother when she asks if he loves her. One of the famous lines Hemingway wrote, â€Å"Krebs looked at the bacon fat hardening on his plate.† Like bacon his heart has been hardened by what he had seen in World War I and he knew he must get far away from his parents to be able to get his life back in order. Harold Krebs after graduating from a Methodist college in Kansas enlisted in the Marines in 1917 and did not return to the United States until 1919. While at war he saw many tragedies that changed his life forever. When he returns home he does not get a heroes welcome because many had returned before him. At first Krebs did not want to talk about the war but later on when he felt the need no one would listen. He spent his days reading, walking and admiring the girls but a lot had changed since he had been gone. He thought about going out with some of the girls he used to know and remembers the girls he knew overseas but finds, â€Å"the young girls had grown up. But they lived in such a complicated world with already defined alliances and shifting feuds that Krebs did not feel the energy or courage to break in it.† Krebs has a hard time relating to his parents and he finds himself not wanting to go watch his sister play ball. The climax to the story is when Krebs’s mother asks, â€Å"Don’t you love your mother, dear boy?† and he answers, â€Å"No†. Even though he had been feeling unhappy, useless, and out of place since he had returned from the war, he had been drifting along, going through the motions. He had been stagnating, spending his time sitting on the front porch, reading, trying â€Å"to keep his life from being complicated†. The final conflict with his mother forces Krebs to face the fact that he cannot stay. He lies to his mother to make her feel better after he has hurt her with the truth, but is â€Å"sick and vaguely nauseated† by his duplicity. As his mother prays over him at the end of the story, Krebs resolves to go away to Kansas City and start his life again, away from the home and family to which he can no longer belong. In the story, â€Å"Soldier’s Home† it is told from the third person narrator point of view. Hemingway, having been a former journalist is able to show how distant Krebs is because of being the type of journalist who is detached just like Krebs was detached by his experience in World War I. As Hemingway writes he shows how Krebs holds his emotions in that he knows his mother will not understand. When Krebs calls his mom â€Å"Mummy† he is trying to comfort her by acting like a child. At the end Krebs makes a decision to leave and go to Kansas City because he feels he may not ever reconnect with his family. Harold Krebs is a man who has gone through a life-changing event and has experienced many consequences made by his own choices and decisions. He then has to come to the understanding that he has to try and rebuild his life as he knew it. Things weren’t working out at his family’s house so he decided to move to Kansas City where he would get a job. This war was a hundred years ago and Krebs came back and had no clue what to do with his life when he got back. The same thing goes for the soldiers of the war in Afghanistan they see so much that traumatizes them that they do not know how to act when they are around their families. How to cite Soldier’s Home, Essay examples Soldier’s Home Free Essays â€Å"Reading† a Film – Smoke Signals Segment 1 0:00:00 – 0:30:00 Begins with: opening credits Ends with: Thomas telling his story about Denny’s 1. What is the significance of a person cutting their hair? Why would Arnold Joseph cut his hair? 2. The writer and director intended to include the 4 elements – fire, earth, air, water. We will write a custom essay sample on Soldier’s Home or any similar topic only for you Order Now Where do we see any of these elements? 3. What is the effect of all of the time shifts in the film? 4. How does Thomas feel about Victor’s father? 5. What is Victor Joseph’s attitude toward his father when he begins his journey? . Describe each relationship Thomas and Victor have with their home and the women that raise them. 7. Fry bread is a symbol in this film. Where do you see the fry bread? How can it be a symbol in this segment? 8. How is KREZ different from radio stations run by non-Indians? What was the screen writer attempting to tell us by repeatedly referring to the station in the film? 9. In the film Victor Joseph’s mother makes him promise several times that he will come right back from Phoenix. He says: â€Å"I promised you I would. You want me to sign a written contract, Mom? She replies, â€Å"Nah, we Indians have a thing about signed documents. † What was she referring to? 10. What are some historical references mentioned in the film? 11. Describe the relationship between Thomas and Victor. 12. Describe the life depicted on the reservation so far. What do you think are the writer’s and/or director’s feelings about the reservation? Segment 2 0:30:00 – 1:01:00 Begins with: Victor’s painful flashback about his father’s leaving Ends with: Victor going into his father’s trailer . How is the importance of hair mentioned in this segment? 2. How is the reality of life off the reservation made clear for Victor and Thomas? Think back to the discussion where Victor tries to teach Thomas how to be a real Indian? 3. What does Victor think of as a â€Å"real Indian†? Why do they sing â€Å"John Wayne’s Teeth†? Why does the song switch from diegetic (soun d the characters can hear) to nondiegetic (sound only the audience can hear), and how is it different when it becomes nondiegetic? 4. Fry bread is a symbol in this film. Where do you see the fry bread? How can it be a symbol in this segment? 5. The writer and director intended to include the 4 elements – fire, earth, air, water. Where do we see any of these elements? 6. What are some historical references mentioned in the film? 7. Everyone in the film seems to like to tell and hear stories except Victor. Why do you think this is? Are the stories that Thomas tells the truth or fiction? Does it matter? 8. Describe Suzy’s character. What purpose is she serving in the story? What is she trying to teach Victor? Segment 3 1:01:00 – end Begins with: Victor in his father’s trailer Ends with: closing credits 1. Why do you think Victor cuts his hair? 2. What does Thomas mean when he tells Victor that they are â€Å"traveling heavy with illusion†? 3. What does Victor mean when he says â€Å"everything burned up in the fire†? 4. What do you think Thomas means when he says â€Å"I think we were in 2 wrecks last night? Then Victor goes on to say that he’s sorry about â€Å"every wreck†? 5. The writer and director intended to include the 4 elements – fire, earth, air, water. Where do we see any of these elements? 6. How is the ending a perfect contrast to the opening fire scene? 7. Look at the lyrics to â€Å"Father and Farther. † Even though this song was not written specifically for the film, it fits very well. How does it relate and comment on the events that have been depicted? 8. What do you make of the film’s ending? How have things changed for Victor? Is anything different for Thomas? 9. Think of Thomas’s last comment at the end of the movie: â€Å"If we forgive our fathers, what is left? † What do you take as the meaning behind this? How does this relate to the story told in the film? 10. Why was Victor Joseph raging when he threw his father’s ashes into the river at the end of the film? Some Final Questions 1. The director of this movie said that â€Å"Anytime you put an Indian on the screen it’s politics – that’s kind of the luggage that comes with the whole Indian package. † What do you think he meant by this? Do you agree or disagree? 2. In Hebrew the name â€Å"Thomas† means â€Å"good company,† and in Latin â€Å"Victor† means â€Å"conquering. † How did these two characters play out their own names in this film? . A line of dialogue that was cut from the very end of the film has Thomas asking Victor if he might listen to one of his stories sometime, and Victor says yes. What role do stories and the art of storytelling play in this film? Why are stories important? 4. Victor Joseph’s father was abusive to him on occasion. But when his fath er leaves home, Victor tries to stop him. Can you explain how a young boy, 10 to 12 years old, would not want his father to leave home even if the father was abusive? â€Å"Father and Farther† Father and Farther |Sometimes, Father, you and I | | |Are like a dirty ghosts | | |who wear the same sheets every day | |Sometimes, Father, you and I, |as one more piece of us just dies and dies and dies. | |Are like a three-legged horse | | |who can’t get across the finish line |Now can I ask you Father? | |no mater how hard, he tries and tries and tries. |If you know how much farther we need to go? | | |Now can I ask you Father? |Sometimes, Father, you and I |If you know how much farther we have to go? | |Are like a Warrior, | | |who can only paint half of his face |Father and farther | |while the other half cries and cries and cries and cries. |Father and farther | | |’til we know? | |Now can I ask you Father? | |If you know how much farther we need to go? |Fath er and farther | |Now can I ask you Father? |Father and farther | |If you know how much farther we have to go? |’til we know? | | | | |Father and farther |Father and farther |Father and farther |Father and farther | |’til we know? |’til we know? | | | | |Father and farther |Father and farther | |Father and farther |Yeah, how much farther | |’til we know? |’til we know? | | | |Sometimes, Father, you and I, |Sometimes, Father, you and I, | |Are like two old drunks |Are like a three-legged horse | |who spend their whole lives in the bars |who can’t get across the finish line | |swallowing down all those lies and lies and lies. |No matter how hard, he tries and tries and tries†¦ | | | | How to cite Soldier’s Home, Papers

Agricultural Reforms Policy Australia †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Agricultural Reforms Policy Australia. Answer: Introduction In the composition of national GDP agriculture, contribute a significant portion in Australia. Australia makes huge export earnings from exporting its primary products. Australian farmers are able to produce 93% of domestic product used by Australian natives on daily basis. Other than, that agricultural sector possesses linkage with other sectors in the economy. Agricultural sectors also contribute to employment generation in Australia and unemployment rate significantly lower. Nearly 1.6 million people are engaged in agriculture and other related farming industries. Despite so much importance, agricultural sector receives least assistant from the government. The paper makes aneconomic analysis on news report capturing different types of agricultural reform policy of Australian government. Essence of the story There is a well known different between the agricultural policies devised by the Australian government and that of the rest of the world. A subsidized or regulated agricultural market is the most common form of reform. In contrast free market approach has been given more priority in Australia. In other contemporary countries like Ireland or United Kingdom follows Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (queenslandcountrylife.com.au, 2017). The farmers there receive agricultural subsidies and participate in programs for agricultural development. In contrast, Australian farmers are independent of EUs subsidy allowance. Australian government is reluctant to give price support to farmers. Australia stands as second in the list of OECD countries in terms of giving lowest support in its agriculture. In other OECD countries, CAP subsidy accounts a significant part of farmers income. This makes Australian agriculture more sensitive to market forces. CAP has a different type of operation in Australia. Apart from basic subsidy, other benefits under CAP policies include healthy regional communities, efficient management of agriculture product and inputs (Swinbank Daugbjerg, 2017).The target of the Australian government is to make agro business to run profitably and viably. Australian government aims at designing a market based sustainable agro policy keep it primary sector competitive in the world market. Economic theories and concept Agricultural reforms in Australia though largely rely on free market policies there are some areas where government intervene. Australian government had initially imposed a high tariff rate to protect the agricultural sector. A tariff is a tax on imports (Park, 2017).To protect famers from low price imported agricultural product tariff was imposed. However, due to the distortion resulted from tariff policy government decides to relax all the restriction and back again to the free market policy. Demand, Supply and Free Market Demand for a product is defined as people ability to buy the product at the existing market price (Kirwan Roberts, 2016). On the other hand, supply of a product measures producers ability to supply at different pricing point. Market equilibrium is ensured at a point where decision of buyers matches with the decision of seller (Frank, 2014). Corresponding to the equilibrium point, market price and market quantity is determined. Free market price and quantity are P* and Q* as obtained from the intersection of demand and supply curve. At any price higher the P* there will be excess supply and at any price below P8 there will be excess demand. In such situations forces of demand and supply adjusts and restore equilibrium. Price mechanism known as invisible hand ensure efficiency in the market. In the free market, there are no amount of market power either in the hand of buyers or in the hands of sellers (Nicholson Snyder, 2014). Hence, the surpluses are equally divided among buyers and sellers. Resources are efficiently allocated and hence optimally utilized. This justifies the Australian government decision of free market policy. Agriculture support policy With support price policy, there are always distortions in the market (Bernanke, Antonovics Frank, 2015). The following figure describes the market with a agricultural support policy. In the above figure free market price and quantity are P* and Q* respectively. In the free market situation, consumer and producer surpluses are shown by the area abe and cf. Now, suppose government intervene and sets price to P min to increase producers surplus. Higher price induces consumer in the grain market to reduce their demand from Q* to QM while supply increase from Q* to QT. Because of supply outpacing its demand there will be excess supply in the market that the government has to purchase at the regulated price. This may increases the stock of grains to government but in most of the situation the grains are wasted (Ciaian, Kancs Swinnen, 2014). The loss occurred due to government spending to purchase additional grains shown by the area HEFGJI. Recommendation The price support policy to agriculture is not very effective in Australia. However, government cannot stand still leaving this sector completely on free market situation. In agricultural sector, productivity matters a lot. The productive growth is measured through the change in output contributed from factors in addition to direct factor inputs. These include innovation and adaption of new technology in the production process. Australian government should increase investment in innovation. This will increase productivity in agricultural sector. The government may continue with its non-subsidy policy but investment should be made to improve the infrastructure of agriculture. Conclusion In the paper, a critical evaluation is made on the article published in Australia on reform agricultural policies in Australia. The article finds the difference of reform approach in Australia and that in other European countries. Agriculture is an important sector for Australian economy. The policy agricultural reform in Australia is different from that of other European countries. While most of the countries generally adapt price support policy or other agricultural subsidy policy farmer in Australia usually, deal with free market condition. The agricultural sector is strong enough in Australia but still there is some field where the government should intervene. Areas like innovation or other infrastructural facilities require government investment. With government support, the sector can make a remarkable progress. References Ag system differences an interesting study. (2017).Queensland Country Life. Retrieved 10 August 2017, from https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/4841904/ag-system-differences-an-interesting-study/. Bernanke, B., Antonovics, K., Frank, R. (2015). Principles of macroeconomics. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Ciaian, P., Kancs, D. A., Swinnen, J. (2014). The impact of the 2013 reform of the common agricultural policy on land capitalization in the european union.AppliedEconomic Perspectives and Policy,36(4), 643-673. Frank, R. (2014). Microeconomics and behavior. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kirwan, B. E., Roberts, M. J. (2016). Who Really Benefits from Agricultural Subsidies? Evidence from Field-Level Data.American Journal of Agricultural Economics,98(4), 1095-1113. Nicholson, W., Snyder, C. M. (2014).Intermediate microeconomics and its application. Cengage Learning. Park, H. W. (2017). Economics 100 04 Introductory Microeconomic. Swinbank, A., Daugbjerg, C. (2017). The Changed Architecture of the EUs Agricultural Policy Over Four Decades: Trade Policy Implications for Australia.

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you want to be proactive and save for college. Maybe you’re a high school student who wants to build up a college fund for yourself, or maybe you’re a parent or family member who wants to save for a young loved one.No matter your situation, you’re taking a proactive step in making college a little bit more affordable. In this post, I’ll discuss the things you need to know in orderto build, keep, and grow college savings. We'll discuss the fivebest ways to save for college to lower student debt on graduation and take a load off your mind. First, though, I'll talk about the question you should be considering before you implement your savings plan: how much should you be putting away in the first place? Read on to find out! How Much Should You Save? As you might imagine, the answer to this question will be different for everyone. I'll talk about the costs of college, how they're expected to change, and some common savings goals before moving into the nitty-gritty of savings calculations. College is already pretty expensive, with costs varying based on factors like school type, financial need, and academic merit. On average, it costs about $45,000 to attend a private US college for one year, whilethe cost of attendance at an in-state public school averages about $23,000. You can read more about estimating your own expenses with our college cost guide. Although it'scurrently pricey to get a college education, expenses are only increasing year by year. If prices increase at a rate of 5% annually, the total cost of 4 years of college in 18 years could be: $237,000 at an in-state public university $464,000 at a private college or university These sticker prices are definitely intimidating, but it's important to keep in mind that most families aren't shelling out those total amounts in cash in order to pay for school. As of a few years ago, this wasthe average percentage breakdown of how families paid for college (according to the College Board): 5% contributions from relatives and friends 9% parent borrowing, like with a private or PLUS loan % student income and savings 18% student borrowing, like with a Direct loan or Perkins loan 27% parent income and savings 30% grants and scholarships like the Pell Grant Hopefully, this breakdown helps assuage any fears you may have about the process of paying for college. Although it isn't difficult to come up with a currentnet price estimate of college expenses, it may be challenging to do this for students who will attend college in 5, 10, or 15 years. According to one survey, most parents say they hope to pay at least half of their children's college expenses; in the following examples, I'll work with these figures and savings goals to show you how much, exactly, you should stash for the future. Calculating Savings Maybe the most tedious part of saving for college: figuring out what you're comfortable putting away. Ultimately, theamount you decide to save will depend on your family income and expenses. You don’t have to have four years’ worth of expenses (tuition, room, board, fees, etc.) saved up by the time your student’s 18, especially if your family has alower income and you expect toqualify for financial aid like the Pell Grant. It’s hard to predict what sort of aid you willget thatfar in the future, but you canstart with an estimate of what your family will have to pay out of pocketgiven current costs. Once you've come to a savings goal - let's say your full expected family contribution (net price) for convenience's sake - you can figure out how much to put away every pay period. Just divide your total expected contribution for fouryears of collegeby the number of pay periods until your child leaves for school. Here's a basic savings formula for how much you should save per month, assuming your money wouldn't be earning any gains or interest: Monthly savings = Total savings goal à · (Years until college x 12) Let's see how this looks in action: If you have a newborn baby, you'll have 18 years to save for college. You have the advantage of time on your side, but you also know that college costs will rise significantly over the next couple of decades. You estimate that thecost of attendance at a private college will cost about $460,000 by the time your child goes to school, and you want to save half that amount: $230,000. If you stashed your cash in a 0% interest account, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $1065 a month If you stashed your money in an account with an average annual rate of return of 6%, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $500 a month $500 a month is a lot more reasonable than $1065 a month, but it still may not be withinyour budget. What happens if you save less per month, over 18 years, in that same 6% yield account? If you save $100 a month, you would have $47,000 in 18 years If you save $250 a month, you would have $166,000 in 18 years Ultimately, any amount that you choose to put away will help empower your child (or yourself) to pay for college in the future. As you can see; however, you can grow your money much more effectively if you save early, save often, and save in an account with a high rate of return. Ways to Build Funds To students and parents alike: the earlier you start building a college fund, the better. Strategies for fundingcollege will vary based on who, exactly, is trying to save for school. Whether you're a parent or a student, you can start working on a funding source. For Parents It’s never too early to start a college fund for your future student. In fact, the earlier you start, the easier it will be to save a significant amount. Perhaps thebest way to save is to set aside a small percentage of your income every pay period. You canwithhold it and put it aside in a big chunk at the end of the year. Alternatively, you canhave a set amount or percentage automatically deposited in a separate account every pay period. The amount you choose to set aside will obviously depend on your income and family expenses. For Students There are many different ways for you to start building up a college fund for yourself. The more you save now, the less you may have to worry about your tuitionbills or student loan payments later. Student Jobs You can start working in many states at 14 or 15, which potentially givesyou 3-4 years to build up some savings for college. This isn’t the right choice for everybody - you shouldn’t put a job ahead of your studies or extracurricular activities - but it can be a good way to start putting money away for the future. Assume that you'll start off working part-time and at federal minimum wage - not super appealing, I know, but that'sthe unfortunate reality of getting a job as a teen. If you work full-time for twomonths during the summer (40 hours per week at $7.25 per hour), you could earn up to $2,320 before taxes. Do this for three summers during high school, and you could earn almost $7,000. That's a significant chunk of money, but it requires a lot of time and energy on your part. Starting early; however, could provide opportunities for advancement (i.e. salary raises) and work experience that may help you get a more appealing job once you're in college. Check out our article talking about when you should (or shouldn't) get a job as a student. Family Member Contributions Some students may be fortunate enough to have family members whoare willing to help with college expenses. If you’re still in high school but want to start building your college fund, ask family members for contributions in lieu of traditional gifts for birthdays or holidays. Scholarships You don’t have to wait until you’re accepted to college to start applying forscholarships. There are a lot of programs out there open to high school students, and some are open to even younger kids. To start your scholarship search, check out our posts on the top scholarship programs for high school juniors and high school seniors. Spend a few minutes researching scholarships in your area that may be eligible for. Even small scholarships add up if you’re diligent about applying broadly. Where to Keep Your Money Money may not grow on trees, but that doesn't mean it can't grow. Now that you have a plan for bringing in college money, you’ll need a plan for saving in a smart way. If you let your money just sit in a checking account or a low-interest savings account, you could be losing money due to inflation in the long run. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste! There’s no one right savings plan for everyone, but there are a lot of different options available, each with its own pros and cons. I’ll present them all here so you can pick one or more that may work for you. Savings Accounts You can open a savings account in a matter of minutes at any bank. If you're looking for something a little more specialized, check outCoverdell Education Savings Accounts - they're custodial accounts that are meant specifically for education costs. Pros If you put your money in a savings account, it'll beeasily accessible and very liquid. It's not difficult to find free accounts with no fees. Your money will grow, particularly if you find a high-interest account. Finally, savings accounts are very flexible, meaning anyone can open an account to use for any other person's education. Cons It can be tempting to dip into college savings if you have easy access to it. Any interest gains are taxable, but thatmay not matter too much at the moment because interest rates are so low - you probably won't be gaining much from interest. 529 Plans 529 plans are education-specific investment accounts - there are many different types of plans out there, so it might take a bit of research to find one that's a good fit. Pros Many 529 plans offer serious tax benefits: when used to cover educational expenses, any investment gains aren't taxed. Any adult can open an account and name any other individual as beneficiary, making the plans very flexible. There's a penalty for dipping into the account for non-education expenses, which hopefullyleads tosuccess in reaching savings goals. Finally, there are high lifetime contribution maximums (this depends on the state, but the maximums vary from 200k-400k). Cons If there's any sort of emergency and you need access to funds you've stashed in a 529 plan, you'll be charged a hefty penalty. The plans themselves often come with fees or other charges. Finally, because 529 plans are custodial investment accounts, they're not viable options for teens who want to save for college themselves. Other Investment Accounts There are other ways to invest college funds in the market besides 529 plans, including brokerage accounts and IRAs. Again, there are a lot of different options out there, so the most important thing is finding an account that works best foryour savings goals. Pros There are a lot of investment account options out there, so you havea lot of control in how you invest your money. Depending on the type of account you choose, your funds should also be more easily accessible than if they were in a 529 plan, which meansyou wouldn't have to pay a penalty for using the money for non-educational expenses. Cons Choosing and managing an investment account takes more workand initiative than just sticking your funds in a savings account. Any gains from an investment account without the benefits of a 529 will be subject to tax, which you may have to pay on top of account fees. You also have to be 18 to open an investment account, meaning teens can't save for college this way (at least not on their own). Finally, some investment accounts can be very volatile, which subjectsyour savingsto quite a bit of risk. CDs A CD is another type of savings account - you receive a certificate when you deposit your money for a specific length of time, at a specific interest rate. You can get your money + interest rate when your CD â€Å"matures,† after the designated time period ends. Pros Because your money isn't invested in the market, you don't have to worry about your savings losing value. CDs have better rates of returnthan many savings accounts when you choose a long-term CD, making them good options for parents with young kids. Cons CDs are more conservative options than most investment accounts,and as such, they tend toresult in lower rates of return over the long term. In reality, the rates of return barely keep up with inflation. Gains are subject to tax. Finally, because long-term CDs keep your money locked in for extended periods, they're not good options for students heading off to college in the near future. Trusts "Trust" is a pretty broad term, encompassing many different things. Essentially, a trust is a fund made up of different assets that are held and managed by someone (a trustee) for someone else (a beneficiary). It's possible to open a trust for the purpose of covering college expenses. Pros You can use trusts to minimize estate taxes (if you have to worry about that), get professional management of funds, and have total control over money if you’re saving it for a minor. Cons To open a trust, you generally need a pretty large lump sum - you can't just slowly contribute over time. They're also expensive to maintain and manage. Ultimately, they're probably best for wealthy families who already have trusts in the works for children or other beneficiaries. Overwhelmed By These Savings Strategies? This info should hopefully keep you grounded. Whether your child is heading off to college next year or 18 years from now, the thought of saving up enough money can be pretty daunting. This is a lot of information to take in, so here's a breakdown of simple steps you can take to get started with a successful college savings plan: You don't have to orchestrate some complicated strategy all at once in order to save for college. If you want to start saving but don't have time at the moment to research different savings or investment accounts, it's okay to put that stuff on the back burner. Justspend a few minutes opening a simple savings account at your current banking institution - that's all you have to do to open a dedicated college fund. Once you have more time, you can start looking at savings plans that will help you grow your money most effectively. You don't have to throw all your extra funds into college savings from Day 1.Managing a household budget is a delicate balancing act for many families. If you are ready to start a college savings plan, begin by putting aside 5% of your income. If that's too much (or too little), you can adjust as necessary. Remember, you can always contribute larger lump sums if you have extra funds available. If you don't meet some arbitrary savings goal, that doesn't mean you've failed. FewUS families can afford to cover all college expenses upfront, but any amount that you save up canhelp cut down on things like student debt and even stress over making payments. Fewer than half of all families with kids sock money away for college - you're already at an advantage by setting up a dedicated college fund. What's Next? Although it's important to have a college fund to cover large educational expenses, your personal savings arenot the only way to pay for college costs. Federal and institutional financial aid may cover a large fraction of these expenses, but only if you submit the right applications at the right time. Check out our guide to applying for financial aid for more information. Did you know that some schools offer much better financial aid packages than others? If you want an education for a bargain, learn more about the 27 colleges with the best financial aid programs. Finally, you may be interested in private scholarship programs to help bridge the gap between what you owe and what you can afford. Read more about the top scholarships out there for high school juniors and high school seniors. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Flat Tax essays

The Flat Tax essays The United States tax system is in complete disarray. Republicans and Democrats agree that the current tax code is complex, unfair, and costly. The income tax system is so complex; the IRS publishes 480 tax forms and 280 forms to explain the 480 forms (Armey 1). The main reason the tax system is so complex is because of the special preferences such as deductions and tax credits. Complexity in the current tax system forces Americans to spend 5.4 billion hours complying with the tax code, which is more time than it takes to manufacture every car, truck and van produced in the United States (Armey 1). Time is not the only thing that is lost with the current tax system; Americans also lose great deal of money complying with the tax code. Resources that are currently wasted on record keeping, filing forms, learning the tax code, litigation, and tax avoidance. The cost of complying with the current tax code totals about $200 billion annually, or $700 for every man, woman, and child i n America (Armey 1). The overwhelming consensus that the current tax system is inadequate has ignited the search for tax reform. There are numerous proposals for tax reform; one particular proposal brought forth by various conservatives is the idea of national flat rate income tax. The idea is to replace the current income tax with a single rate that everyone pays. This paper will take a close look at the concepts of the flat tax, and look at the possible benefits and potential failings. Although there is a basic format to the flat tax, there are multiple flat tax proposals that have been offered by conservatives. Along with critiquing the basic format of the flat tax, this paper will compare and contrast the different flat tax proposals. There is no doubt among Americans and politicians that there is need for tax reform, the flat tax and one of its proposals could possibly be the answer to tax reform. The American people are in t...

Sentiment in financial markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sentiment in financial markets - Essay Example But if you have no feel for what the expectational environment is, you're kind of flying blind. You might have a good feel for the fundamentals and the technicals, but very often it's the expectational backdrop that makes the difference. For example, many investors are frustrated because they own a stock and the stock's earnings meet or perhaps even exceed expectations. And lo and behold, the stock goes down and people are at a loss to explain why. But for other stocks, the earnings come in and exceed expectations, and the stock skyrockets. Why the difference The reason is sentiment. Very often, the sentiment had been excessively bullish before the positive earnings report. In the days before the announcement, there may have been a heavy accumulation of call options. So there is a lot of anticipatory buying of the stock, which then pretty much has run its course when the earnings come out. But with these and other measures, you must wait until they get to some kind of extreme level before they carry contrary implications. For example, when everybody who could potentially be bullish is already bullish, then essentially most of the buying power in that particular market has been dissipated. At that point, the market becomes very vulnerable to selling because there isn't enough buying to offset the selling. Similarly, if only a very, very smal... Perhaps they have even shorted the market. That means the market has become more primed to move upward because if buyers should come in they will not encounter much selling pressure because the selling has already occurred. So imagine a poll today that says 80 percent of futures traders are bullish. Remember that people, whether futures traders or individual investors or market-letter writers, tend to be trend followers. Their opinion tends to be a reflection of what's going on in the market. So if 80 percent are bullish that doesn't mean that the market is at its peak. No. 1, you would expect them to be bullish, and, No. 2, they can always get more bullish. I think this points out a trap that the bears have fallen into. They've noticed signs of bullishness, namely the amount of money that's flowing into mutual funds, the investment clubs, the Beardstown Ladies' books and so on. You get into trouble when a market is in a powerful technical trend and you analyze it without reference to the fact that you expect people to be bullish in a bull market. When a stock rises on positive earnings, which also occurs often, there may have been a lot of concern about the earnings report and investors may have bought a lot of put options, or shorted the stock. Without a measure of sentiment that is accurate, you can go down all kinds of blind alleys. Some of those who have been bearish on the stock market will tell you that there are many more investment clubs than there were 15 years ago, or that mutual funds now outnumber the stocks on the Big Board. These are all good cocktail-party things to talk about, but they're not really measures of sentiment that have parameters associated with them. They're just anecdotal. Academic