How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance

How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A stolen laptop, a skiing injury, a dangerous hurricane- knock on wood that none of these accidents or emergencies ruin your travels. While you can’t do much to ward off bad luck, you can protect yourself from financial loss by buying a travel insurance plan. The best travel insurance will reimburse money you lose from a cancelled flight, medical issue, stolen belongings, or a number of other accidents that can occur when you travel. You can buy short-term travel insurance to cover a single trip or long-term insurance if you’re moving abroad for a year or more. This guide will go over all the benefits of travel insurance, as well as help you decide whether or not you need to purchase a plan before your trip. If you already know you want a plan, then jump down to my picks for the five best travel insurance plans for 2016. To start, let’s go over what travel insurance plans cover. What Is Travel Insurance? What Does It Cover? There are a variety of travel insurance plans out there, and you can shop around for one that covers what you need and leaves out what you don’t. Most plans insure the following essentials: Medical costs incurred from injuries on your trip (you may have to meet a deductible first, and then the insurance will cover costs beyond it) Trip interruption or cancellation (due to external circumstances, not because you woke up that morning and didn’t feel like flying) Lost or stolen baggage or belongings Emergency evacuation 24-hour emergency assistance Some plans only cover medical costs, and leave out the rest or offer these coverage options as add-ons. Many plans make a 24-hour travel service available to you, and some offer concierge services to help you make reservations. If you’re heading to the Alps to go skiing or Thailand to go rock climbing, then you can also add on coverage for any injuries incurred during adventure activities. Holiday insurance plans cover a wide range of issues, but they draw the line at some expenses. Read on to learn what most travel insurance plans don’t cover. Waiting at baggage claim and your suitcase is nowhere to be seen? Travel insurance can cover the cost of lost luggage. What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover? There are some limitations to travel insurance. If you’re traveling to a country in conflict, for instance, then you won’t find yourself covered there under most plans. Most plans also don’t cover, Elective surgery or treatment Injuries caused by alcohol or drug use War Some holiday insurance plans also don’t cover pre-existing medical insurance or acts of terrorism, or they offer these types of coverage as additional add-ons. When you buy a plan, make sure to read the fine print to see what’s included. If something important is missing, then see if you can add it onto the plan. After you purchase a plan, hopefully, you won't have to interact much more with the travel insurance company. But what if you do fall ill or get your laptop stolen? How exactly will your travel insurance plan cover these costs? How Does Travel Insurance Work? In the majority of cases, your holiday insurance will reimburse you after you file a claim. If an incident occurs, then you should save all receipts or other documentation to submit to the travel insurance company. If you're in need of emergency assistance, then you should call its 24-hour emergency assistance number. Most insurance companies advise you to contact them and submit a claim as soon as you're able after an incident occurs. That way they can process your claim quickly, as well as let you know any additional steps you need to take in the moment. While travel insurance reduces the financial risks of a trip, it isn’t necessary for all travelers. When should you take steps to insure your travels, and when would you be fine doing without? Make sure to keep all your receipts in case you need to file a claim. Do You Need Travel Insurance? Whether or not it makes sense for you to insure your trip depends on a number of factors. I’ve gone on a bunch of international trips and have only purchased travel insurance once. I insured a multi-month trip where I was backpacking around developing countries and wanted to be covered in case of injury or illness. If you’re not sure whether or not you need to buy travel insurance, consider these next four questions. #1: How Much Will Your Trip Cost? Are you investing a significant amount of money in your trip, or are you taking a short discount flight and crashing on your friend’s couch? If the former, then you might want to protect yourself with trip cancellation or interruption insurance so you don’t face a big financial loss. Look for coverage that will reimburse your flight, hotel, and any other pre-booked reservations. If you’re going on a relatively short, inexpensive trip, then you probably don’t need travel insurance to protect your investment. This doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t want your medical costs to be covered, but you likely don’t need insurance that covers trip cancellation or interruption. #2: Are You Already Covered? Before you start picking out a plan, check to see whether any of your existing policies- health insurance, car insurance, credit card agreements- cover any travel risks. Your regular health insurance, for instance, might reimburse you for medical expenses that you incur while abroad. Certain countries, furthermore, may offer free or low-cost healthcare to visitors. If you’re renting a car during your travels, then your regular car insurance or even credit card might cover rental insurance (except in Israel and Ireland, the latter of which I found out on a recent trip to the Ring of Kerry). Furthermore, some credit cards will also reimburse lost luggage or a cancelled flight. As you start to think about insurance, check out any existing policies you have to see if any aspects of your travels are already covered. Some car insurance and credit card policies cover the cost of rental cars in other countries. #3: Are You Worried About Emergency Evacuation? If you’re traveling to a country with volatile conditions, whether they be political or climate-related, then you might want to make sure you’re covered in the event of emergency evacuation. While you’ll likely have to choose a plan that’s a step above the basic one, you can get covered for emergency evacuation, as well as any loss or injury due to natural disasters or terror attacks. If it looks like a storm is brewing, then you may want to take coverage. #4: How Concerned Are You? Finally, the decision about whether or not to buy travel insurance may largely come down to peace of mind. If you’re really worried about the risks of your trip, then the additional cost of holiday insurance could be worth it to clear your mind and allow you to enjoy your trip. If you end up at the conclusion that you do need travel insurance, which plan is best for you? The following are some of the main coverage options to look for when choosing your best travel insurance. Traveling during a stormy time of year? Some insurance plans cover cancellations or delays due to weather. What Should You Look for In a Travel Insurance Plan? Most travel insurance companies provide plans at a few different levels, from the most basic to the deluxe, as well as optional add-ons to cover specific medical concerns or activities. Below are some essential features that most plans cover. Consider if any or all of these categories are important to you as you decide which travel insurance is right for you. The four main categories are trip cancellations and interruptions, medical and personal issues, overall cost, and miscellaneous personal needs. #1: Trip Cancellations and Interruptions Trips might get cancelled or interrupted by weather, employment transfer, jury duty, natural disaster, passport or visa theft, pregnancy, pre-existing medical condition, sickness, injury or death of traveler or a loved one, terrorist attack, traffic accident en route, or work reasons. Basic plans tend to cover cancellation due to weather or natural disaster, while pricier plans will cover a pre-existing medical condition or employment transfer. Typically, only the most comprehensive plans cover â€Å"cancellation for any reason.† You might also look to see if your plan covers delayed, lost, stolen, or damaged luggage, as well as the cost to replace a lost or stolen passport or visa. #2: Medical Issues These issues could include medical or dental emergencies, hospital visits, prescribed drugs, ambulance services, 24-hour medical assistance, and return of remains. Some plans may also cover pre-existing medical conditions. #3: Miscellaneous Personal Needs Look to see whether your particular needs are covered, whether you want to make sure you’re covered in case of bungee jumping incident or that your kids are covered for free under the plan. These miscellaneous needs largely depend on the length and nature of your trip. If you're planning two weeks of bungee jumping, rock climbing, parasailing, and whitewater rafting, then you might want to add on coverage for adventure activities. #4: Overall Cost Finally, a major last consideration is how much you want to pay for travel insurance and how much the company will dish out. Some companies insure a trip up to $10,000, while others cover trip expenses up to $100,000. You should also look at medical deductibles, or at how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket before the insurance company will start to reimburse doctor visits and other medical costs. Cheap travel insurance plans tend to cover just one or the other when it comes to medical and travel insurance. You might be able to find medical travel insurance for only about $30 for a two-week trip. Plans with more perks may range anywhere from $100 to $400 for a month-long trip abroad. With these factors in mind, I picked out the five best travel insurance plans. Read on to see options that provide comprehensive coverage, competitive rates, medical support, and coverage for older travelers and expats. The 5 Best Travel Insurance Plans Taking the above factors into account, I looked at different travel insurance companies and compared the extent of coverage, the potential for plan customization, and the overall cost to choose the best plans. If you want to compare travel insurance on your own, you can also check out the travel insurance search engines, InsureMyTrip and SquareMouth. These travel insurance comparison sites are superior to a travel or booking agency, which could have partnerships or gain commissions for pushing certain policies. Read on for the best travel insurance companies for 2016 and what makes them stand out from the pack. Below, you’ll find some more advice on how to buy a travel insurance plan to cover your trip. #1: Travelex Insurance Services- Best for Overall Coverage Travelex rose to the top of the pack for its wide range of customizable options for both leisure and business travels. It has three plan levels- basic, select, and max, all of which cover 100% of your trip’s cost in the case of cancellation or interruption. The select and max plans, actually, cover 150%, meaning you’ll get additional money back! The plans also cover up to $100,000 in medical costs. Travelex insurance covers children under the age of 21 for free. It also has add-on options for adventure activities, like rock climbing or parasailing. The basic Travelex plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, so you’d need to choose the Select or Max plan if you want that coverage. Overall, Travelex is a good choice if you’re covering a relatively pricey, international trip. The downside is that you can’t cover trips that are longer than 180 days. I also found the website to be kind of clunky; you need to fill in all of your personal and trip details before you can get an initial quote. Make sure your travel insurance plan includes everything you need, like lost luggage reimbursement or emergency medical helicopters. #2: HTH Travel Insurance- Best for Medical Coverage If your main concern is medical coverage, then you should check out HTH travel insurance. It allows you to buy travel medical insurance without any other add-ons. If you do go with HTH, you’ll have access to a useful app that locates English-speaking doctors close to you and helps you book appointments. Depending on your plan, you can get coverage for anywhere from $50,000 to $1 million in medical. The plans can cover an unlimited number of trips within a 12-month period, and some even let you keep the health coverage for nine months after your trip ends. There are a variety of plans for individuals, students, groups, and expats living abroad. There are a couple downsides to HTH insurance plans. One is that they don’t cover injuries from adventure sports and other activities. The second is that you might have to have a primary health care plan in order to purchase some of the HTH plans. HTH is a good choice for medical insurance abroad, but it unfortunately falls short if you’re an adventure sports enthusiast. #3: World Nomads- Best for Budget and Adventure Travelers While HTH doesn’t cover adventure sports, World Nomads has add-on coverage to cover over 200 of them! It’s a popular company for adventurous travelers, backpackers, and anyone traveling on a budget. I used World Nomads on my multi-month trip and found that it had relatively cheap holiday insurance plans with great coverage options. Plus, the website is streamlined and easy to use, and you can sign up anytime before or even during your travels. World Nomads plans cover trip cancellation or interruption, medical care, emergency evacuation, and lost or stolen gear. They insure your trip for up to $10,000, lost or stolen baggage for up to $3,000, and medical costs for up to $100,000. Since World Nomads sets a limit on trip cancellation at $10,000, it’s not the best choice for luxury travelers. Another downside? It doesn’t offer plans for groups or travelers over the age of 70. If you're going on a long-term international trip, then you should probably get insurance, just in case. #4: TravelSafe Insurance- Best for Long-Term International Trips If you’re traveling internationally and would like reservation or language assistance while abroad, then TravelSafe is a good option. It offers 24-hour travel assistance services, including concierge and interpreters. TravelSafe will insure trips for up to three years, so you can buy annual travel insurance plans. You’ll get up to $2,500 coverage of a lost or stolen passport or a missed flight or other connection. TravelSafe has a variety of individual and group plans at three levels, silver, gold, and platinum. The platinum plan offers a â€Å"cancel for any reason† benefit, which will refund 75% of your trip. #5: Allianz Global Insurance- Best for Older Travelers While several travel insurance companies set an age limit, Allianz doesn’t impose one. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to a lot of other companies. Allianz offers a variety of coverage options and will insure trips that cost up to $100,000 (a much larger sum than the $10,000 covered by World Nomads). You can buy a short-term or annual plan, and children under the age of 17 are covered for free. Allianz has an app that will help you find nearby English-speaking emergency services in most countries. It doesn’t offer concierge services to help you with reservations, though, nor does it cover the cost of a lost or stolen passport. Allianz is a good option for older travelers, plus it’s a relatively affordable choice for those looking to insure an expensive trip. Once you find the comprehensive or cheap travel insurance plan that best meets your needs, what do you do next? What steps do you need to take to purchase travel insurance? Purchasing travel insurance is easy! Just go online. How to Buy a Travel Insurance Plan Once you’ve done a travel insurance comparison, thought about your needs, and chosen the best travel insurance for you, you can take steps to purchase a plan with an online application. You can buy your insurance directly from the company’s website or from a travel insurance compare search engine, like InsureMyTrip. You’ll need to know the dates of your trip, as well as your passport number. You’ll also fill in general personal information, your country of origin and destination, and ultimately, your payment details. Once you submit, you should get a confirmation email of your plan purchase immediately, as well as supporting documents sent via email or mail within a few days or weeks. Most travel insurance companies want you to purchase your plan prior to departing on your trip. Ideally, you should buy a plan immediately after you make your first deposit (usually the flight purchase). If you decide you want to buy additional add-ons, like a â€Å"cancel for any reason† option, then you’ll probably need to take care of it at least two weeks before you leave. World Nomads is unique because it lets you purchase a plan even after you’ve already left, and you can extend it any time if your plans change and you decide to enjoy your international vacation for a few weeks or months longer. Again, once you buy your plan, you’ll receive your insurance ID and policy through email or mail. Ideally, you'll never have to communicate with the travel insurance company after you buy your plan! Finding the Best Travel Insurance: Final Thoughts Ideally, you’ll never actually need to use the benefits of your travel insurance because your trip will go off without a hitch. Knowing that the benefits are there, though, can give you peace of mind, as well as provide serious financial protection should any unforeseen emergencies occur. Before buying a travel insurance plan, make sure to consider your needs and reasons for buying insurance. If it makes sense to insure your trip, then search around for the best rates and the coverage that protects you in the ways you need, whether you need medical coverage or just want to insure your electronics or extreme whitewater rafting trip. Again, the most common considerations for people when they buy travel insurance are injury or illness, trip cancellation or interruption, lost or stolen belongings, 24 hour services, and other issues in the destination country that could call for an emergency evacuation. Whether you’re a luxury traveler, backpacking through Southeast Asia, going on a family trip, or moving to another country, you will be able to find a travel insurance plan that specifically meets your needs as a traveler.

Steal the Show With These Fabulous Wedding Speech Quotes

Steal the Show With These Fabulous Wedding Speech Quotes Speaking in front of a crowd for any occasion needs a little prep, let alone the most important day of a couples new life together. And giving a toast might seem like small potatoes among all of the things you have to do that day- but you still dont want to goof it up. Whether youre the best man or maid of honor tasked with making a speech, one of the members of the happy couple wanting to honor your new love or a parent tasked with creating a touching moment, you want the words to come out right. Prevent yourself from becoming an epic fail meme all over social media (and you know people will be filming). Incorporate these heartfelt  quotations, quick quips, or famous sayings into your wedding day speech or toast.   Wedding Toast, From the Groom to the Bride Heres to the prettiest, heres to the wittiest,Heres to the truest of all who are true,Heres to the neatest one, heres to the sweetest one,Heres to them, all in one- heres to you. To the Groom Heres to the groom, a man who keeps his head though he loses his heart. To the Bridesmaids A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Heres to these beautiful bridesmaids. We admire them for their beauty, respect them for their intelligence, adore them for their virtues, and love them because we cant help it. To the Bride May she share everything with her husband, including the housework. Wedding Toast, From the Groom to the Bride She knows all about me and loves me just the same. Wedding Toast, From the Parents of the Bride and Groom It is written: When children find true love, parents find true joy. Heres to your joy and ours, from this day forward. To the Gathering Let us toast the health of the bride;Let us toast the health of the groom,Let us toast the person that tied;Let us toast every guest in the room. To the Bride and Groom Look down. you gods, and on this couple drop a blessed crown. Remember that if you ever put your marital problems on the back burner, they are sure to boil over. Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married. My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow  that years from now you will look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least. May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future. Marriage: A community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves- making, in all, two. May the roof above you never fall in and may you both never fall out. To the lamp of love- may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial. May for better or worse be far better than worse. The man or woman you really love will never grow old to you.Through the wrinkles of time, through the bowed frame of years,You will always see the dear face and feelThe warm heart union of your eternal love. May you have many childrenand may they grow mature in tasteand healthy in colorand as sought afteras the contents of the glass. Quotes From the Famous Rainer Maria RilkeA good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude. Gwendolyn BrooksWe are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond. Jane Austen, Pride and PrejudiceOh, Lizzy! Do anything rather than marry without affection. Mignon McLaughlinIn the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing. Friedrich NietzscheIt is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. Franz SchubertHappy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he  who finds that true friend in his wife. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage. Elizabeth AshleyIn a great romance, each person plays a part the other really likes. George Jean NathanLove is an emotion experienced by the many and enjoyed by the few. Elizabeth GilbertTo be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow- this is a human offering that can border on miraculous. Robert Anderson,  Solitaire Double SolitaireIn every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. Sydney J. HarrisAlmost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity, yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage. Amy GrantThe more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes. Mother TeresaThe hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. Paul ValeryLove is being stupid together. American ProverbYou have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince. Dr. James C. DobsonDont marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you cant live without. Franklin P. JonesLove doesnt make the world go round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile. Kristen KappelLove is when you look into someones  eyes and see everything you need. Lucy Van Pelt,  in Peanuts, by Charles M. SchulzAll I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesnt hurt! Tony HeathBe presidents of each others fan clubs. Dave MeurerA  great marriage  is not when the perfect couple come together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences. MadonnaTo be brave is to love someone unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. To just give; that takes courage. Because we dont want to fall on our faces or leave ourselves open to hurt.

Can someone change your life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Can someone change your life - Essay Example   This was a major change for me because I had in great part relied on other individuals to help me through life. In these regards, there were a lot of daily tasks that I took for granted. For instance, simple things like fixing my car I never took care of, because I had always relied on my brother whenever there was a problem that was needed. For instance, I recall one incident where we were driving to visit a family friend. During the trip, one of the tires went out on our car. My brother immediately got out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and began to change the tire. After my brother’s accident, he was not able to accomplish tasks such of this. A few months after his accident we were driving to visit another individual and a tire went out on the vehicle. For an instant, I looked to my brother expecting him to jump out of the car and change the tire but instead came to realize that this time I would have to learn how. We rolled the window down and my brother explained t o me the exact steps I needed to take in order to change the tire. This has I learned the process and would be able to accomplish it in future situations. While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a lot of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities.... While this situation with changing tires is one incident, it reflects the large change that took place in my life after my brother’s accident. Slowly, I began to learn a large amount of skills that I had never had to learn before. My life had truly changed. From this point on I would no longer be able to simply watch television or engage in random past-time activities. My new life-style involved becoming more active in day-to-day activities. I learned to become more engaged in daily activities. While this took up my time, it also changed the very way I structured my days. I recognized that now I needed to ensure that my homework was done in an efficient way, as I would need to aid my family in a variety of ways. Ultimately, my life changed in drastic ways after my brother’s accident, as I had to fill in areas in which my brother had previously occupied. The second thing I learned was to take greater responsibility for my family and household actions. My brother is older than me, and he was caring for everything. After the accident I need to be responsible about everything he had been taking care of. Although, it wasn’t easy at first, because I didn’t use to have all this responsibility like to care of the home, family, and study. Now everything is normal and easy because I became familiar with it. However, at first things came as a great surprise to me as I was not aware of the many things that I had not learned, which my brother handled. Indeed, it was a major awakening experience to me. Many times in life I believe it is possible for humans to become complacent and fall into a way of living that doesn’t realize the full scope of their surroundings. I recognize that before my brother’s accident this was the world I had come to live in. After my

Toy Central-Accounting Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toy Central-Accounting Issues - Essay Example The researcher states that the presentation of financial statements should disclose transactions for related parties, accounting policies of the organization, and conflicts of interest between Troy Central Corporation and the transacting parties. The periodic financial statements need to be reviewed to ascertain adherence and enable the necessary revisions in the organization with respect to corporate requirements. Capitalized costs or licensing fees of Toy Central Corporation should be expensed when incurred considering the fact that assets are used up. Expenses are considered as money flowing out and liabilities are being incurred. The costs are incurred in the process of manufacturing toys, carrying out other company’s activities that involve the ongoing central operations and offering other related services. Amortization of costs over the life of a contract is appropriate, since Toy Central Corporation is an ongoing business. It is only acceptable for a period of not more than sixty months after the commencement of the business, the period of investigation of the probability for a new business that is being started. With regard to general business rules for expense deductions, it is not allowable to deduct the expenses of a new company, since expenses are assumed to be incurred prior the company’s birth. It is outlined that only expenses for a company that has been in operation for a long time can be deducted. It is however appropriate to amortize the capitalization costs of a new company if start up expenditure results in an operational entity and the equal installments deductions are started within first month of the business (Stickney, Weil, Schipper and Francis, 2009, p. 426-430) This process enables new companies to deduct the business investigating creation costs and the costs incurred in creating and starting up the business. It is important to note that the businesses can only deduct those costs that are deductible by business that exi sted and those that qualify for election. Expenses incurred in investigating business opportunities are deducted over the period of 60 months and are inclusive of expenses that relate to general and specific business situations like marketing, research, and development to determine the viability of the business opportunity. Other costs such as site identification and selection costs are included in amortizable costs. Amortizable costs of developing a new business may include costs such as advertising costs, consultancy fees, licensing fees and salaries. Costs that do not qualify for amortization include incorporation costs; start up costs for interests, experimental costs and property acquisition costs subject to depreciation (Carmichael and Graham, 2010, p.126). Delgo Movies accounting issues arise from Hollywood accounting, which is rather inconsistent with the generally accepted accounting principles. Delgo Movies use Hollywood accounting to budget and keep records of film produc tion financial gains. The issue of concern in Hollywood accounting is that expenditures of film production are often inflated to significantly reduce profits of the productions to decrease the burden of profit sharing agreements with respect

Method of Money Laundering Essay Example for Free

Method of Money Laundering Essay Structuring deposits The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 requires banks to report any deposits exceeding $10,000.01. This is not a problem for most of us, but it is a big barrier to money-laundering criminals looking to rid themselves of some cumbersome currency. Launderers will hire low-level lackeys to make multiple small deposits, either on different days or at various branches on the same day to work around this pesky law that attempts to deter money laundering, It is a complex, time-consuming way to launder money, and one that has been rendered even more difficult by computer algorithms that look for suspicious deposit behavior and raise an red flag when one is found. see more:speech on money for asl Banks Far more exciting and global in the practice of money laundering is the use of offshore and overseas banks. Nations like the Cayman Islands, Bahamas and Panama are very accommodating to criminals looking to legitimize their cash; these nations are unrestricted with regards to burdensome banking laws and anti-laundering procedures, which ultimately helps hide the launderers behind strict veils of secrecy. Opening accounts in a number of these offshore accounts allows launderers to move their money around and create a nearly impenetrable defense against curious investigators. Some countries (China and Pakistan among others) have a history of well-established underground banks that have been accepting deposits from sketchy clients for centuries. They legally operate outside of the mainstream banking system and outside the control of the government. There is often no paper work, just the reputation of the principals involved. Shell companies Enterprising criminals looking to legalize their cash can set up various companies that exist for the sole purpose of money laundering. These so-called shell companies often offer some sort of service that can easily be fudged and usually accepts cash as payment when doing legitimate business (beauty salons and trades like plumbing are commonly used). The dirty money is funneled into the company, made to look like legitimate income with fake invoices and receipts and then deposited into the shell company’s accounts as clean, wonderfully spendable cash money. Using these shell companies to stay one step ahead of â€Å"the man† is a shell game of its own. Forensic accountants can strip away layers of deceit and reveal the shady transactions below, which means that only true criminal masterminds with really good accountants should consider this as a laundering option. Legitimate businesses Criminals looking to clean their money can also be good corporate citizens by investing in legitimate business. Cash-rich businesses like bars and strip clubs are the most common, with the dirty money seeded in with the legitimate revenue and squirreled away in the business’ bank accounts. The safer method is to use the dirty money to â€Å"buy† the services offered by the legit businesses, but this necessitates lots of fake invoicing and troublesome number fudging and you can safely assume that most criminals choose the easy money of crime out of laziness, which makes this a decidedly unattractive alternative when looking for money-laundering options. Gambling With so many cash transactions taking place every day, casinos have become highly valuable money-laundering institutions because chips can be purchased anonymously with dirty money and after a period of time they can be cashed back in and turned into clean money. Even if the casino follows the letter of the law and asks for ID to record the transaction, the Feds are powerless to prove the money was ever dirty. Global criminal enterprises can even ask that the â€Å"winnings† be used as credit at the casino’s overseas franchises. With some games offering as much as 93% return on your money, certain criminals are willing to chance some losses and turn their illicit cash into legitimate money by actually gambling with it. One particularly popular method involves two associates at the roulette table. While one bets a substantial amount on red, the other places a similar amount on black. Provided neither zero nor double zero come up, one side doubles the money and turns it legit at the same time. However, sophisticated surveillance and casino security have limited this scheme in recent years. Down at the track, some crafty launderers will put the word out that they are willing to buy winning tickets at a premium. They then cash in the tickets as clean money and pass the bonus of cleaning the money onto the unsuspecting legitimate gambler, who is usually so stunned at their good fortune that they cannot appreciate their predicament. No money, No problems It is an enviable position that many would like to be in having so much cash that you do not know what to do with it. However, cleaning money is harder work than earning it. Criminals have to stay one step ahead of the law and they constantly run the risk of losing their cash to shady launderers or eagle-eyed cops. Often, it is not the drug dealing or the extortion that gets these law breakers busted, it is their attempts at concealing the money. So, if you ever decide to get in â€Å"The Game,† watch what you do with your money.

Appeal of Robert Frosts Out Out Essay -- essays research papers fc

There have been many interesting and appealing poems written throughout history. One of the most interesting and appealing poems is Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out†. The poem has the ability to make the reader visualize an event in vivid detail without making it into a short story. The poem depicts a very dramatic scene and makes it seem as if the reader is really there. Poems are generally thought to be about love and feelings, but some poems can actually be like a short story; these are called narrative poems, which means that they tell a story. The poem â€Å"Out, Out† is a great example of a narrative poem, telling the story of a young boy cutting a tree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Frost captures one’s attention with the opening line â€Å"The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard† (Frost, line 1). The sound of a buzz-saw snarling and rattling as it cuts through wood is a sound that everybody knows and can imagine the sound in their head. The opening line is dramatic, as the reader knows the dangers of a chainsaw. The title â€Å"Out, Out† is actually a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth when Macbeth receives news that his wife is dead; â€Å"Out, out, brief candle!† (Macbeth V, v, 23) signifies her death. The poem has a title about death, and the poem starts off by describing the sinister sounds that a buzz-saw makes. Frost uses a word that makes the buzz-saw seem angry or evil, as snarling means an angry growl. This buzz-saw is not nice sounding, it has an angry growl foreshadowing wh...

How to Encourage More People to Donate Their Organs

1) Many of the people who receive organs have self-damaged their own organs such as by drug use or other irresponsible behaviors (eating patterns, sexual activity patterns, etc. ). There are measures taken by the medical community to ensure that they're not engaged in these behaviors while they're waiting for an organ but that doesn't change the history of the behaviors or how the damage was done. 2) Most of the people will have shortened lifespans anyway even if they receive the organ. ) Most of the people who receive organs will experience an array of complications which will reduce their quality of life and impose ongoing, often lifelong, financial costs. 4) The immediate and ongoing costs of transplanting organs is very high and that cost can often be spent better in other ways such as by improving health education and prevention, drug addiction treatment, neonatal care, nutrition, genetic research, artificial tissue research, etc. 5) Because of the high costs involved, organ tra nsplants are sometimes received via a black market in which you have the very rich benefiting and the very poor selling their organs. This discrepancy in access would, to some extent, remain even if everyone were an organ donor. 6) Some people are afraid that less than full efforts might be made to resuscitate them if they are a known organ donor. For example, they're involved in an accident and then after brief efforts are made to resuscitate them they are left to die and their organs harvested even though if someone had tried a little harder they'd be alive. Although this fear is basically unfounded at least in the majority of the developed world, it is not entirely an unreasonable fear and it would have some legitimacy in some parts of the world. ) Many people regard the body as sacred in such a way that we can never be morally obligated to part with any part of it or to receive any part of anothers. In fact some people strengthen this view from â€Å"not obligated† to â€Å"obligated to not†, and there are a range of views in between. This sense of the â€Å"sacredness† of the body need not manifest in any specifically religious way but simply as a visceral repugnance at the thought of disrupting ones ordinary bodily organization even after death. However it may manifest in religious ways as well and is why so many cultures have engaged in ritual entombment, mummification and embalming, and frown upon things like grave-robbing, cremation, etc. The intuition is, more or less, that when you violate the body, even in death, you show a disrespect both for the life of the person whose body it was and for life in general by making us all merely potential commodities for one another. This ties in with point 5. The converse of this comes at the beginning rather than the end of life and involves not the action of selling organs but of selling children and of conceiving children specifically for the purpose of harvesting their organs. These things actually do and have happened and, quite reasonably, they repulse many people. 8) The donater is usually unable to exercise any discretion as to who receives the organ or judge their merit to receive it. 9) The donater is usually totally unaware of the recipient and feels no obligation to them. This lack of felt obligation is, of course, reciprocated. 0) Although, just as with vaccination programs, the costs of donation could be lowered by making it mandatory, this is very unlikely to happen (see 7) and, if it did happen, would be very likely to be abused (see 5). Together these all provide formidable reasons to not donate. Although there may remain some cases to which some of the arguments don't equally apply, such as cornea transplants and skin grafts and transplants for the young and otherwise healthy and donations to those you know, the arguments against many forms of donation and many cases thereof are still weightier than you might think.

Describe Both the Positive and Negative Impacts of Globalization to Singapore Essay

There are many definitions for globalization. With the rapid development of technical inventions and increasing economic bonding, most tend to regard ’’globalization’’ as a non-border platform, where the exchange of goods, resources, and information in all aspects take places vigorously in the present world. Apart from those materials, the movement of people also becomes frequent when the connection to every corner in the globe has been built up via advanced technology. In general, globalization not only breaks the obstacles of communication but also provides more profitable markets, which indicate a path to affluence. Without any doubt, every country tries to formulate and implement the suitable policies in order to utilize the advantages offered from globalization. Singapore is no exception. However, this unstoppable phenomenon can also be considered a double-edged sword. It could either improve or deteriorate the basic social issues. In terms of the education in Singapore, globalization indeed equips the students with strong competitiveness and international view. Since English become the language mainly used around the world, the government has started promoting English-learning environment in order to structure the track linking to the international stage. And it is proved afterwards that this strategy has successfully brought out the positive impact of globalization in Singapore. The evidence is that more and more famous universities from the West are drawn to establish branch campuses in Singapore. For instance, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore was founded in 2000 and Imperical College London-Nanyang Technological University was set up later on in 2010. These two premium schools provide opportunity and professional instruction in medical area. College of Medicine in NUS is no longer the only option for those who are keen to be a doctor. The students in Singapore are given diverse chances but equally well-trained. Meanwhile, the influx of foreign educational system not only pours in fresh energy but also opens a window for students to look further and widely. As for the country, the limited resources are expanded to nurture more elites, which is beneficial in a long-term. The structure of workforce is also changed as globalization sets in. Importing foreign workers has become one of government’s policies in attempt to maintain competitive labor. The foreign labor can be described as well-paid workers. The benefits that attach to the introduction of foreign workers are showed as advanced idea, skills, and experiences constantly flow into industries. Local workers can also gain international expertise and strengthened the capability via global network. Muti-National Corporations in Singapore render local employees workshops to further technical knowledge and personal development, and even send them abroad to other international branches. In this way, a steadfast foundation has been transplanted into Singapore’s workforce. Despite of all undeniable advantages of globalization, still, some downsides gradually slip into the society. For those at the bottom of social scale and unskilled worker, it becomes harder to survive in the society. With weak competitiveness, they are left far behind while Singapore’s economy as a whole places an impressive record in recent years. In other words, the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer. It is a sign revealing a crisis of M-Form Society. Middle class gradually disappears and remain two extremes in the society, poverty and affluence. Government also takes on the risk of investment in foreign companies. The investment takes large cost at very beginning and might not return profit in the immediate term. Subsequently, economic restructuring and uncertainty will accompany with the investment. On the other hand, as a result of global linked economy, the nation becomes more fragile. When ‘’September 11th terrorist attack’’ afflicted the economy leader, USA, it contributed to a domino effect around the world. Singapore also suffered from economic recession due to the close business partnership with USA. Some companies were forced to close or decided to lay off a part of employees. The fast rise of unemployment rate bombarded the society at that period of time. Nowadays, the world has been inevitably encountering the impacts of globalization although they are not fully positive. Government should weigh both advantages and disadvantages in order to find the balance in between. Therefore, the max benefits could be shared in society and minimize the potential problems derived from globalization.

Conjugating the French Verb Rire (to Laugh)

Conjugating the French Verb Rire (to Laugh) In French, the verb  rire  means to laugh. Its a fun and simple word and, hopefully, youll have plenty of opportunities to use it while studying French. The key to using  rire  properly in sentences is learning the most common conjugations so you can use it in the present, past, and future tenses. This lesson will show you how thats done. The Basic Conjugations of  Rire Rire may be a short word, but its also an irregular verb. This means that it does not follow the same pattern for the infinitive endings as most other French verbs. However, it is similar to sourire (to smile), so you can study the two together to make each a little easier. To start any conjugation, we need to identify the verb stem. In this case, that is simply   ri-. With that, youll add the various endings that match the subject pronoun as well as the tense of the sentence. For example, I am laughing is  je ris  and we laughed is  nous riions. Present Future Imperfect je ris rirai riais tu ris riras riais il rit rira riait nous rions rirons riions vous riez rirez riiez ils rient riront riaient The Present Participle of Rire In French, the  present participle  is most often formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem. Rire  follows this rule to form  riant. Rire  in the Past Tense Rather than use the imperfect to indicate the past tense of laughed, you can use the passà © composà ©. To form it, you will need the auxiliary verb avoir and the very short past participle ri. It is rather easy to construct this common form of the past tense. For example, I laughed is  jai ri  and we were laughing is  nous avons ri. Notice how  avoir  is the only word that needs to be conjugated and that it is in the present tense. This is because the past participle indicates that the action has already happened. More Simple Conjugations of Rire The verb conjugations above are most common, but you may need to know more forms of  rire  as you become more fluent in French. For instance, if theres a doubt as to whether someone is laughing, you can use the subjunctive verb mood. In a similar fashion, if someone wont laugh unless something else happens, use the conditional verb mood. There may also be times when youll encounter either the passà © simple  or  the imperfect subjunctive. These are, however, most often found in formal French, particularly literature. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je rie rirais ris risse tu ries rirais ris risses il rie rirait rit rt nous riions ririons rmes rissions vous riiez ririez rtes rissiez ils rient riraient rirent rissent When you wish to use  rire  in short commands or requests theres no need to include the subject pronoun. This is called  the imperative verb mood  and rather than saying  tu ris, you can simplify it to  ris. Imperative (tu) ris (nous) rions (vous) riez

Most Abundant Element in the Universe, Earth, and Body

Most Abundant Element in the Universe, Earth, and Body The most abundant element in the universe is hydrogen, which makes up about 3/4 of all matter! Helium makes up most of the remaining 25%. Oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe. All of the other elements are relatively rare. The chemical composition of Earth is quite a bit different from that of the universe. The most abundant element in the Earths crust is oxygen, making up 46.6% of Earths mass. Silicon is the second most abundant element (27.7%), followed by aluminum (8.1%), iron (5.0%), calcium (3.6%), sodium (2.8%), potassium (2.6%). and magnesium (2.1%). These eight elements account for approximately 98.5% of the total mass of the Earths crust. Of course, the Earths crust is only the outer portion of the Earth. Future research will tell us about the composition of the mantle and core. The most abundant element in the human body is oxygen, making up about 65% of the weight of each person. Carbon is the second-most abundant element, making up 18% of the body. Although you have more hydrogen atoms than any other type of element, the mass of a hydrogen atom is so much less than that of the other elements that its abundance comes in third at 10% by mass. Source​Element Distribution in the Earths Crust

The Politics of Delinquency Prevention in America Essay

The Politics of Delinquency Prevention in America - Essay Example Delinquency, to be very specific, juvenile crime is on the rise in America by the year or it so appears, is more or less the common prelude of all statements of general public, elected officials, Juvenile Justice Department, child welfare and child care workers and advocates. It is time everyone had asked a question to one self; how can I help bring down juvenile delinquency? The answer is simple and clear – Honesty in approach. General public/parents that are the beneficiaries and benefactors of delinquency prevention must be honest and committed in their vision and approach. All parents must be aware of one simple fact that although their children are being protected in the best possible ways, they are exposed to other children who may have delinquency tendencies. A look at the risk factors contributing to delinquency emerging from pregnancy/infancy to toddler years to midchildhood, parents play a larger role. From midchildhood to midaddolescence apart from parents, school and community start contributing their share. If parents are extra cautious, influence of school/peer and community could be minimized. Parents can act as PANACEA to the problem of delinquency by demanding honesty and commitment in their approach for clear vision of the programmes. Parents/public must voice their feelings and play pro-active role in the design of content and approach of these programmes. They must also insist on the Government to give top priority to child care and child welfare programmes. Further, they must also mount pressure on the elected officials to be honest in their vision and approach toward these programmes cutting across party line and