Childcare costs

An excellent editorial in the AFR today (unfortunately paywalled, buy yourself an AFR!) identifies the core problem with childcare subsidy policies in Australia.  The $6.7b from the Commonwealth and the $800m by the states that gets channelled into such subsidies should be skewed much more heavily towards low income earners.  Parents earning $160,000 plus annually will still have 60% of their childcare costs covered by taxpayers, those earning $200,000 will get 20% subsidies - these are after the reforms suggested by the Productivity Commission are implemented.  Indeed I would go much further than the AFR and look for very substantial cuts in the level of assistance provided across the board.

This childcare aspect of our entitlement society is absurd.   The prevailing belief is that even if you earn high incomes the fact that you are a parent gives you a net claim over the incomes of those who are not parents.

People don't have a right to have children that they cannot afford to make a substantial contribution to supporting. Those earning high incomes should obviously pay their own childcare costs.  Mothers (or fathers) who find that their incomes are too low to cover childcare costs should either stay at home and look after their children or delay having children until they can afford to by-in-large support their own children.  People need to understand that their parenting decisions have consequences that they must bear.

Subsidizing children and having an active immigration program creates high child-raising costs in Australia by driving, in particular, high housing prices.  We do not need to have an ever-increasing population - there are plenty of people - and, with less demand for housing, the cost of raising children would fall in accord with reduced market pressures.  We would also experience lower infrastructure costs and less unpriced congestion in our urban centres.
 

Price of beer

I bought a schooner of draft beer in a pub bar in Carlton at lunch today. It was $11 for 425 ml.  Yesterday I bought a dozen long-necked Coopers Sparkling Ale for $56 from Dan Murphy. That is $4-68 per bottle and each bottle contains 750 ml.  The cost of 425ml of the Coopers would be (425/750)*$4-68 or $2-65.

The costs are not directly comparable. The beer in the pub was a draft beer and was not a Coopers but was a good local brand.   But the Coopers bottle is a pretty good brand itself and hence a plausible substitute so the price comparison is not that misleading.

I wonder if it is the size of the price markup on beer - it was 415% - that might be the reason that almost no-one patronises pubs these days.  There were 4 clients in the pub I entered today and none were drinking alcohol - they were eating cheap counter lunches.

Australia has high alcohol taxes, particularly on full strength beer, but the tax is lower per unit quantity on the beer sold in the large containers that hotels buy.  Taxes create absolutely high priced beer but cannot account for these differentials.  Consumption of alcohol creates road death "externalities" but these are better addressed by heavily penalising those who drink-and-drive rather than innocent economics professors seeking a beer with their pork and stir-fried. Finally health costs are real consequences of drinking excessively but not of having a beer with your lunch.

Low patronage due to the enforcement of "drink driving" laws might encourage high prices of pub-provided beer to cover high fixed costs and maybe this is part of the story.  People drink most of their beer at home. I'd be interested to get more evidence on this.  For sure, institutions such as golf clubs are recording low revenues from bar sales and fear on the booze bus is pervasive.

Beer consumption in Australia is at an all time low.   A beer at lunch - part of the traditional Australian life style is also disappearing.  While the health Nazis will applaud this those of us who enjoy a beer do not. Australia does not want to be swamped in an alcoholic culture but nor do we want to become a nation of wowsers. 

Go solar!

I got a pleasant surprise from my $15,000 investment in solar last October. Power charges for the first quarter it has operated were $266 down from $887 the previous quarter or savings this quarter of $621. Naively assuming this trend will continue over the year (it might be more than this since the previous quarter is a low consumption quarter for my household) gives me annual savings of at least 4*$621 or $2484 per year which amounts to a tax free return of 17% on my investment. Interestingly a large part of the reduced bill was electricity sold back (at relatively low rates*) into the grid - around $367 in value for the quarter although our overall paid daily consumption fell considerably too - from an average of 28.5kWh last year to 20.3kWh in the last quarter. We are significant power suppliers!

I always assumed the solar vendors would exaggerate the economic case for their system. They did but only by a very small amount - in fact they were very accurate. If I continue with these savings this will be a great financial deal.

Why are households still buying power from the grid?

* We sold back into the grid 1501kWh and used 1889kWh. We sold back 80% of what we used.

Australian stock market cheap in US dollar terms

The recent strong rally in the Australian stock market has been near-universally attributed to a 25 basis points drop in the overnight cash rate to 2.5%.  I don't buy this.  In fact, since September last year, the Australian dollar has depreciated much faster than stock market indices so the Australian stock market, valued in US dollars has got cheaper for US investors*.  Real after-tax interest rates have barely changed and are not driving investment trends at present.

At the same time those Australian mining and agricultural exporters faced with declining commodity prices but selling their outputs in US dollars will now start to do much better than would have been thought possible even 6 months ago.

My guess is that foreign investors withdrew from the Australian market fearing capital losses associated with an expected devaluation of the Australian dollar - one that was even promoted by the RBA - but that now the Australian dollar has depreciated the foreign funds are rolling in**.

With the usual caution that goes with all my forecasting - for over a decade in the 1990s I said the Australian dollar was undervalued! - I am reasonably confident that the ASX will do well in the remainder of 2015, particularly starting in the 4th quarter. I also think the economy will do much better than expected from late 2015 with falling unemployment and moderate economic growth.

One of the most irritating things about Australian economics discussions is the overwhelming sense of dread and pessimism concerning the disaster around the next corner.  To the extent we can talk ourselves into a bad outlook we do our best to do so.  But even regarding such adverse impacts I think the Australian economy is strongly placed to recover as we move through 2015 and beyond.


* The Aussi dollar has fallen from 93 to 78 cents or by about 16% (here). The ASX100 has wobbled quite a btt from mid-September 2014 to today it has grown from about 4500 to 4850 or by about 8% (here).

** The correlation between Australian and foreign stock market indices is revealing - Australia's stock market health is driven by that internationally (here). 

Why Phone Insurance Is Necessary?

Phones have become a part of one’s life. It is the most widely used and the fastest means of communicating with your loved ones. With the growing technology the use of a phone today is not just restricted to messaging or calling, but it is also used for many more things. Its application and features not only allow you to talk to your friends and family members, but it also connects you to the outer world. Along with calling and messaging you can also surf the web, send photos, videos and can view them as well. You can also use your phone to store important files and documents, can carry them with you, and can view them where and when needed. All these features along with its streamlined and beautiful design makes it expensive and with the increasing features its price is increasing day by day. So it becomes necessary to get your phone insured.

Phone insurance comes in handy in case your phone gets damaged, lost or stolen. In any of these circumstances, you have to bear a heavy penalty from your pocket. Purchasing a new phone or repairing it instantly is not that easy as they are so expensive that you think twice before buying it again. If your phone is insured, you could be relieved from these great losses.

 

Necessity of insuring a Phone:

ASURANSI

Daftar jenis - jenis dan nama asuransi :

Quotes Car, Insurance Online, Cheap Insurance, Insurance Quote, Auto InsuranceCheapest Insurance, Compare Car, Compare Insurance, Insurance Comparison, Insurance Young, Van Insurance,business insurance, small business insurance, business insurance quotes, liability insurance for small business, house insurance, cheap house insurance, house and contents insurance, house contents insurance, insurance comparison, auto insurance comparison, van insurance comparison, contents insurance comparison, home insurance, mobile home insurance, home owners insurance, home insurance companies, best home insurance, business insurance, small business insurance, business insurance quotes, liability insurance for small business, holiday insurance, cheap holiday insurance, holiday insurance comparison, holiday insurance compare, commercial vehicle insurance, commercial insurance, commercial truck insurance, commercial auto insurance, term life insurance, term life insurance rates, short term insurance, short term van insurance, day insurance, one day insurance, 1 day insurance, insurance for a day, track day insurance, one day car insurance, caravan insurance, static caravan insurance, caravan club insurance, touring caravan insurance, travel insurance, buy travel insurance, direct travel insurance, travel insurence, insurance travel, traders insurance, motor traders insurance, trader insurance, traders car insurance, motor trader insurance, axa life insurance, sun life insurance, insurance life, universal life insurance, health insurance, axa health insurance, international health insurance, bupa health insurance, best health insurance, travel insurance compare, compare travel insurance, compare insurance, go compare car insurance, auto insurance, insurance companies, reliance insurance, insurence, home insurance, aaa insurance, chartis insurance, asuransi prudential, asuransi cigna, prudential asuransi.

daftar top 10 health insurance companies

Pada masa sekarang setiap orang memerlukan yang namanya asuransi kesehatan. karena dengan memiliki asuransi kesehatan pasti hidup kita akan merasa nyaman, karena jelas kita akan mendapat manfaat dari asuransi kesehatan tersebut.

Di saat kita sakit tidak perlu lagi memikirkan biaya untuk pengobatan dan tidak perlu takut biaya pengobatan mahal.

Berikut daftar  asuransi  terbaik top 10 health insurance companies.
asuransi allianz indonesia, asuransi prudential, asuransi cigna, reliance insurance, aaa insurance, chartis insurance, axa life insurance, sun life insurance, insurance life, universal life insurance, health insurance, axa health insurance, international health insurance, bupa health insurance, car insurance quotes, car insurance singapore, rental car insurance, car insurance australia, dan lainya.

Online Insurance Quotes

Often times we like to go shopping, but we don't want to be bothered until we are ready. It's amazing how we will be looking for something and can't find exactly what we want and as soon as the professional attendant ask "May I Help You", we all of sudden usually say no thank you, we're fine. But really we do need help in what we are looking to acquire, however the reason why we do this is because nobody likes to be sold, we only want to buy when we are ready to buy.

Well many times we want to shop for life insurance, but we don't want to be bothered by someone and we especially don't like giving out our personal information until we are ready to do business. Well I have found a company named Online Insurance Quotes, Inc. and they allow consumers to shop for the best rates for term life insurance quotes with over 125 different companies. The system will provide usually the top 25 to 30 companies with the best rates available and the best part about it is that you don't have to give any personal information such as your name, phone number, email or address. If you see what you like and you want to get more information, then you can provide the personal information after you see what you want.

With online life insurance quotes you will know what type of action to take and which company will be in the best interest for your insurance selection. You will be able to decide how you want to manage your insurance account. As most of us know, getting a good deal on our life insurance means planning for the future.

There are times when people need to have life insurance. When these times come you will look for trusted companies that you can take out a life insurance policy. To help you in this endeavor you will find that there are lots of different life insurance companies. These companies have the training and the knowledge that you will need to help you get the best life insurance quotes. The website Online Life Insurance Quotes will give you access to the best companies with competitive rates.

How To Obtain An Aetna Life Insurance Policy

Seeking an Aetna life insurance company policy or other life insurance policies can be beneficial to groups or people who just want life insurance coverage for their workforce. However, reasons for seeking life insurance may vary. Employers may require a wage insurance policy for their employees. It is important, however, for anybody interested in securing a life insurance policy to know what they are seeking for. A handful of insurance companies find it difficult to serve customers on normal circumstances.

People who engage in business are the best targets for this insurance scheme. Paying utility bills on time and ensuring your family's good health is the reason you may take the insurance plan. An individual may also encounter an emergency bank overdraft fee. A life insurance plan will be suitable for paying your mortgage after you succumb to illness and pass away. For example, say a person has a large family, the mortgage reversals or normal house loans payments will continue to run. Paying for expenses after your death by your remnants will be an easy deal once you acquire a life insurance plan or policy.

Over 50s Life Insurance

Several life insurance companies provide Over 50s Life Insurance so it would be prudent to consider shopping around for what you feel is the best package that fits in with your budget and meets your needs.

Not only should you consider the amount of life cover you are being provided with for the monthly cost but you should also digest the key features and benefits documentation relating to the Over 50s Life Insurance plan so that you are fully aware of the benefits and features.

There are many reasons why this type of life cover is taken out by someone. Perhaps to cover the expense of their funeral, leave some monies to a grandchild, to clear any debts or to make financial provision for their partner.

Somebody may submit an application for Over 50s Life Insurance if they are aged between 50 and 80 years. An excellent benefit with this type of life assurance is that you are guaranteed to be accepted for the cover as it does not matter should you suffer or have suffered from any existing medical conditions. You will be pleased to hear there are no health questions to answer on the proposal form.

You pay the premiums for a set period of time depending upon how old you are when you take out the policy. Having stopped paying the premiums you will be delighted to note that the Over 50s Life Insurance plan will still continue and pay out whenever you die.

Over 50 Life Insurance

One thing is certain in life - I am going to die sometime and as I am now 55 years of age that "sometime" is getting nearer. Aren't I the cheerful one-what a way to introduce an article about Over 50 Life Insurance.

What are the financial implications when I die - i.e. how will my mortgage be cleared if it is not paid off before I die, will my wife manage financially and how will my funeral be paid for? Well I have life insurance in place to cover the first 2 things but had no savings to pay for my funeral. I felt the solution for me was to take out further life cover to cover the cost of a funeral but a complication was that I had some pre existing medical conditions which made it difficult to take out the usual types of life cover and who knows how long I will live for.

However, after doing some research, I discovered that some life insurance companies offer Over 50 Life Insurance plans which do not require you to answer any health questions so it does not matter if you have any pre existing medical conditions- they guarantee to provide life cover.

I obtained online quotes from a number of providers of Over 50 Life Insurance and read the Key Features document for each of their Over 50 Life plans as their features and benefits do differ slightly.

To get an Over 50 Life Insurance quote all I had to provide was my date of birth, male, non smoker and that I wanted to pay £10 per month.

Life Insurance For Over 50: 3 Top Mistakes

Buying life insurance for over 50 is a different undertaking than for someone in their 20s. Here are 3 of the top mistakes people make when buying life insurance for over 50.

 

Mistake #1: Assume you’ll have to Pay Outrageous Rates

Many people looking into life insurance for over 50 just assume that their rates will be a lot higher. While you will pay more than when you were in your 20s or 30s, not every company will charge the same rates. Some specialize in life insurance for older people. Some even specialize in people with health conditions. While you may have been dealing with the same agent for years, it may be time for a switch. The fact is some agents can only sell for certain companies. So get some online quotes, research a few other companies. If your agent can’t help you buy from a reputable company that offers you a lower premium, then you may need to make an economic decision and find someone who can help get a better deal.

 

Mistake #2: Don’t Bother Thinking Through your Goals

Confused by all the different life insurance plans there are out there? Bewildered by all the insurance terms? Don’t be too hard on yourself: you aren’t alone. But you don’t need to invest a ton of time in learning about every plan or programs and understand every term.