NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The year listed in the fifth graph, third sentence of release should read: 2001 (sted 2011).

The corrected release reads:

SIGNATURE BANK RANKS IN TOP FIVE ON BANK DIRECTOR MAGAZINES 2012 BANK PERFORMANCE SCORECARD

Signature Bank is One of Only Two Banks in the U.S. to Place in Top Five of Three Prestigious 2012 Bank Rankings

Signature Bank (SBNY), a New York-based full-service commercial bank, today announced that it ranked fifth on Bank Director magazines 2012 Bank Performance Scorecard, in the category of banks with assets ranging from $5 billion to $50 billion.

Bank Director magazines 2012 Bank Performance Scorecard is a comprehensive ranking of all banks and thrifts traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ exchanges. This years ranking was divided into four asset categories. As in past years, the ranking was based on performance across a combination of areas, including profitability, capital strength and asset quality.

The Bank Director ranking comes on the heels of Signature Bank being named 4th in ABA Banking Journals list of Top Performing Banks (April 2012), in the large bank category, meaning those public banks and thrifts with total assets of more than $10 billion; and Forbes 2012 list of Americas Best Banks (December 2011) where it ranked fifth. Forbes used eight metrics regarding asset quality, capital adequacy and profitability of the 100 largest publicly traded banks and thrifts to determine results.

Signature Bank is one of only two banks in the nation that placed in the top five in all three of these publications recent rankings.

The Bank Director ranking, as well as the many other prestigious lists that recognize Signature Banks performance and growth, validates our team-based client-centric model. Without ever advertising, Signature Bank attracts both bankers and clients by remaining dedicated to our distinctive single-point-of-contact approach -- where our private client banking teams are the central contact for meeting all client needs. Our focus on providing unparalleled relationship banking has continually generated consistent growth since the Banks inception in 2001, noted Signature Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph J. DePaolo.

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CORRECTING and REPLACING Signature Bank Ranks in Top Five on Bank Director Magazine’s 2012 Bank Performance Scorecard

The Irish Times - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A group of leading classical musicians tell MICHAEL DERVANtheir personal favourites, offer advice and reveal some tricks of the trade

CAROL McGONNELL

Irish clarinettist

Who do you regard as the greatest living clarinettist?

I guess Id have to say my former teacher, Charles Neidich. What hes capable of doing on the instrument goes beyond anything Ive heard anyone else do. His perspective on standard repertoire, his understanding of a piece in relation to the rest of a composers output, and his grasp of harmony are really outstanding.

The greatest performance you ever heard on clarinet?

Theres a busker at Union Square station in New York, on the N and R line, who plays saxophone and clarinet. What he does on clarinet is so fascinating, Ill get off at the stop just to see if hes there. Its utterly unique. I have no idea how he achieves the sounds that he makes. And David Krakauer doing Klezmer at the now defunct East Village Tonic Club on Sunday mornings.

The best advice you were ever given about the clarinet or clarinet playing?

One of the things I always remember is Brian ORourke, former principal clarinettist of the NSO and my teacher at the time, telling me years ago not to be too concerned about what other clarinettists are doing, to put my head down, do my own thing, and not to worry about it.

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Listen - it's all about the music

LONDON (SHARECAST) - The doorstep lender International Personal Finance (IPF) is to return a pile of cash to shareholders after reporting a big rise in customer numbers and underlying profits at the half year stage.

The company provides credit for households who may struggle to borrow money through conventional channels. The key for Leeds-based IPF is its focus on emerging markets; it makes its money in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Mexico.

In the six months to the end of June the group had 2.46m customers, up from 2.29m at the same point last year. Combined, those clients had taken out loans worth 409.3m. On a constant currency basis thats a 12.2% increase on 2011.

Foreign exchange (FX) movements were a big problem, though, for International Personal Finance, which last year had to issue a profit warning as the pound strengthened and the currencies in which it generates revenues weakened. It is this currency effect which is partly to blame for underlying profits before tax coming in at 31.4m, down on the 35.7m seen at the same point of 2011.

IPF also struggles when people pay their debts early, the so-called early settlement rebate. Stripping out both the FX and rebate issues, the profits before tax figure showed growth of 7.5m.

To reflect the underlying performance and with cash flowing in to strengthen an already healthy balance sheet, IPF has announced an interim dividend of 3.23p per share, a rise of 7.5% on the prior year, plus a 25m into a share buyback programme.

These two moves pushed the share price up nearly 7% in morning trading, although IPFs stock is still 26% down over the last 12 months.

Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Ryan, commented: "We are on track to perform well for the year as a whole, aim to deliver stronger growth and make our balance sheet work harder, and we have the strategy in place to do this."

BS

Excerpt from:
Confident Intl Personal Finance hikes divi

Transocean and BP, trade associations, and U.S. regulators largely judged the safety of offshore facilities by focusing on routine personal injury and fatality data such as dropped objects and trips and falls when they should have been more focused on managing the potential for catastrophic accidents, a federal report on the Gulf oil disaster says.

Investigators with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) who examined the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf said that timely checks on safety critical equipment and response to well control events would provide a better assessment of the health of safety management systems.

These type of indicators may be precursors to the kind of tragedy that took 11n lives on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig following the Macondo well blowout on April 20, 2010, the CSB said in a report released in Houston today that tracks with previous recommendations of the board.

A number of past CSB investigations have found companies focusing on personal injury rates while virtually overlooking looming process safety issues like the effectiveness of barriers against hazardous releases, automatic shutoff system failures, activation of pressure relief devices, and loss of containment of liquids and gases, said CSB Chairperson Dr. Rafael Moure-Eraso. Furthermore, we have found failures by companies to implement their own recommendations from previous accidents involving, for example, leaks of flammable materials.

In its investigation of the Macondo disaster, the CSB found that BP and its contracted drilling rig operator, Transocean, were focused on personal safety issues such as worker injury rates, rather than broader safety issues involving the process of drilling for oil using a complex rig.

Citing what the report says was a lack of sustained focus on process safety, CSB investigator Cheryl MacKenzie described an eerie resemblance between the 2005 explosion at the BP Texas City refinery of March 2005 and the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon in 2010.

At the BP Texas City refinery on March 23, 2005, contract workers had just returned to temporary trailers at the plant after attending a celebratory lunch commending an excellent personal injury accident record. Shortly after lunch, an explosion occurred during process startup, killing 15 and injuring 180 others. At Macondo, BP and Transocean officials were in the process of lauding operators and workers for a low rate of personal injuries on the very day of that tragedy. Company VIPs had flown to the rig in part to commend the workforce for zero lost-time incidents.

The emphasis on personal injury and lost work-time data obscures the bigger picture: that companies need to develop indicators that give them realistic information about their potential for catastrophic accidents. How safety is measured and managed is at the very core of accident prevention, MacKenzie said. If companies are not measuring safety performance effectively and using those data to continuously improve, they will likely be left in the dark about their safety risks.

A BP spokesman told the Associated Press that the company stepped up and developed more rigorous safety indicators following the accident.

The safety board said when BP looked at offshore endeavors it focused on financial risks, not process safety risks. And after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the companys own accident investigation report recommended requiring hazard reviews of BP-owned and contracted rigs, the safety board said.

Link:
Oil Firms, Regulators Miss Major Accident Indicators: Gulf Spill Report

Pensacola, FL (PRWEB) July 24, 2012

Michael Gray, Jr., founder and CEO of MEG Financial, Inc., a national life and disability insurance specialty brokerage agency has collaborated with renowned marketing advisor, author and consultant Dan S. Kennedy, to co-write "The Ultimate Success Secret: Strategies From America's Most Trusted Advisors." The purpose of the book is to provide insight to everyone seeking to grow personally, professionally and financially.

The section of the book authored by Mr. Gray focuses on "How to Find an Advisor You Can Trust", a critical factor in building a successful relationship, especially when dealing with money and finances. Mr. Gray states, "in this day and age, with all of the financial schemes, "book cooking", market volatility and economic uncertainty, finding an advisor you can trust should be your #1 priority."

About Michael E. Gray, Jr. Over his 19+ career, Michael Gray, Jr., CEO of MEG Financial, Inc., has worked with tens of thousands of individuals and businesses nationwide as a trusted advisor and consultant with respect to life and disability insurance. The experience gained over the years has allowed Michael to grow both personally and professionally and to really understand the importance of helping others. During this time, Michael has developed 3,000+ clients and many have become very good friends.

About MEG Financial MEG Financial is a Florida based corporation that provides life insurance and financial services consulting to individuals and businesses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. MEG represents over 80 of the nations most respected life and disability insurance companies. Niche areas of focus include term life insurance, universal life, disability income insurance, finding insurance for people with tough medical conditions, business insurance including key person insurance as well as estate planning.

For details on how you can order a copy of "The Ultimate Success Secret: Strategies From America's Most Trusted Advisors" contact Paula Pope.

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Michael Gray, Jr., CEO of MEG Financial, Co-Authors Book "The Ultimate Success Secret: Strategies From America's Most ...

The end has come for Big Mamas Cheesecakes, at least for now.

In 2010, demand for Big Mamas creations was so huge that owners Carrie and Joe Fanizzi moved the bakery from a small storefront in Mattydale to Northern Lights mall.

But the cheesecake company is now closed, due to a combination of economic issues, limited traffic in Northern Lights and personal reasons, said co-owner Carrie Fanizzi.

Its really awful to have to close, but whats been unbelievable is the response people calling and saying how much they liked Big Mamas and theyll miss it, Fanizzi said.

About 80 percent of Big Mamas cheesecakes were sold wholesale to restaurants, leaving the rest for retail sales from the mall store.

Fanizzi, who was in business with her husband Joe, started the company in 2007. Its first restaurant customer was The Retreat in Liverpool. The Fanizzis later went into a partnership with Carol and David Trytek.

Carrie Fanizzi said she still has the cheesecake-making equipment, and is considering her next move. That could mean restarting in some fashion or perhaps selling the brand.

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Once a local success story, Big Mama's Cheesecakes is now closed

Irda widens health insurance net Neha Pandey Deoras / Mumbai Jul 25, 2012, 00:39 IST

In the draft guidelines on health insurance announced by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irda) in May, the definition of health insurance was widened. According to the draft norms, travel, personal accident and critical illness covers would fall under the health insurance segment.

Health insurance business means the effecting of insurance contracts which provide for sickness benefits or medical, surgical or hospital expense benefits, travel health insurance and personal accident cover, said the guidelines issued by Irda. Presently, personal accident and critical illness covers come under miscellaneous business.

While personal accident and critical illness covers insure health-related expenditures, an international travel cover is largely health insurance as it is a mix of medical and travel-related covers. For example, consider a $5 lakh cover with Tata AIGs Travel Guard that insures you for accident and sickness medical expense reimbursement. This comprises accidental death and dismemberment (common carrier) for $5,000, accidental death and dismemberment for $25,000 (24 hours), sickness dental relief ($500) along with emergency medical evaluation. Here travel or baggage related covers (baggage, passport, trip delay) are covered for maximum $1,000.

Also, the insurance regulator wants travel medical policies may be offered either as a stand-alone product or as an add-on cover to existing health policy as and when an existing policyholder travels. Presently, travel covers are only stand-alone covers. Personal accident and critical illness indemnity covers are also available only as stand-alone covers, while benefit covers (issued by life insurers) can be bought as an add-on on term plans.

At the same time, the regulator has disallowed assigning policies to anyone else. No assignment of health insurance policies shall be allowed irrespective of whether they are indemnity or benefit based, said the draft guidelines. This means you may not be able link any of the general insurance policies to loan.

Many general insurers allow linking personal accident or critical illness cover under the credit shield business, that is link it to home loan. Here, in case of you lose your income (due to accident and disability or any terminal disease) the policy proceed takes care of the loan repayment.

The regulator is discouraging the credit shield business as these covers are short-term ones and may lead to huge payouts for insurance companies, said another health insurance head.

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Irda widens health insurance net

STUTTGART, AR The Rice Foundation is accepting applications for the 2013 Leadership Development Program. Rice producers or industry-related professionals between the ages of 25 and 45 are eligible to apply for the program. The application deadline is Oct. 6.

The Rice Leadership Development Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills through studies of all aspects of the rice industry.

The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness leaders. The committee evaluates the applications of all candidates, reviews letters of recommendation and conducts personal interviews with the finalists. Interviews will be conducted at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Diego, CA, in December 2012.

The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc. and American Commodity Company through a grant to the Rice Foundation and is managed by the USA Rice Federation.

For additional information on the Rice Leadership Development Program or an application form, go to http://www.usarice.com and click on the 2013 Rice Leadership Development Program icon in the lower right of the webpage or call Chuck Wilson at (870) 673-7541.

STUTTGART, AR The Rice Foundation is accepting applications for the 2013 Leadership Development Program. Rice producers or industry-related professionals between the ages of 25 and 45 are eligible to apply for the program. The application deadline is Oct. 6.

The Rice Leadership Development Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills through studies of all aspects of the rice industry.

The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness leaders. The committee evaluates the applications of all candidates, reviews letters of recommendation and conducts personal interviews with the finalists. Interviews will be conducted at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Diego, CA, in December 2012.

The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc. and American Commodity Company through a grant to the Rice Foundation and is managed by the USA Rice Federation.

Excerpt from:
Clear

PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

IEEE, the world's largest professional association advancing technology for humanity, today announced four IEEE 11073 standards-development projects intended to expand support for plug-and-play, interoperable medical-device communications.

In a separate press release today, IEEE announced two new standards and a revised standard for the IEEE 11073 family.

We continue to build out the IEEE 11073 family of standards to help address challenges with consistency, interoperability, nomenclature and code that reveal themselves as e-health technologies mature, said Daidi Zhong, co-chair of the IEEE 11073 Personal Health Device (PHD) Working Group. These standards assist in the support of patients living independently with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, hypertension and obesity, as well as people seeking for healthy lifestyle with wellness and fitness. Informed by coordination and cooperation with a host of global health-focused organizations, we will endeavor to address standards gaps as they are revealed, in order to help industry introduce solutions that improve quality of life.

The four standards-development projects, when approved by the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board as official standards, will join a growing suite of standards that is designed to help healthcare product vendors and integrators create devices and systems for disease management, health and fitness and independent living:

To participate in development of any of the four standards projects, please visit the IEEE 11073 PHD Working Group at http://standards.ieee.org/develop/wg/PHD.html.

To learn more about IEEE-SA, visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ieeesa, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ieeesa, connect with us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1791118 or on the Standards Insight Blog at http://www.standardsinsight.com.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/.

About IEEE

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Four New IEEE Standards-Development Projects for Medical-Device Communications Underway

Bullies make Judy Kajander come unglued.

Their aggression reminds the YES Prep Public School counselor of her own childhood, when she lived in an alcoholic home and endured bullying at school. In her 30 years in education, Kajander has been quick to defend young victims of bullying, but less likely to examine the needs of the bully.

When Kajander learned about a startup nonprofit called FuelEd, created to help train educators on social and emotional skills, she saw an opportunity to help herself and other educators learn how to better overcome their own past experiences while on the job. She invited FuelEd founder Megan Marcus to offer her inaugural training at the Houston charter school system.

"Most schools are so focused on testing, there's no time," Kajander said. "This is so innovative. I've never seen a program quite like this."

In the three-day session, more than two dozen YES Prep counselors and teachers learned the importance of self-awareness and self-care, a few of the areas the nonprofit's founder has identified as struggles for today's teachers.

Motivating students

Education schools train teachers on course content, classroom management skills and test-taking strategies, but not on the relationship-building skills that can help them better connect with students.

That connection is the best motivator for children and can make a huge difference on their performance and their passion for school, said Marcus, who pinpointed the shortcoming while earning a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University. Psychologists are taught to leverage personal relationships, but teachers are not, she realized.

Marcus, 26, further developed the concept working on her master's in education policy at Harvard University. Great teachers inspire their students to dream and develop as humans.

"I am a steam engine with this idea," said Marcus, who will officially launch FuelEd next month in Los Angeles.

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Program helps teachers with personal development