CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF PEPSI AND COCA COLA (Bangladesh) – Video
Posted: February 19, 2012 at 12:35 am
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CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF PEPSI AND COCA COLA (Bangladesh) - Video
NSD HEALTH AND FITNESS FACILITY – Video
Posted: February 18, 2012 at 7:17 pm
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NSD HEALTH AND FITNESS FACILITY - Video
Richard Brookhiser: The Significance of George Washington’s Retirement – Video
Posted: at 7:17 pm
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Richard Brookhiser: The Significance of George Washington's Retirement - Video
BMO Retirement Tips of the Day: Consider Splitting Income to Pay Less Tax & Take Steps to Keep More of Your OAS Income
Posted: at 7:17 pm
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -02/18/12)- As the February 29th deadline approaches to make a contribution to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and as part of its ongoing commitment to improving financial literacy, BMO Financial Group will be providing daily retirement tips during the month of February from BMO Retirement Institute Head Tina Di Vito's new book 52 Ways To Wreck Your Retirement...And How To Rescue It.
Tip Number 35:
Consider splitting income to pay less in taxes, now and during retirement
In the Canadian tax system, higher-income Canadians pay anywhere from 38 to 50 per cent in income tax, depending on the province or territory in which they live. Because Canadians file separate income tax returns from their spouse or common-law partner, there may be situations where one person is paying at the highest tax rate, while the other is paying no tax at all. If couples split their income as reported on their tax returns, they could save a great deal of tax. For example:
Before income tax splitting
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You Your Partner Combined
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Income $65,000 $5,000 $70,000
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Tax estimate $13,000 $0 $13,000
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Net after tax $52,000 $5,000 $57,000
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After income tax splitting
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You Your Partner Combined
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Income $35,000 $35,000 $70,000
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Tax estimate $5,000 $5,000 $10,000
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Net after tax $30,000 $30,000 $60,000
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The simplified example above results in a savings of $3,000. Income splitting is not always automatic. Here are tips for couples to keep more of their income and pay less in income taxes:
Pre-retirement years:
-- Higher income earning spouses should pay all of the household expenses
so the lower income earner can save most of their income in their own
name.
-- Build assets in the lower income earning spouse's name by making a
contribution to his/her spousal RRSP, Tax Free Savings Account or
setting up a spousal loan.
During Retirement:
-- As soon as you are eligible to split pension income, make an election on
your tax return and claim pension income split up to 50 per cent of
eligible pension income.
-- As soon as you are eligible to share CPP/QPP payments, apply to do so.
Tip Number 36:
Take steps to keep as much of your Old Age Security income as possible
Old Age Security (OAS) is paid to Canadians aged 65 and older who have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after their 18th birthday. Those that qualify for OAS get the maximum entitlement after 40 years of Canadian residency, which over a 25-year period can amount to $160,000. However, besides being subjected to income tax, OAS is also income-tested; this means that some or all of that amount may be paid in taxes if your income in retirement exceeds the annual threshold amount, which is approximately $69,562 for 2012.
For those in retirement, consider these strategies to keep as much of your OAS income possible:
-- Make an estimate of your retirement income to determine how close you
might be to the OAS threshold. Ask your financial planner to help you
with this.
-- Begin to rebalance your portfolio up to five years before you start
collecting OAS so that there is no spike in income resulting from
capital gains.
-- Seek out advice and proper planning so you can reduce the impact that a
withdrawal from your savings will have on your income and the OAS
clawback in retirement.
For more information on retirement: http://www.bmo.com/retirement.
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BMO Retirement Tips of the Day: Consider Splitting Income to Pay Less Tax & Take Steps to Keep More of Your OAS Income
POSTED: Tech N9ne Shares Success Tips On Being An Indie Artist, Running A Record Label
Posted: at 7:16 pm
Last week, things got personal when we toured MTV POSTED artist of the month Tech N9ne's hometown of Kansas City, MO. This week, Tech turns teacher and offers wisdom on how to be a successful independent recording artist while showing us what it takes to run your own label. Take notes, guys -- the man's a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about making it in the music biz.
Learn more about Tech N9ne's business savvy and watch video interviews after the jump.
In the first clip, Tech N9ne shares his advice on how to succeed as an independent artist like he did under his own Strange Music label: "Have thick skin, have hustle. [You] have to get out there and make your fans." We even learn the Strange Music motto: "Gotta be ready to get up and go." Tech also discusses some differences between indie and major labels (money), but admits his real passion is to have full control over his sound.
Our next video has Tech chatting about all the hats he wears while working behind-the-scenes at his own label. The guy keeps busy acting as A&R (talent scout), but he also deals with a TON of grunt work, like answering a gazillion emails a day. Basically, Tech N9ne has a 9 to 5 like the rest of us -- except he's also a famous rapper.
Catch more Tech N9ne videos at POSTED.MTV.com all month long.
+ Watch Tech N9ne discuss independent record labels and offer music business advice.
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POSTED: Tech N9ne Shares Success Tips On Being An Indie Artist, Running A Record Label
Road to the White House: Santorum success forces Dems to revise strategy
Posted: at 7:16 pm
WASHINGTON -- Rick Santorum's surprising momentum at a critical stage in the presidential race has forced the Obama campaign to reassess its re-election strategy, which for months has revolved around the likelihood that Mitt Romney would be the president's Republican rival.
With several victories and some strong poll numbers under his belt, Mr. Santorum has garnered more attention at the Obama campaign's Chicago headquarters in recent weeks. The campaign has begun digging into Mr. Santorum's background, diverting opposition researchers who had been scrutinizing Mr. Romney. They also blasted an email to supporters in Pennsylvania, asking them to submit their most damning recollections of Mr. Santorum, a former senator from the state.
Though campaign officials still view Mr. Romney as the likely nominee, they have begun to consider the implications of a Santorum victory. They view him as a weaker general election opponent, but one who has shown an ability to connect with the population that is most disillusioned with Mr. Obama: white, blue-collar voters.
"Looking at the way the Republican race is unfolding, we'd be derelict if we didn't begin looking at Santorum as a real potential opponent," said Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for the Obama campaign.
Mr. Santorum has appeared increasingly confident of his prospects, campaigning heavily in Michigan -- a state that until recently was considered a shoo-in for Mr. Romney -- and touting his strong poll numbers in Ohio. Both are crucial swing states with large numbers of manufacturing workers.
He has centered his message on his social conservatism and blue-collar roots. But he has also tried to address his biggest weakness -- the perception that Mr. Romney would do better against Mr. Obama. During a campaign stop in Shelby Township, Mich., Friday, Mr. Santorum argued that he has a record of beating better-funded and more moderate candidates.
"Do you want someone who can go up against Barack Obama, take him on on the big issues of health care ... the Wall Street bailouts, cap-and-trade?" Mr. Santorum asked several hundred people at a rally hosted by the Michigan Faith and Family Coalition. "Or do you want someone who can just manage Washington a little better?"
Democratic strategists say they had long prepared for an unpredictable Republican primary race, but Mr. Santorum's surge caught them by surprise in part because they did not expect Mr. Romney to face such a difficult path to the nomination.
Early on, Mr. Obama's campaign had made it clear that they viewed Mr. Romney's venture capitalist past as a liability. But they did not expect that Mr. Romney's rival, Newt Gingrich, would use the issue to such great effect. And they were helped by the candidate's own difficulty explaining his personal wealth and why he paid a lower tax rate than many in the middle class.
Despite Mr. Santorum's momentum, Democrats see him as a significantly flawed candidate in a general election.
They believe his politics, particularly on social issues, are too conservative for most swing voters. The former Pennsylvania senator opposes all abortion and has made his opposition to the Obama administration's mandate that religious institutions offer contraceptive coverage a central campaign theme.
They also predict that Mr. Santorum would be less formidable on the fundraising front. Mr. Romney has galvanized the financial community behind his candidacy because of his professional ties, but Mr. Santorum would lack such an advantage.
They believe Mr. Santorum is just as vulnerable as Mr. Romney on his economic plan. Both opposed the bailout of the auto companies and have promised to repeal new laws regulating Wall Street. Both have endorsed tax cuts that Democrats will argue hurt the middle class, and would force draconian cuts to education and the social safety net.
But they acknowledge that Mr. Santorum appears to be connecting with white working-class voters, who have been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and job losses and who largely disapprove of the president's leadership. If Mr. Santorum wins, he may fare better in Midwestern swing states that would be crucial to Mr. Obama's re-election.
Mr. Romney "can't capitalize on the president's weakness with lower-income, non-college voters," said a Democratic strategist working to re-elect the president, granted anonymity in order to speak freely about internal strategy. "Rick Santorum has a better message for that community."
Mr. Santorum's approval rating among GOP voters in January jumped 12 points to 61 percent in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, with the increase almost entirely among those without a college degree. Mr. Romney has struggled with this group, exit polls show.
Mr. Santorum has a mixed record in his appeal to swing voters. Despite his deeply conservative values, he successfully ran for Senate twice in Pennsylvania, a swing state that has leaned Democratic in recent presidential elections. But he failed to win a third term, losing by 18 points in 2006 to Democrat Bob Casey.
First published on February 18, 2012 at 12:00 am
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Road to the White House: Santorum success forces Dems to revise strategy
Xi claims 'success' as US trumpets China film deal
Posted: at 7:16 pm
Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping declared his US visit a "full success" as he ended it in Hollywood -- and as Washington said he agreed to let more US films into China's vast market.
Xi, who attended a basketball game in Los Angeles on Friday, made the comments in the final hours of his five-day trip, which started with talks in Washington and included a charm offensive in America's heartland.
"I can now say my visit to the United States has been a full success," Xi said in a visit to a Los Angeles school with US Vice President Joe Biden, adding that his meetings with Biden and President Barack Obama had been "very fruitful."
Echoing the warm remarks, Biden -- who visited China last year -- joked: "I envy a lot of things about him, starting with his full head of hair. And I admire his stamina. We have given him virtually no time to sleep."
But Biden also reiterated a key message Xi has heard this week -- that the United States wants Beijing to play the same "rules of the game" to reduce the enormous trade imbalance between the two economic heavyweights.
"We very much want to see more of our business in China, and Vice President Xi has committed to making that possible," he said, adding: "The faster the US economy grows the more Chinese citizens will benefit."
And shortly before Xi's scheduled departure Biden announced that China had agreed to "significantly" increase market access to US movies as part of outstanding issues following a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.
The deal will allow more than 50 percent more US movies into China, added the Motion Picture Association (MPAA), while Biden did not put numbers on the increase, according to a White House statement.
A Chinese quota system restricts the number of foreign movies coming into the country annually to 20. In 2009 the WTO ruled against Chinese limits on the import of films, DVDs, music and books, but little has changed.
"This agreement with China will make it easier than ever before for US studios and independent filmmakers to reach the fast-growing Chinese audience, supporting thousands of American jobs," Biden said.
There was no immediate Chinese reaction to the White House statement, but Xi hailed Biden earlier in the day, saying: "We have established a good personal friendship and working relationship."
He recalled how China competed in the Olympics in 1984 for the first time after being re-admitted, adding that bilateral relations have "made some twists and turns" along way, but that "over the years we have made some headway."
Building further cooperation between the nations "is the right strategic decision that serves the interests of both," he said.
A string of deals were signed on the sidelines of Xi's visit, including one Friday by "Kung Fu Panda" US studio giant DreamWorks Animation for a $330 million (250 million euro) Chinese joint venture, Oriental DreamWorks.
The tie-up, unveiled by DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg, will team his California-based studio with three Chinese companies -- which will hold a majority 55 percent stake -- to operate a studio in Shanghai.
Katzenberg told AFP a short time afterwards that Oriental DreamWorks' first film was expected to be released in 2016.
The developments came as Xi rounded off a US trip that included a meeting at the White House with Obama, who urged China to play by the "same rules" in the global economy but voiced hope for cooperation.
Xi then traveled to Iowa, where a business delegation accompanying him agreed to buy 317 million bushels of soybeans from major US companies, in a deal estimated to be worth $4.3 billion.
On Friday he spent his final hours on US soil at an economic forum in downtown Los Angeles, before a National Basketball Association game between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns at the Staples Center.
A commentary on his US trip Friday in the overseas edition of the People's Daily -- the mouthpiece of China's Communist Party -- said the visit had "deepened mutual understanding" between China and the United States.
"Xi Jinping's visit was not long, but it had a big impact in promoting exchanges between the two peoples," it said. "This partnership will certainly see a more healthy development."
The Chinese leader starts the next leg of his trip in Ireland on Saturday. He is also due to travel to Turkey before returning home.
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Xi claims 'success' as US trumpets China film deal
Pepsi and coca cola drinks are haram (BANGLADESH) – Video
Posted: at 7:15 pm
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Pepsi and coca cola drinks are haram (BANGLADESH) - Video
Pepsi-Cola: News
Posted: at 7:15 pm
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Pepsi-Cola: News
No Coke, No Pepsi: CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF PEPSI AND COCA COLA – Video
Posted: at 7:15 pm
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No Coke, No Pepsi: CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF PEPSI AND COCA COLA - Video