Purchase Vs Generate Carbon Offsets
Purchase Vs Generate Carbon Offsets
The offset can be purchased or generated, and investment in carbon offset generation projects requires careful assessment. The carbon action plan of any company depends on many factors.
Purchasing carbon credits (Retailers and Wholesaler)
Carbon credits can be bought from a third-party retailer, or institutions can buy it either for profit or non-profit purposes. Price, projects, transparency and quality standards are some key aspects of carbon credits, which the buyer should be aware of. The current carbon market is a buyer beware market and investors should conduct thorough research to make a final decision.
Carbon offset credits can be purchased from third-party bulk supplier, specializing in providing a number of credits and the benefit of wholesale is the price is lower as compared to retail price, although, the price varies depending on the project type, transparency and standards.
Earning high quality offsets
The criteria to earn high-quality offsets are –
1. Transparency- Transparency is the main criteria to attain high quality offset. Transparency refers to the condition where all project details are provided to the investors. The need of the project should be clear and the details should include –
o The type of project
o Duration
o Standards used
o Tests done
o Measures
o Price
o Location
2. Get net reduction of emissions- The project should be able to provide real net reduction of emissions and an absolute net reduction of GHG emissions should be attained.
Some offset projects are based on the baseline emission concept, which has many risks. A baseline emission refers to the emission reduction calculated from the difference of emission in the baseline scenario and the emission generated from the project. The main issue with the baseline project is the hypothetical scenario, where there is no fail safe way. To get high quality in baseline project, the baseline should be explicit and should ensure benefits from offset projects.
How to invest in carbon offset projects?
If you wish to invest in carbon offset projects, instead of going to third-party, you can opt to invest in projects, which provide carbon credit generation opportunities. In exchange of money invested in buying the offsets, you can negotiate a project developer to get the ownership. This approach may initially involve a high transaction cost but as per the value of the projects, emission reduction capabilities and need of the institution, the buyer can opt to invest in offset projects.
There are many categories in offset projects, which vary depending on location of projects and method of carbon sequestration. The offset project can be located in any part of the world – Brazilian rainforests, sub-Saharan rainforests or Australia and the purchaser can either invest in forestry or agro-forestry for offset generation.
Some institutions offer investment opportunities in carbon sequestration projects and it allows these institutions to generate carbon offset for self use and sell the surplus offset. These institutions offer agro-forestry opportunities in different categories and the investors get land ownership for a specified term. Investors can earn carbon credits and sell the surplus generated in voluntary markets.…
How to Get Rich in Property Investment
How to Get Rich in Property Investment
Investing in properties is a sure but slow way of getting rich. Many people have become rich through property investment by steadily working at it. You don’t need to have a lot of money to start investing in properties. Because of the power of leverage, you can buy properties using other people’s money. The basic idea of property investing is that the lesser your money you can put into buying a property, the greater your chances of making a higher return on your investment. To better understand the power of leveraging, let’s compare investing in properties with investing in equities.
Power Of Leveraging:- Properties vs Equities
By investing $100,000 in equities, you get to control $100,000 worth of equities. A 10% increase in the price of your equity would generate a 10% profit in your investment (i.e. $10,000) while a 100% increase in the price of your equity would generate a 100% increase in your investment (i.e. $100,000). In contrast, by investing in a $100,000 property, you do not need to come up with $100,000 as you can apply for a loan from the bank to finance a major part of your purchase. It is common for banks nowadays to offer up to 90% margin of financing to assist you in your property purchase. Therefore, by investing only $10,000 of your money, you get to buy a $100,000 worth of property in which 90% of the property price is financed by the bank. A 10% increase in the price of the property (i.e. $10,000) would already generate a 100% increase in your investment as the money you put in is only $10,000. Wouldn’t it be easier for a property to increase by only 10% compared to the price of an equity to double before you make a 100% return on your investment? That’s the power of leveraging at work.
Capital Appreciation vs Rental Returns
To be successful in property investment, you will either need to make a huge capital appreciation from the disposal of your properties or generating good rental returns from your tenants. If you prefer to buy and sell properties only, then you will need to have the holding power or ample reserves to be able to meet your monthly bank installments (for properties that are financed via bank borrowings) before you eventually dispose off the properties at a profit unless you paid for them in full by cash. The other common option for most of the property investors starting out would be to rent out their properties to good paying tenants who are helping them to meet their monthly bank installments. Make sure that the monthly rental you receive from the tenant is more than the monthly bank installments to enjoy a positive monthly cash flow.
Once you have successfully rented out your property, rinse and repeat the process to build up your property portfolio and start enjoying this passive rental income so that you can let your properties appreciate over time to make a good profit later should you decide to dispose them off. Therefore, it is imperative for you to be a good and successful landlord in order to be a successful property investor. Always keep in mind that your tenant’s rent is paying for your mortgage and other expenses and this will eventually make you rich in the long run.
In my next article, I will provide some of the important tips to be a successful landlord in property investment, so stay tuned……
Help For Commercial Real Estate in 3 Easy Pieces
Help For Commercial Real Estate in 3 Easy Pieces
The potential commercial real estate crisis pales in size compared to the magnitude of the recent residential debacle, but it is certainly big enough to ruin an economic recovery that still has shaky legs Something needs to be done, and soon.
Forget the happy talk in the national media and from politicians. The facts show a different story. The Federal Reserve’s March 2010 Federal Reserve Beige Book Survey reveals that the twelve Fed districts report weak real commercial real estate and many of the districts reporting further declines from the previous period. Moody’s Investors Service reports that its index for February 2010 shows further price declines for commercial real estate. Banking statistics show commercial loan defaults are creeping up at accelerating rates. Why is it that at time when it would be logical to assume that incentives offered to private industry would help alleviate the commercial real estate meltdown, only disincentives are being pushed through? Nero fiddles while Rome burns. Let’s can the post-mortem hearings on the residential debacle and focus on the next big thing.
There are three relatively quick and simple actions that could be taken by the U.S. lawmakers to immediately rev-up investment to help stabilize the $6.7 trillion dollar commercial real estate industry:
#1 – Make a decision on what how carried interest on real estate partnerships will be taxed. This will take the uncertainty of political risk out of the equation and will help capital flow into the market. And please, try to remember what the increase in taxes will do to already distressed pricing of assets.
The amount of capital available is significant. Research firm Preqin () estimates that through 2009, $44 billion was raised for investment in distressed estate debt and equity in the United States (termed “dry powder” because it has not yet been used), with another $61 billion currently being raised in 2010. These funds could be used to refinance properties, buy toxic real debt from banks and purchase properties in need of capital infusions. All these activities would have trickle down benefits for our economy in terms of employment, tax base, and healthy banks. The reason the powder stays dry is mainly political uncertainty in the U.S. regarding tax increases and regulations that would increase costs for private investment.
#2 – Walk the talk about being part of a global economy, and open up U.S. markets to more foreign investment by removing obsolete restrictions and taxes imposed by the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA). This act, passed in l980, was a move to protect U.S. farmland from being purchased by overseas investors. It imposed a tax that made it extra costly for sovereign wealth funds and overseas investors to buy commercial real estate in the U.S. as a way of discouraging investment, and later it was modified to include indirect ownership through real estate securities (i.e. REITS stocks). It is outdated and outmoded.
#3 – While busily putting together thousands of pages of bank regulations, include one that offers incentives for banks to recognize loan losses and start re-building balance sheets without playing games. Remember the basic management theory – you get the behavior you reward.
In summary, private investment should be encouraged, not penalized, for stepping in to help stabilize commercial real estate. It is past time for Washington to focus on this looming crisis without waiting for disaster and once again going to unsuspecting taxpayers for bail outs.…
Things To Know About Art Investment
Things To Know About Art Investment
Art has been part of the human culture for a very long time. From the time when society was primitive, we already have art; cave paintings of early men and the ancient Egyptians’ hieroglyphs and images are proof of this. All throughout life, people will see art everywhere and may even create ones of their own. Without it, life would simply be plain and unexciting.
When Masters of art created their works, people wanted to see it and some wanted to have them as their own. Most of these works have increased in value through the years and that made people realize that this is indeed a very good investment. Art investment then became something everyone wanted as a way of preserving and enhancing their wealth with something that can easily be displayed around their houses for others to see during certain events. Unfortunately, not everyone can pursue this type luxurious investment. Having priceless art pieces from famous artists like Picasso is something only the wealthy elites could do.
Nowadays, the limit of people who are able to afford this type of investment has been broken thanks to the help of art investment firms. These firms offer many artworks from a lot of distinguished artists that did not only make beautiful art pieces, but were also instrumental to some of the most revolutionary art movements of their times. They offer these pieces at much friendlier prices and can also update you on any news about certain artworks you want; like bidding schedules and they can even advise you on how to get better value for your money.
One of the reasons why art is a very good investment is the fact that these pieces have values that are similar to precious metals like gold; your currency may suffer from inflation, but the value of gold will not change anywhere around the world. However, there are people that would try to scam other people by claiming to sell authentic works of famous artists, so you have to be very careful. Expert advice and guidance can help you along to make sure that you get original pieces.
The same experts can also help you in determining a masterpiece’s worth. However, there is no accurate way of being able to clarify this; but a real professional can give you a value close to the real price, so that you’ll have a certain background on how much the piece actually is and to let you prepare. They will also advise you on the elements that determine an artwork’s worth and the many ways in which you can acquire them. Making sure to get top art investment companies on your side will be crucial in ensuring that your investment will go well and even develop for your successful future.…
Investing Online: How to Be Successful in a High Payout Investment for Dividend Stocks
Investing Online: How to Be Successful in a High Payout Investment for Dividend Stocks
A high payout investment is an investment that can give you high dividends at a given point of time at regular intervals such as quarterly or monthly. High payout investment options may attract higher risks unlike low payout investments.
However, high returns at low risk are a catch to investors. Payouts can be paid as cash, property, interim or stock dividends. Stocks that offer high dividend payouts can provide you passive income for the rest of your life.
Factors to Consider for a High payout Investment Strategy
1. Dividend yield: represents the annualized return a stock pays in terms of dividends. You can compare the relative attractiveness of high dividend paying stocks to know what to expect from the stock.
2. Company size: you can determine a company size from firms that provide company profiles and information. The number of employees, sales revenue, type of ownership, sources of finance, management structure and market share are important when considering the size.
3. Payout ratio: you can calculate the dividend payout ratio to know the earnings per share. A company’s annual report may avail this information. A high payout ratio can be considered good for investors that can receive a large portion of dividends per share.
4. Long-term performance: high dividend paying firms are mature companies. Firms that do better and exceed a certain benchmark can offer high dividends. The company may do better than average thus it may have a high return.
5. Dividend growth rate: a stock that increases its dividend rate can provide you a rising stream of income every year. Growth may last and over time pays off. A one-off huge payout may not last, instead it may diminish gradually.
6. Ability to generate cash: a company with no record of good cash flow may not have enough cash to pay dividends. If it were to pay dividends, it may do so by selling stock or debt. These two options are not viable.
7. Consistent dividend payouts: a company should consistently payout its dividends. This gives management a bit of discipline since the board has to ensure profitability to always pay out dividends to investors.
Keep in mind:
Not all stocks pay dividends instead the company may decide to reinvest the dividends, acquire another firm or pay down debt.
Picking high dividend stocks only is counterintuitive. You may need to consider a few things before settling for some stocks. A company with attractive stocks could have underlying problems. Learn to spot dividend traps and avoid them completely.
Dividends are a privilege because they are not guaranteed. The board of directors of a company you invested in may choose to pay or not to pay dividends.…
Pragmatic Outsourcing – Outsourcing to India
Pragmatic Outsourcing – Outsourcing to India
Outsourcing has had quite an effect on the entire world. Due to globalization, outsourcing has helped entire economies limp back to normalcy, while it has helped other countries to fire on all cylinders on the path of progress. One glowing example of the latter is India.
A few years ago, India was a closed economy and therefore could not partake in the infrastructure and technology growth that was waving all across the world. However, as soon as India opened up its arms to foreign investment (FDI) and outsourcing, it has become one of the biggest economies in the world.
It is well known that the cultures of India are quite different from the rest of the world, and the same is true about the corporate culture in India. Management in India has a more emotional connect with the employees. This has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. For one, the work that is done comes out better than other organizations because the interactions between the management and the working class.
The other aspect is because of the emotional connect; there is a lesser attrition. To be very frank, the relations between two individuals play a big part in the work culture of India.
When it comes to the quality of work in India, the workforce of India has time and again proved that it is at par with every other workforce in the world. The city of Bangalore is applauded to have been one of the techiest cities in the entire world.
Another advantage of outsourcing to India is the type of people that offer their services for outsourcing. Not only will you find individuals, sometimes you will find small organizations or companies offering their services for our assignments at a rate that is quite lesser than the rates offered by organizations and companies in your country. This is simply because the Indian currency is weak as compared to first world currencies like the dollar and the pound, and therefore you can get professional services at a percentage of the rates you would pay in your own country.
Also, outsourcing to India turns out to be quite economical when it comes to everyday work. If you get the right person or company, you can make a killing at the exchange rates. These are just some of the advantages of outsourcing to an Indian company.
You can find outsourcing to India options almost anywhere where you find outsourcing to countries. Also, there are several websites where these individuals and organizations offer their services and apply for work.
Indian companies offer almost kind of services that are offered by the other countries, they offer software and IT services. They offer services like data mining, data entry, creative services, as well as website designing and website management. While these are more of the modern services, India has always been productive in the traditional businesses of manufacturing and producing commodities. Therefore, India still remains one of the best locales for outsourcing needs.…
Some Hot Investment Advice To Help You Get The Most Out Of Your Property
Some Hot Investment Advice To Help You Get The Most Out Of Your Property
If you own some sort of real estate, you would find the use of investment property advice to be critical if you are to get the most out of it. Most people prefer to simply manage the real estate without any guidance or knowledge. The problem with this is that it can result in less than optimal running of the business.
Managing your real estate without any kind of formal advice is an easy way to go about it. However, as has been mentioned, it’s not the most optimal way of doing it. You have to take an active role in the management of your profit if it is to be profitable in the long run.
A good example of this is when you are looking for tenants. In such a case, the obvious thing to do would be to simply place an ad in any newspaper you come across. However, this may not work, since you may choose a medium that is not effective. You have to do some research and find the most effective way to advertise these vacancies.
In addition to that, you would also have to know how to relate to the tenants. A good example of this is when trying to figure out how much to charge them as rent. In these cases, you would make a better decision by first of all finding out how much other landlords charge their tenants for similar real estate. This ensures that you don’t overcharge them.
In order to be a successful investment, you also have to make sure that you take care of your real estate well. This means that you need to make sure that you maintain it and repair it when needed. In doing so, you will benefit from real estate that always looks good.
One thing you always need to remember is to do such maintenance frequently, and not to wait for problems to worsen before fixing them. This will ensure that your building always looks pleasing, and it will be easier for you to get tenants to rent the space there. This also means that you would need a mechanism to check whether the house needs any repairs.
Apart from the aesthetic value, taking care of your property properly also means that in the long run, you will spend much less on keeping it pristine. This is mainly attributed to the fact that you will be able to take care of any problems before they worsen. Normally when they do, you would need to spend much more to take care of them.
Doing all the above may seem like quite a lot of work to do. However, it all pays of at the end, since you will be able to get the most out of your property when you follow the investment property advice. You could also find other tips on how to maintain such a house from online real estate management sites. These are normally well written and can provide a lot of extra information you could use.…