SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire -08/01/12)- An elite group of senior marketers from across the Asia-Pacific region are meeting this week to discuss the findings of a new study by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council on how companies can engage with customers in a more personal, relevant, and valued way by being more adept at big data analytics.

The CMO Council, which represents more than 6,000 senior marketers in more than 110 countries, teamed with analytics software leader SAS to assess the state of customer intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region. It conducted in-depth interviews with more than 30 senior marketers at leading banks, insurance carriers, communications service providers, utilities, travel and hospitality companies, as well as media and publishing groups across Southeast Asia, China, Australia, and New Zealand. Also included were regional market questions from its annual "State of Marketing" audit, involving hundreds of online survey respondents worldwide.

The CMO Council's 45-page strategic brief, dubbed "Improve Every Marketing Move," can be sourced from the CMO Council website at (http://cmocouncil.org/improve-every-move).

Not surprisingly, marketers report being overwhelmed by growing volumes of customer data emanating from research, retail, Internet, social media, financial, company help desks/call centers, and internal line of business sources. This veritable treasure trove of customer insight is now offering them new ways to improve the customer experience, increase satisfaction, engender loyalty, and be more responsive to the needs and requirements of their different customer segments. Most, however, are still playing catch-up with new sources of customer intelligence in an Internet-connected, social media-driven and mobile device-dependent Asia-Pacific market.

Asia's population of nearly 4 billion people in 35 countries accounts for 56 percent of the world's population and nearly 45 percent of the world's Internet user base, a total of 1,016,799,076 people (Internet World Stats). Top Internet access countries in Asia include China (513 million), India (100 million), Japan (99 million), Indonesia (39 million), and South Korea (39 million). In terms of penetration, Australia is one of the leaders (just behind South Korea) in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 17 million users, or 80.1 percent of the population.

An estimated 2.6 billion mobile phones are activated in the Asia-Pacific region (Enotes), representing a penetration of more than 65 percent. Some 400 million Asians have access to the mobile Internet, notes the Asia Digital Marketing Yearbook, and there are well over 200 million Facebook members in Asia representing some 25 percent of the social media leader's 900 million users worldwide.

When it comes to improving the customer experience through better market listening, responsiveness, and leveraging of data and actionable insights, most of the region's senior marketers felt they were not there yet, but working toward it. It is definitely considered a key area of focus and priority, but the ability to execute internally against the end goal is still in question.

Most marketers said they had corporate cultures that were more product-centric and operationally driven. As a result, the use of business intelligence data was being applied in these areas rather than meeting the needs of the customer. However, the desire and intention is growing, and marketers are optimistic that they can make big improvements in shaping and influencing the customer experience through better actionable insights and analytics.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which has nearly 11 million customers, is looking to improve marketing and maximize response by delivering loan offers and financial service products to the right customer, at the right place, and at the right time, notes its head of analytics Geoffrey Kerry. Similarly, Kittisak Eh Chuei, Director of Loyalty Marketing at the Pan Pacific Hotels Group in Singapore, is using analytics to identify trends between different sets of customers across diverse regions and countries, so the hospitality leader can understand and anticipate booking behavior, handle any negative feedback in a more timely way, and provide more personal and attentive service.

"The Asia-Pacific region is doing business on a massive scale, and our marketing members see real value in using high-performance data analytics to be more targeted, personal, and timely in their communications so they can not only more efficiently acquire, but also grow, customer relationships," notes Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director of the CMO Council, whose members control more than $300 billion in annual aggregated marketing spend.

See the original post here:
Asia-Pacific Companies Using Advanced Analytics to Be More Customer-Centric

Looking at the data, U.S. consumer spending was unchanged for July, while consumer confidence rose unexpectedly. To add another layer of complexity, personal income ticked higher in July.

So, Americans didnt spend the extra money they earned even as they grew more confident about the state of economy.

But whatever consumers say or do, investors are betting on the consumer sector. It has outperformed broad U.S. equities year-to-date, and flows to ETFs canvassing the sector have exceeded $600 million for 2012.

But picking the right ETF is anything but easy, as well see.

Just look at the year-to-date performance spread of the top four funds by assets.

The top-performing fund shown in dark blue, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services Index Fund (IYC) has outpaced the laggard shown in light blue, the First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDex Fund (FXD) by more than 10 percentage points in just seven months.

Also note the performance of these four funds relative to the S'P 500, shown in red, as represented by the SPDR S'P 500 (SPY). Three of the four have beaten SPY so far this year quite handily, while FXD lagged.

This means that choosing among the top ETFs in the space is just as critical as the decision to overweight or underweight the sector in the first place.

Performance Drivers

Read the rest here:
Consumer ETFs: Buyer Beware

In 2007John McAfee explained in Fast Company, Success for me,is can you wake upin the morning and feel like a twelve year old?

However, that was right before he lost 95% of his net worth. He explains in Robert Franks book,The High-Beta Rich, that he was living through a secondchildhood, wasting money on grown-up toys and making poor investments. Only a year after the quote, his definition of success had contributed to thedestructionof his $100 million empire, leaving him with just a few million dollars. The point Im trying to make however, is that we shouldnt view McAfees mistakes withSchadenfreude.

Instead, we need to learn from McAfees experiences and analyze the true definition ofsuccess. While I subscribe to the belief of keeping your inner child alive (after all, its Rule #11 on my personal list), acting andfeeling like aadolescentis not my definition of success.

So if living like a child isnt success, what is?

And who am I to define it?

These were some of my thoughts on a recently as I enjoyed anotherone of our Facebook QnA sessions. I was so inspired that I went so far as to register the domainname,www.SuccessQnA.comand have it redirect to our Facebook page (because its a loteasier than telling people the full URL of our fan page).

Early into the Q and A session, one of our younger readers inquired, How do you define success?

For a moment I was speechless (one of the reasons why I like the Facebook QnA instead of live sessions so no one can see the perplexed expression on my face when Im asked a difficult question).

My first instinct was to reference Dave Kekichs Credos that I re-read every morning. Even though his definition is thought provoking, it wasnt exactly what I wanted to say. Kekich Credo #7 states:

Youre successful when you like who and what you are. Success includes achievementwhile choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life.

Read the original here:
What John McAfee Learned About Success After Losing 95% Of His Wealth

Bill Ryan/The Gazette Matt Buchholz pitches for the Frederick Flying Dogs against the Carroll Spartans in the Mid-Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball League final Sunday in Frederick.

Six years ago while playing baseball at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Mount Airy resident Matt Buchholz set out to find a summer league team to further hone his skills.

And after a brief search, the pitcher-infielder, who played scholastically at baseball-rich Old Mill High School in Millersville, eventually landed with the Frederick Flying Dogs, a semi-pro team that competes in the Mid-Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball League.

He has been an irreplaceable member of the Flying Dogs ever since, including this season, leading Frederick to MMSPBL final with his lively arm and potent bat.

Hes been pitching for us since his sophomore year in college at UMBC, Frederick player-manager Nick Collingham said. Hes got an ability to stay healthy all year round and he knows how to throw strikes. He pounds the strike zone. Hes one of the middle-of-the-lineup hitters [as well].

Its nice to have solid pitcher like him. Hes a guy you can rely on for a complete game every week. He always gives us a chance to win.

That certainly has been the case this season as Buchholz has compiled a perfect 9-0 record with an earned run aveage around 1.00 and 91 strikeouts in 62 innings. He has allowed nine runs on 32 hits with just 12 walks.

Offensively, Buchholz, who mans second base when not on the mound, has produced a .400-plus batting average with six doubles, two home runs, 27 runs batted in, 20 walks and six stolen bases in nearly 100 at-bats.

I work hard at it in the offseason, Buchholz said. I go to the cage with Ryan Morse, who is on the team. We work out during the offseason, trying to refine our swing and throwing a lot and work on a bunch of things. I always try to play very aggressively.

Buchholzs play this season mirrors his lengthy career with the Frederick Flying Dogs. He has produced a career batting average of .384 with 11 home runs, 47 doubles, eight triples, 111 RBI at the plate and a 58-9 mark on the mound with a 1.62 ERA and 664 strikeouts in 455 2/3 innings. He captured 10 wins in 2006 and 2010 and had nine-win seasons in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

See original here:
Gazette.Net: Pitcher finds home, success with Flying Dogs

Dear Hope:

My goodness, you are one accomplished athlete. If theres one job I wouldnt want in all of sports, its goalie. Yall are courageous, almost eerily agile, and lets just say it, a little crazy. Who in their right mind signs up for a job where soccer balls are rocketing at them? I bow to your fire.

But even given the element of rogue it takes to stand between the pipes, this little sideshow youve got going smack dab in the middle of the Olympics is disturbing. Dashing off Tweets ripping commentator and former United States soccer player Brandi Chastain for giving critical commentary on the current teams defense? For doing her job? (Its not cheerleader just sayin). Dissing her opinion because the game has changed from a decade ago when she played?

Whoa.

Let me tell you, Hope, if you think Brandi Chastain is so yesterday, now youre going to deal with me. Just call me The Day Before Yesterday. Back in another life, I was a sports journalist writing about the likes of Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers. In the 90s I was watching them blaze a trail for, yes, the likes of you. Did you not catch that Dare to Dream documentary on HBO? Its all spelled out right there.

The fact that the sport has reached a point where were even having this discussion is heartening. The ascension of womens soccer is only going to continue to open doors for more people who can aspire to be players, coaches, referees and, of course, commentators. For Chastain to have any credibility in her position, I can guarantee she has to regularly fight any urge she has to show emotion when the U.S. team scores or stops the opposition.

Its kind of like watching Rebecca Lobo when shes on the sidelines of a University of Connecticut basketball game. You know she wants the Huskies to win on some level, but her job is to get interviews with both teams, to be as objective as possible, to see the game unfolding and use her expertise to enlighten us a bit.

Do you get that?

Im here to life coach you, so I want you to first understand all Ive just said. One, you stand on the shoulders of those before you, including Chastain, and two, her job is to tell a mostly soccer-savvy audience what she sees. You just turned 31. Surely you get that this isnt personal. And that there are high school players and younger who will have you to thank one day.

What they get to see when youre not sending offensive knee-jerk Tweets (I also refer, of course, to your 2010 Twitter rampage) is a vibrant, bright, elite athlete with something valuable to say.

See the original post here:
Life Coaching U.S. Goalie Hope Solo

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The elite health and fitness website and store in Beverly Hills, Endless Youth and Life (EYL) has quickly become the "go to" spot for multiple Hollywood celebrities. From personal nutritionists and trainers, to anti-aging specialists, EYL offers everything you need to kick start a healthy lifestyle. Endless Youth and Life is pleased to announce that Executive Director Paul "Chip" Klingaman has earned various medals in the recent Hall of Fame Regional Senior Olympic events. The Hall of Fame Regional Senior Olympics (http://www.hofseniorolympics.org/) is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, home of the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120801/CL50257)

Paul "Chip" Klingaman, age 51, recently competed in eight Hall of Fame Regional Senior Olympic events at venues across Northeastern Ohio. Klingaman earned gold medals in the 500 meter freestyle swim and in the 5 and 10 kilometer bicycle time trials. Silver medals were earned in the 50, 100, and 200 meter freestyle swimming events, triathlon and the 5 kilometer running race.

Klingaman attributes his success in these senior Olympic events to "living the Endless Youth and Life lifestyle" and the inspiration from his training partners, including his wife, Toni, and adult daughters, Kristin and Ariel.

Chip is proud of his leadership role at Endless Youth and Life, and advocates the EYL lifestyle that includes exercise, diet, supplementation, and sleep (EDSS). The EDSS system was developed by Endless Youth and Life President Benjamin Suarez and is the foundation of the Endless Youth and Life lifestyle for youth and life extension.

For more information on Endless Youth and Life (http://www.endlessyouthandlife.com), please contact Jaime Valdez at 330-494-5504 x4096 or email at jvaldez@suarez.com (LA PR)

More:
Endless Youth and Life Executive Director Earns Senior Olympic Gold and Silver Medals

(MoneyWatch) Have you been inspired by the accomplishments of the Olympic athletes from nations around the world? I certainly have. Their sustained focus, commitment to doing whatever it takes to reach their goals, and attention to details is truly motivating. And although we might not be Olympic-caliber athletes, I think there are ways we can direct this energy to preparing for our retirement years.

The TV coverage offers insights into the intense commitment made by the Olympians. Some start training as early as age 5, while others start in their late teens or early 20s. But they all gladly forgo hours they could have spent in front of the TV or at the mall because they've made a conscious commitment to training for a worthwhile goal they can visualize in their minds.

Planning for retirement is very similar. Some people begin saving for retirement or start a long career with an employer that offers good retirement benefits as early as their 20s. Others don't start planning and saving seriously until their 30s or 40s, but they still make it to the retirement podium stand. One thing's for sure, though: If you don't put in much effort at any age, you'll never reach your goals, whether that's going to the Olympics or achieving a gold medal retirement.

Olympic training takes many aspects. In addition to developing the techniques and skills for their particular events, Olympians spend hours and hours working on endurance and weight training, are careful to get the proper nutrition, and pay daily attention to their mental and emotional state. They develop strong social networks with their coaches and teammates in order to get the support they need to succeed.

It's the same with retirement planning. You'll need to make important decisions about financing your retirement, such as when to start your Social Security benefits; how to turn your 401(k), IRA, and retirement savings into a retirement paycheck; how best to deploy your home equity; and how to protect against the threat of ruinous long-term care expenses. You'll want to improve or maintain your physical health with the proper nutrition and exercise. And you'll want to nurture a robust social network that will give you pleasure in life and provide the support when you need it.

When the Olympians are standing on the medal podium, there's no doubt they think the time and effort they spent on their training has been worth it. And although you won't get a gold medal to denote your retirement accomplishments, you'll know you've won when you reach your goals: You're financially independent from work, you're doing what you want to do, your physical and mental health are excellent, and you're building your legacy. You'll look back and know that all the planning has been worth the effort.

The good thing is that planning for retirement doesn't require an Olympian effort; we need to spend just a fraction of the time spent by the Olympians to reach our goals. It will, however, take many more hours than most people are currently spending. For example, a recent post from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research states that people may put more thought into buying a car or a mattress than they do planning for retirement. The illustration that starts this post aptly shows us what we need to do to create a gold medal retirement.

How to recession-proof your retirement Retirement planning for the 99 percent 12 weeks to plan for your retirement

The above photo is of my dad, who, as you can see, literally had a gold medal retirement. After a 30-plus year career as a professor at USC, he and my mother participated in senior track and field events, traveled around the world, and kept in constant contact with family and friends. He passed away peacefully at age 88 with family gathered around his bed. My mom and dad created their gold medal retirement from a middle class life, by making a sustained effort to save their money and manage their expenses during their working years, by nurturing their family connections, and by taking care of their physical and emotional health. (You can learn more from their experience from my posts, "How to recession-proof your retirement" and "Retirement planning for the 99 percent.")

In order to achieve the retirement you want, you'll need to keep your eye on the ultimate goal: Living a "rest of life" in which you're financially secure, healthy, and prospering in every sense of the word. We can all be like Olympians -- if we train like them.

Read more:
Train for a gold medal retirement

CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Young Americans are hoping for an early retirement. However, many have not taken the important first steps of knowing how much money they will need and starting to save, according to a report issued today by the BMO Retirement Institute, Broadening the Approach to Preparing for Retirement.

The report found that:

"There is an obvious dichotomy between what young people think about retirement and what they're actually doing to prepare for it," said Tina Di Vito, Head of the BMO Retirement Institute. "While it's encouraging that young adults appreciate the importance of retirement planning, there's clearly a disconnect between the concept and then putting the tangible pieces in place, such as determining how much money you'll need and starting to save. This is especially concerning given that so many expect to retire before the age of 60."

The report also outlined how important attitudes and role models are in helping young people become more proactive in preparing for retirement.

Behaviors and Attitudes Fall Short

The report found that behaviors and attitudes are strong predictors of financial preparedness for retirement. Educating young adults through practical hands-on general money-management experiences, such as budgeting, may help instill good financial habits and encourage them to seek information about saving for retirement.

The report revealed that the level of involvement in saving for retirement is relatively low in most young people. They are not spending enough time gathering information on retirement planning, attending seminars, consulting others on retirement planning, or thinking about how much they should be saving in order to secure their financial future.

"Having a general appreciation of how much money you'll need in retirement involves the important first step of visualizing what you want your retirement to look like," said Di Vito. "Only then can you develop an effective savings plan. This process takes time, research and self-reflection, and the attitude you have entering into it will largely determine your success."

Role Models are Key

Role models such as parents and other influential adults are critical to helping young people think differently about their financial future. The report found that many young people turn to family and friends to discuss retirement planning and then seek out information on their own. Consulting others appears to be the most effective, with 38 percent taking action as a result of these conversations. Meanwhile, retirement planning seminars appear to be the least effective at nudging young adults into action. Even with more than one-third (34 percent) attending these seminars, only 28 percent took action.

The rest is here:
BMO Retirement Institute Report: Young Americans Want to Retire Early, but Many Are Not Saving

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -08/01/12)- The BMO Retirement Institute today issued a report which found that young Canadians, while aware of the need for retirement planning, are putting their retirement at risk by not considering how much money they will need and are often delaying saving for retirement.

The report, Broadening the Approach to Preparing for Retirement, examined attitudes on retirement among young adults (between the ages of 18 and 34):

"While it's great news that young adults appreciate the importance of retirement planning, it's a concern that many are not backing it up with concrete action," said Tina Di Vito, Head of the BMO Retirement Institute. "A clear dichotomy exists between what young people think about retirement and what they are actually doing to prepare for it."

The report also outlined the importance of attitudes and behaviours when preparing for retirement, as well as the critical role parents can play.

Attitudes and Behaviours Result in Action

According to Ms. Di Vito, attitudes and behaviours are strong predictors of financial preparedness for retirement. The report found that young adults are the least prepared for retirement, despite the fact that one-quarter of them expect to retire early. While almost a quarter (23 per cent) of Boomers over the age of 55 have thought a lot about how long they might be retired, only five per cent of young adults have given this a lot of thought. As a result, they are not spending adequate time gathering information on retirement planning, attending seminars, or consulting others on retirement planning; many are also not actually saving.

Factors that may hinder their progress in establishing themselves financially, in general, let alone for retirement, include poor post-economic recession job prospects, rising student debt and lower real wages.

The Importance of Role-Models

The report also found that role models are critical to helping young people think differently about their financial future. With half of young adults 20 to 29 years old still living with their parents, Mom and Dad can be effective financial role-models by demonstrating sound financial management and savings habits along with involving their children early in the process. This could involve engaging their adult children in contributing towards household expenses as soon as they begin to work. Making regular contributions to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and involving their kids in the process while they are in their early teens, talking to kids about money management and budgeting, encouraging their adult children to attend retirement-related seminars and webinars, and introducing them to financial professionals are other ways in which parents can help.

"Parents and other influential adults have to foster an environment that will encourage young people to think about their financial future," said Ms. Di Vito. "Despite the challenging and complex financial realities facing young people today, increasing their financial preparedness for retirement will guide them towards positive results."

Visit link:
BMO Retirement Institute Report: Time to Get the Kids Thinking About Retirement

Basic Earnings per Share of $1.54, or $1.60 excluding second quarter tax adjustments Return on Equity of 25.1% Second Quarter Net Income Increases 10.4%, or 14.5% excluding second quarter tax adjustments, over 2011 Net Income

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Home Capital Group (HCG.TO) today reported another quarter of strong results for the three months ended June 30, 2012.

The Company's Second Quarter Report, including Management's Discussion and Analysis, is available on http://www.homecapital.com and on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at http://www.sedar.com.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

1 See definition of Adjusted Net Income under Non-GAAP Measures of the unaudited interim consolidated financial report and reconciliation to net income in Table 2 of the Management's Discussion and Analysis. 2 See definition of Taxable Equivalent Basis (TEB) under Non-GAAP Measures of the unaudited interim consolidated financial report.The net interest margin non-securitized assets for March 31, 2012 was amended from the previously disclosed amount of 3.00%. 3 Total loans include loans held for sale. 4 These figures relate to the Company's operating subsidiary, Home Trust Company.

SECOND QUARTER 2012 HIGHLIGHTS

Key results for the second quarter of 2012 included:

Consistent with the first quarter of 2012, the Company is delivering solid performance despite the persistent international economic instability and muted economic improvement in Canada. The Company's performance reflects the strength, and the successful execution, of the Company's core strategy.

As discussed in the first quarter of 2012, the Company continues to see resilient and relatively stable real estate markets across most of Canada, with a few areas of continuing concern, where the Company has already scaled back.The Company expects real estate demand to remain relatively stable in 2012 with potentially modest declines in some of the larger markets. This is expected to result in relatively balanced real estate market conditions and lead to continued healthy demand for the Company's products, consistent with the first half of the year. The Company has not seen evidence of a "real-estate bubble" in Canada. Low interest rates and stable employment have maintained housing affordability. The Company expects interest rates to remain at current levels or experience very modest increases into 2013 and that Canadian employment levels will remain relatively stable in 2012. The Company maintains a solid capital position and prudent liquidity and expects that it is well positioned to deal with the impact of uncertainty that may affect the Canadian economy.

Favourable market opportunities have supported the Company's strategy of renewed focus on the traditional mortgage portfolio with record levels of originations in this product category. While the Company has increased lending in this product category it has been able to do so with improving credit quality. The average credit score for traditional mortgage originations for the first half of 2012 is up from the same period of 2011 while loan to value ratios are down. The Company remains proactive and prudent in its lending practices, taking into account local economic and market conditions.The credit quality of the loan portfolio remains strong, reflecting the Company's focus on diligent underwriting combined with strong collection standards and loan resolution strategies.

Go here to read the rest:
Home Capital Reports Strong Performance for the Second Quarter