Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Saxon Ruler

Aethelflaed (Ethelfleda) was the eldest child and daughter of Alfred the Great and sister of Edward the Elder, king of Wessex (ruled 899-924). Her mother was Ealhswith, who was from the ruling family of Mercia. Who She Was   She married Aethelred, lord  (ealdorman) of Mercia,  in 886. They had a daughter, Ælfwynn. Aethelflaeds father Alfred put London in the care of his son-in-law and daughter. She and her husband supported the Church, giving generous grants to local religious communities. Aethelred joined her husband Aethelred and her father in fighting against Danish invaders. How Aethelred Died In 911 Aethelred was killed in battle with the Danes, and Aethelflaed became the political and military ruler of the Mercians. She may have been the de facto ruler for a few years during her husbands illness. After her husbands death, the people of Mercia gave her the title Lady of the Mercians, a feminine version of the title that her husband had held. Her Legacy She built fortresses in western Mercia as a defense against invading and occupying Danes. Aethelflaed took an active role, and led her forces against the Danes at Derby and captured it, and then defeated them at Leicester. Aethelflaed even invaded Wales in retribution for the killing of an English Abbott and his party. She captured the wife of the king and 33 others and held them as a hostage. In 917, Aethelflaed captured Derby and was able to take power in Leicester. The Danes there submitted to her rule. Final Resting Place In 918, the Danes in York offered their allegiance to Aethelflaed as protection against Norwegians in Ireland. Aethelflaed died that year. She was buried at the monastery of St. Peter at Gloucester, one of the monasteries built with funds from her Aethelred and Aethelflaed. Aethelflaed was succeeded by her daughter Aelfwyn, whom Aethelflaed had made a joint ruler with her. Edward, who already controlled Wessex, seized the kingdom of Mercia from Aelfwyn, took her captive, and thus solidified his control over most of England. Aelfwyn is not known to have married and may have gone to a convent. Edwards son, Aethestan, who ruled 924-939, was educated at the court of Aethelred and Aethelflaed. Known for:  defeating the Danes at Leicester and Derby, invading Wales Occupation:  Mercian ruler (912-918) and military leader Dates:  872-879? - June 12, 918 Also known as:  Ethelfleda, Ethelflaed,  Aelfled, Æthelflà ¦d, Aeoelfled Family Father: Alfred the Great (Ælfred), ruled Wessex 871-899.  He was the son of  Ãƒâ€ thelwulf, King of Wessex and his first wife, Osburh (Osburga).  Mother: Ealhswith of the Gaini, daughter of  Ãƒâ€ thelred Mucil  of the Gaini tribe and Eadburh, a Mercian royal.  As was Saxon custom, she was not crowned or titled queen.Brother: Edward the Elder, king of Wessex (ruled 899-924)Sister: Aethelgiva, Abbess of ShaftesburyBrother: Aethelwaerd (three sons with no descendants)Sister:  Aelfthryth, married Baldwin, Count of Flanders (Aelfthryth was the 4th great-grandmother of  Matilda of Flanders, married to William the Conqueror, and thus an ancestor of later British royalty)Husband: Aethelred (Ethelred, Æthelrà ¦d), Earl of MerciaDaughter: Aelfwyn (Aelfwynn, Ælfwynn, Ælfwyn,  Elfwina)

Analyse the Dramatic Uses of the Chorus in Greek Tragedy;...

The full influence of Greek tragedy upon our modern theatre is incomprehensible, with the mainstays of theatrical convention largely demonstrating roots within Greek tragedy. The choric function is just one of these conventions. This essay hopes to explore various uses of the Chorus within Greek tragedies by Aeschylus and Sophocles, and then to analyse how traits of a Greek Chorus, and the choric function can be found within 20th Century Theatre. The Chorus in Greek tragedy was a large group (it is suggested between 12 and 30) of people who sang or chanted songs and poems that helped set the scene of the play, bring the audience up to date with the events preceding the play and inform the audience of any political or social consequences†¦show more content†¦They explain, ‘Fears a good gateman to stand guard of the passions (page 100). For Sophocles the Chorus has yet again a more reduced role, as more actors are introduced into his plays. The focus yet again turns towards dialogue between characters, and away from interaction purely between actor and Chorus. The Sophoclean Chorus is not emotionally separate from the action, it is involved emotively with the story being portrayed, and can show sympathy (and in contrast, hatred) towards the events on the stage. In Sophocles Oedipus the King the Chorus function as witnesses to the downfall of Oedipus from proud monarch to blind, helpless man. The Chorus first speech to Oedipus describes the plague that has infected the city. As Oedipus insists he wants to find the murderer of Laius, the Chorus suggest that he ask Teiresias (page 194). The Chorus here prompts the actor to step further towards his impending fate. The Chorus also prove to be a calming influence, trying to mediate between Teiresias, Oedipus, Creon and Jocasta at various points within the play. They also are still optimistic when the truth is nearly out, telling Oedipus to, ‘hope, until you hear from the man who saw what happened (page 216). The Chorus within

The Market Value versus Book Value Free Solution

Questions: 1. Analyze Visas income and expenditure.2. How is marketing accounted for at Visa Inc.? 3. Explain Visa Inc.s balance sheet.4. What is the relationship between book value and market value? 5. How should we value brands? What are the challenges? 6. What is the impact of accounting decisions on the ratios? Answers: 1. Analyze Visas income and expenditure. What is the primary source of Visas revenues? Who is it specifically (banks? Customers? Stores?) Service Revenue segment is the primary source of Visas Revenue. It is provided that Visa earns its revenue by providing resources as well as information amongst the banks, customer, merchant and collecting the fee on the basis of number or dollar value of transaction which it process. Banks are specifically more revenue generator in comparison to others (Visa (V). (2016) Which source of revenue has the highest growth rate (2009 to 2013) On the basis of available data it has been clearly indicated that Data processing revenue has higher growth rate (2009- 2013) approx 91% While Visas business model is described as a technology payments company, Visa Inc. does not fall under the typical definition of a technology company. What is the largest category of expense on its PL? Even though Visas business Model is described as a technology payment company, Personnel expenses is considered as a largest category of expense as mention in the PL Account. Other observations re Visas income and expenditures In regard to other expenses, there is decrease in the marketing expense since 2009 which states that good sign for the company. Administrative expenses are same as 2012 means there are some management in the expenses. At the end increase on other expense is implied due to inflation from year to year 2. How is marketing accounted for at Visa Inc.? Does the income statement fairly value the impact of the marketing expense? If not, where does the value from the marketing expense show up? In my opinion, marketing expenses as mentioned in the P L Account is the fair value because Visa being brand has achieved its maximum market however it is required to market the same /services etc. Hence market expense will be there all the time (Visa (V). (2016) Other thoughts? No other thought. 3. Explain Visa Inc.s balance sheet. What has visa been doing with its earnings particularly in 2013 On the basis of annual reports, it is clear that Visa uses its earning for payment of dividend repurchase of Class A common stock. However, in 2013 it has been observed that large amount has been paid by Visa to repurchase of Class A common stock. What type of asset carries most of Visas book value? How does this differ from a manufacturing company? Good will seems to be an asset carries most of Visas Book value. Other observations? In regard to other elements, there is decrease in current liabilities which show good performance of the VISA 4. That is the relationship between book value and market value? Is the market to book ratio growing? Yes, as pr the scenario given it clearly indicates that market to book ratio is growing Why is the market value greater than the book value? Book value means value of the business in accordance with the financial statement it is calculated from the balance sheet however, market value means the price in accordance with the prevailing market or stock market for (shares Gad, S. (2013). 5. How should we value brands? What are the challenges? Does it appear that the valuation of the brand is an exact science? What was the range of valuations from the agencies that estimate the value of the brand? Yes, it is appearing that the valuation is an exact science. Further, renege of valuation can be as follows: Comparing of the DCF Value for the firm along with intangible with the firm without 1. Assuming that all the excess returns are due to the intangibles 2. Comparing the multiples where the firm trades to the sector averages. 6. What is the impact of accounting decisions on the ratios? Marketing expenses are expensed on the income statement as they are incurred but the benefit is more like a capital expense something that has a long term impact in strengthening the brand. If you treated it at a long term investment likes plant and equipment not as a short term expense What would be the impact in the income statement? Impact on income statement if marketing expense is treated as assets Profit will increase by the amount of marketing expense such as in 2013 profit would increase by$876 Depreciation will increase according to the rate of depreciation Balance sheet? Impact on Balance Sheet if marketing expense is treated as assets Amount of Non Current Assets would increase after deduction of depreciation on the relevant price Which ratios would be impacted? Ans. Following ration would be impacted due to the mentioned changes ROIC ROE Total Asset Turnover ROA References Gad, S. (2013).The Market Value Versus Book Value | Investopedia.Investopedia. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/110613/market-value-versus-book-value.asp Stock:Visa (V). (2016).Wikinvest.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from https://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Visa_(V)

Compare and Contrast Melody and Structure in the Brahms free essay sample

Romantic era began. This is where composers began to experiment more with their structure, making it as complex as possible, but still making sure that the listener can here lots of deferent motifs. This idea is basically having a few themes and using these to create different sections through augmentation and fragmentation etc. Also melodies became more flamboyant with composers adding in more chromatic lines to their melodies.Brahms is a composer n which melody is not the key focus, but still does in fact use it to his advantage. As a romantic composer Brahms definitely uses the features of the romantic era in his music, for example, the augmentation of motifs. This happens regularly throughout the piece but specifically he does an augmentation of the x motif In bar 105-108. Another melodic feature that Is present In this Plano Quintet Is the use of ornamentation. This helps to create decoration to the melody line and Is seen In the y motif at bar 109. The last melodic feature that Brahms predominantly uses is rests and staccatos.This creates a Jerky melody throughout for the strings and piano to play. Debussy in contrast, uses smooth melodies, by using slurs, which is shown from the first bar to create his description of the poem. Another contrast to Brahms, is that Debussy uses solos and unaccompanied melodies In his composition and Brahms never lets a part play on Its own. Debussy mall and famous solo that he uses for the melody is in the flute at bar 1. Furthermore, he also uses whole tone scales to be able to create a different melody that has not been used before, and this is shown at bar 31 and 32 in the clarinet.Similarly to Brahms, Debussy decorates his melody, however not with ornamentation but with different rhythms so that he can add in extra note flurrys. For example, the rhythm In bar 3 In the flute, at bar 21-22 has been decorated with deem-semi triplets. Opulence scholarly uses ornamentation In the way that Brahms does in his piece, for example In bar 10 he has used a type of higher mordents. In addition, a melodic feature which is unique to this composition is the arpeggio figures, which is shown in the trumpet in the first three notes. This appearing figures helps us to establish what key we are in.Furthermore, Just like the Brahms Opulence makes use of our ability to make extreme dynamics for the melody,without having to add Instruments. It starts off quietly until the fourth bar where it Jumps to forte for three homoeopathy notes. Lastly, Opulence uses some chromatically, Just Like Debussy. The chromatic melodic figure that appears in this piece is in the trombone in the Coda. Brahms is very particular about the structure of his composition also. The overall structure of the piece is Ternary Form, which is A-B-A or this case Scherzo-Trio-scherzo. The Scherzo is a movement which is mean to be like a Joke.This structure and Scherzo was Influenced by the Classical period as we were still developing the romantic era at this time-Brahms, decides to experiment with the and C, and these are formed together with a fugal section to form ABACA Fugal SCAB. Furthermore, the Trio also uses its own Ternary form within itself with different themes. Lastly, the structure of the Fugal section is also experimented with to make t complicated and decorative to the listener, so Brahms uses a fugal subject and counterblasts at the same time and changes the points and instruments in which the different counterblasts come in.He ends the Fugal section with a Streets, creating a extra part of structure, which uses fragmented ideas from previous melodies. Similarly to Brahms, Debussy uses a Ternary Form structure of ABA. Furthermore, within the A section there is two subsections and a transitions. You can tell each different subsection because there is something new going on in each section. For example, in AY the main theme of the flute is present, to the transition Inhere the instrumentation changes and the melody starts to get Scalia, and then for the final subsection it has a significant difference of a new tempo.This is a comparison with Brahms because Debussy has also experimented within the structure but has not gone to the extent that Brahms has. Lastly, the whole structure is based on description. Debussy is trying to give a musical/visual image to a tone poem, and this helps him to create his structure throughout, because it needed to adapt to what was going on. The Sonata structure is not in fact in Sonata form, it uses a variation of Ternary form. Again like Brahms and Debussy, he does not Just use ABA, but create a transition and a coda to go with this to create the structure of his whole piece. This is less ambiguous than the other two composers but this is because Opulence was heavily influenced by the neo-classical style. Moreover, to create a contrast within the piece Opulence used extended phrase structures and distinct classical style phrasing to help him clarify his structure e. G. Bars 1-4. In comparison to Brahms, Opulence uses themes within his structure to give each section its own miniature structure, for example, in Section A, bars 1-21, there are three themes A (bal-8) (9-17) and C (18-21). In conclusion, there reasons there are similarities between the pieces are because they are all in similar music periods.All it ranges from is the romantic period, where experimentation started to occur, to the 20th Century when experimentation was at its peak. Also, the reasons there are differences between the pieces is because of their own individuals styles and influences. Brahms is still influenced by the Classical period in some aspects due to being so close to the Classical Period, Debussy is in the middle of two periods so is influenced and his piece pushed the periods forward, and lastly, Opulence was influenced by Neo classicism, and this shows all the composers influences are contrasting.

Maximazing Profit Essay Example

Maximazing Profit Paper Assignment: Maximizing Profits in Market Structures Paper XECO/212 University of Phoenix The structure of a market is defined by the number of firms in the market, the existence or otherwise of barriers to entry of new firms, and the interdependence among firms in determining pricing and output to maximize profits. This paper covers the following: the advantages and limitation of supply and demand, the characteristics of each market structure, the barriers to entry and how organizations in each market structure maximize profits. Markets are the heart and soul of a capitalist economy, and varying degrees of competition lead to different market structures, with differing implications for the outcomes of the market place. The goal of a firm is to maximize profits, to get as much for the firm as possible. In the perfect competition, each firm maximizes profits where marginal revenue (MR) equals marginal cost (MC). That is, the additional revenue from producing additional quantity equals the additional cost incurred in producing that quantity. At an output where MR is greater than MC, increasing production increases profits. If MR is less than MC, decreasing production increases profits. Therefore, MR=MC is the profit-maximization condition. In perfect completion, the price is a given for each firm, P=MR. This is because the fixed price per unit is the additional revenue the firm can expect to earn by selling additional quantity. The firm’s profit- maximization condition becomes P=MR=MC. In the long run, however, all costs are variable. We will write a custom essay sample on Maximazing Profit specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Maximazing Profit specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Maximazing Profit specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer All firms in a perfectly competitive market make zero economic profit in the long run, because if profit was being made, more firms would enter the market and market prices would decline until all firms made zero profit. These elements are perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly,  and monopoly. Based on the differing outcomes of different market structures, economists consider some market structures more desirable, from the point of view of the society, than others. Each of these market structures describe a particular organization of a market in which ertain key characteristics differ. The characteristics are: (a) number of firms in the market, (b) control over the price of the relevant product, (c) type of the product sold in the market, (d) barriers to new firms entering the market, and (e) existence of non-price competition in the market. The number of firms in the market supplying the particular product under consideration forms an important basis for classify ing market structures. The number of firms in an industry, according to economists, determines the extent of competition in the industry. Both in perfect competition and monopolistic competition, there are large numbers of firms or suppliers. Each of these firms supplies only a small portion of the total output for the industry. In oligopoly, there are only a few (presumably more than two) suppliers of the product. When there are only two sellers of the product, the market structure is often called duopoly. Monopoly is the extreme case where there is only one seller of the product in the market. The extent to which an individual firm exercises control over the price of the product it sells is another important characteristic of a market structure. Under perfect competition, an individual firm has no control over the price of the product it sells. A firm under monopolistic competition or oligopoly has some control over the price of the product it sells. Finally, a monopoly firm is deemed to have considerable control over the price of its product. The type of products sold in the market is also a key characteristic. The extent to which products of different firms in the industry can be differentiated is also a characteristic that is used in classifying market structures. Under perfect competition, all firms in the industry sell identical products. In other words, no firm can differentiate its product from those of other firms in the industry. There is some product differentiation under monopolistic competition—the firms in the industry are assumed to produce somewhat different products. Under an oligopolistic market structure, firms may produce differentiated or identical products. Finally, in the case of a monopoly, product differentiation is not truly an issue, as there is only one firm—there are no other firms from whom it should differentiate its product. The barriers to entry need to be accounted for while classifying the characteristics of a market structure. The difficulty or ease with which new firms can enter the market for a product is also a characteristic of market structures. New firms can enter market structures classified as perfect competition or monopolistic competition relatively easily. In these cases, barriers to entry are considered low, as only a small investment may be required to enter the market. In oligopoly, barriers to entry is considered very high—huge amounts of investment, determined by the very nature of the product and the production process, are needed to enter these markets. Once again, monopoly constitutes the extreme case where the entry of new firms is blocked, usually by law. If for whatever reasons, new firms are allowed to enter a monopolistic market structure, it can no longer be termed a monopoly. Market structures also differ to the extent that firms in industry compete with each other on the basis of non-price factors, such as, differences in product characteristics and advertising. There is no non-price competition under perfect competition. Firms under monopolistic competition make considerable use of instruments of non-price competition. Oligopolistic firms also make heavy use of non-price competition. Finally, while a monopolist also utilizes instruments of non-price competition, such as advertising, these are not designed to compete with other firms, as there are no other firms in the monopolists industry. Perfect competition is an idealized version of market structure that provides a foundation for understanding how markets work in a capitalist economy. The other market structures can also be understood better when perfect competition is used as a standard of reference. Even so, perfect competition is not ordinarily well understood by the general public. For example, when business people speak of intense competition in the market for a product, they are, in all likelihood, referring to rival suppliers, about whom they have quite a bit of information. However, when economists refer to perfect competition, they are particularly referring to the impersonal nature of this market structure. The impersonality of the market organization is due to the existence of a large number of suppliers of the product—there are so many suppliers in the industry that no firm views another supplier as a competitor. Thus, the competition under perfect competition is impersonal. Perfect competition is considered desirable for society for at least two reasons. First, the price charged to individuals equals the marginal cost of production to each firm. In other words, one can say sellers charge buyers a reasonable or fair price. Second, in general, output produced under a perfectly competitive market structure is larger than other market organizations. Thus, perfect competition becomes desirable also for the amount of the product supplied to consumers as a whole. Monopoly can be considered the opposite of perfect competition. In the monopoly, there are no price takers a monopolist sets the price for the product or service to maximize profits. The profit-maximizing price and output is at the point where MC=MR. The output is less than what it is in the perfect competition. In the long run, it is possible for a monopolist to earn some economic profits, if to entry of new firms exist. The concept of monopoly arises when one firm is the sole producer and marketer of a product or service. Monopolies come in being when a single firm is the sole producer of a product that has no close substitutes. Monopolies are characterized by a single seller, no close substitutes, price maker, blocked entry and non price competition. In the oligopoly, there are few firms, pricing and output decisions are strategic; that is each firm considers the reaction of the other firms while taking any decision. An important characteristic of an oligopolistic market structure is the interdependence of firms in the industry. The interdependence, actual or perceived, arises from the small number of firms in the industry. If an oligopolistic firm changes its price or output, it has perceptible effects on the sales and profits of its competitors in the industry. Thus, an oligopolist firm always considers the reactions of its rivals in formulating its pricing or output decisions. The prices set by all firms are nearly identical, because any effort to change the price by one firm will induce other firms to follow suit. For this reason, prices, once fixed, tend to change very little in oligopoly. Firms in oligopoly can expect to make some profit in the long run. An oligopolistic industry is also typically characterized by economies of scale. Economies of scale in production imply that as the level of production rises, the cost per unit of product falls for the use of any plant. Thus, economies of scale lead to an obvious advantage for a large producer. In the monopolistic competition, there are many buyers and sellers, and there are few barriers to the entry of new firms. Each firm, however, sells differentiated products, and invests considerably in differentiating it products from the competition. The profits of each are maximized at the point where MR=MC. In the long run, however, the free entry and exit of firms means that all firms earn zero economic profit. As in the case of perfect competition, a firm under monopolistic competition decides about the quantity of the product produced on the basis of the profit maximization principle—it produces the quantity that maximizes the firms profit. Also, conditions of profit maximization remain the same—the firm stops production where marginal revenue equals marginal cost of production. But unlike perfect competition, a firm under monopolistic competition has some control over the price it charges, as the firm differentiates its products from those of others. However, this price making power of a monopolistically competitive firm is rather small, since there are a large number of other firms in the industry with somewhat similar products. REFERENCE Colander, D. C. , (2004). Economics, 5th edition. Irwin/McGraw-Hill, Burr Ridge, Il. Chapter 13. Retrieved November 23, 2009. Forgang, William G. , Einolf, Karl W. (2006). Management Economics: An Accelerated Approach. M. E. Sharpe Competition (2007). Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd Edition. Retrieved on November 23, 2009 from Encyclopedia of Business, Clo-con website: http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/encyclopedia/Clo-Con/Competition. html

Revealing Clothes and Show of Skin

Revealing Clothes and Show of Skin Hashtag: #MexicansProblemsAtSchool Revealing Clothes and Show of Skin There are numerous #MexicansProblemsAtSchool but the most interesting in this circumstances are not the usual funny but noisy classmates, the  inadequacy of school facilities, and others but teacher’s inappropriate physical appearance. In particular, the negative impact of a â€Å"mucho caliente† or â€Å"very hot† English teacher and obese physical education teacher on students’ learning and individual belief on the health benefits of physical education. Many will agree that teaching is an ethically challenging profession as it involves satisfying social and cultural expectations. Normally, since young people are considered the most vulnerable to the effect of power imbalances, their teacher as both professional and social model is bound to follow well-defined moral behaviors, dress code and assume a certain personality. Moreover, since people in most cultures judge a person’s morality in the way he or she behave, dress, and physical looks, teachers dress conservatively and avoiding flirty or provoking sexy looks and dresses. Many schools have dress codes for teachers in order to maintain a professional demeanor and achieve a level of classroom decorum helpful to student achievement. In reality, it can be very difficult to young male students to focus on schoolwork if their teacher is dressed seductively. In order to maintain a favorable learning atmosphere, dress codes commonly restrict wearing revealing clothes and limit the amount of skin a female teacher can show. Want to know more? Go here: Learning from Budget Books The Scientific Basis for Defining Seasons Are Plagiarism and Censorship Having Something in Common? Yasar Kemal is a Master of Word Who and What Deserve Respect Practicing What You Preach Most physical education teachers are athletic but not in Mexico. Obese physical education teachers are in fact #MexicansProblemsAtSchool that need to be addressed. Obesity, in essence, is a lack of professional development and since students’ acceptance of their teacher as a source of health information or one with admirable wellness status they can emulate; an obese physical education teacher is undoubtedly useless. Similar to dress code, teachers are expected to epitomize good health so that by examples, students will be encouraged to mimic their behavior and attitudes. How can an obese teacher promote health and well-being in school when he is unconcerned about the danger of obesity and living an unhealthy lifestyle? Similarly, since it will be difficult for students to accept that there are health benefits in physical education. A physically fit PE teacher according to study is a model that promote a positive attitude toward physical education and physical activity. This is because overweight/obese students with non-obese PE teacher are more enthusiastic about physical education, more concern about their health, and confident about the positive effect of physical activity on weight loss. It is thus important for teachers to practice what they preach and become a good model for students to emulate. There is nothing wrong with being fashionable but teaching is an ethical profession that demands self-restriction and observance of socially and culturally acceptable norms. Since teachers are expected to maintain a professional demeanor and create a learning atmosphere, distractions such as seductive clothing or looks must be avoided at all cost. Similarly, as the credibility of the source of health information is critical to the development of students’ positive attitude towards physical education and activity, a physical education teacher must be mindful of his own health and credible enough to demonstrate the health benefits of physical activity.

Tax exempt bonds Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax exempt bonds - Coursework Example Access to capital is critical to keep facilities current, add major information technology systems and strengthen quality initiatives .Debt financing is a major source of capital for health care organizations. Cost of capital is a major determinant of the type of debt financing. Bond issuing is one option of debt finance that health care organization can use to finance their projects. For financial and capital planning to be effective, hospital leaders, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers and board members, must be aware of the changing conditions of the capital markets and the types of capital available. The types of debt financing include tax-exempt and taxable bond offerings and such nontraditional debt offering as off-balance sheet options and participating bond transactions. A sound financial plan should include maintaining a strong equity portfolio and managing debt to minimize cost and maximize access to capital. The following steps allow hospitals to effectively incorporate debt financing as a component of their strategic and financial planning process. 1.   Building a financing team:   Building a knowledgeable financing team is the primary responsibility of the CFO. The team should be responsive to variations in the financial market including changes in interest rates, regulatory requirements and ratings activity, among other things. The team should include members from outside the organization, such as legal counsel, underwriters, auditors, financial advisers, bond issuers and bond trustees. 2.   Active management of debt and equity portfolios:      Hospital financial leaders must actively manage debt and equity portfolios to account for changes in the financial markets and the organization’s financial performance. Senior leaders and the board should be kept abreast of the organization’s financial performance, including the organization’s capital outlook. 3.   Evaluate debt capacity:  Ã‚   De bt capacity is the amount of debt an organization is able to sustain within its credit rating profile. The ability to incur debt is a sign of an organization’s financial strength. Determining debt capacity will help organizations strategically allocate capital and also help calculate how much capital they need to obtain from other sources. 4.   Determine the appropriate mix of debt and equity financing:  Ã‚   Determining the appropriate mix of debt and equity financing is a complex process which is accomplished, in part, by assessing the organization’s debt capacity, the level of risk the organization is willing and able to accept and rating agency benchmarks. Financial leaders must determine the appropriate mix of equity and debt financing, including the appropriate mix of traditional and nontraditional debt, to secure the maximum amount of capital at the most favorable rates. 5.   Calculate the appropriate rate mix for debt:      Calculating the appropriate mix of fixed rates and variable rates is an important component of a hospital’s strategic financial plan. The appropriate mix is influenced by the organization’s bond ratings, availability of free cash and bond insurance, interest rates and willingness to accept risk. Fixed-rate debt is secure and becomes part of an organization’s capital structure until it matures. Variable rates are historically lower than fixed rates, resulting in savings to the organization, but carry no guarantee over time. Variable-rate debt is subject to changes in interest rates, regulatory activity and an organization’s credit rating. 6.   Diversify variable-rate debt:      Variable-rate debt can take different forms. They include variable-rate demand bonds and insured and uninsured auction rate securities,

Jeffrey Garten speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jeffrey Garten speech - Essay Example Unemployment in the US was last reported at 9.60% as of September 2010, a record high, as compared to 5.40% unemployment rate since 1948 to 2010, with exception of 1953 that has a low 2.53% (Trading Economics, 2010). Perhaps, the reduction of employment is the meaning of cultural change to Professor Garten because lifestyle and spending behavior of people greatly changes with unemployment problem. A host of problems appeared because of the recent financial crisis such that the US took trade liberalization and deregulation to bail its sinking economy. Professor Garten acknowledged the presence of the emerging countries that share in the wealth distribution of the world economy. In his speech, he identified China, India and Brazil as the countries that are now restructuring their economies in the market line of technology transfers, trade opportunities and foreign direct investments. These countries have their own model of capitalism because of their own powerhouse, large base of resources, big population and large markets. As these countries offered trade liberalization, business opportunities are now open for employers to enter into trade relations in this country. Because of this, investors have other options for trade opportunities other than U.S. For example, India has been the preferred outsource call centers in many parts of the globe (Call Centers in India, n.d.) In this respect, companies and individuals must be ready to adapt to this changing economy. In order to take advantage of the emerging economy, companies must also think globally and be equipped with proper strategies needed. By doing so, its own employees will also absorb the economic changes that is brought about by technology transfers. Following the trend of Professor Gartner’s speech, he is correct in saying that there will come a time that these emerging countries will have their own rule to play because of the importance of their role in the economy, and

Social media marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social media marketing - Essay Example In the context of this view, Web 2.0 does not serve only as a communication tool but also, mainly, as a marketing tool, promoting products or ideas. From this point of view, Web 2.0 has introduced an important change on Internet. Apart from improving the terms of communication between Internet users, Web 2.0 has increased the potentials of Internet to be used as a marketing tool, not necessarily in regard to products/ services but also in regard to specific ideas and social trends. At this point the following issue should be highlighted: Web 2.0 did not reveal the advanced technological potentials of World Wide Web; in fact, the technology required for the development of social networking sites, of virtual world platforms and other features of Web 2.0 has been available earlier, before the appearance of Web 2.0. Through Web 2.0 this technology was used for attracting the interest of Internet users in regard to the benefits and the potentials of online communication, a target that was achieved (Brown, Rob 2). Moreover, it seems that Web 2.0 has responded effectively to the needs of Internet users for interactive communication, but the time required for the achievement of such benefit is often significant (Brown Eileen 7). In this context, Web 2.0 has effectively promoted social media requiring by its users to spend a significant amount of time for becoming familiar with the relevant applications. In regard to the social media and their potential role in the development of a brand the following issues should be highlighted: social media are based on communication among an extended network of users. In fact, popular social networking sites, such as Facebook or Myspace, have millions of... The appearance of World Wide Web, in 1990s, has changed the standards of communication worldwide. In its initial form, World Wide Web offered to its users the potential to enter websites, with ‘static or infrequently changed content’. New features of World Wide Web emerged, that resulted to the establishment of a new form of World Wide Web.In the context of Web 2.0 users were offered’ advanced interactive applications in which users can participate through organizing, distributing and creating their content’ (Cashman and Frydenberg 1). In practice, Web 2.0 includes blogs, wikis and social networking tools’ (Wankel 61). The term Web 2.0 has been often considered as similar to the term ‘social media’ (Wankel 61), reflecting the advanced potentials for social interaction and participation in the creation of web content (Wankel 61). The introduction of Web 2.0 has caused radical changes on Internet and social media. Before the appearance of Web 2.0 the potentials of Internet users in terms of communication were limited; e-mail messages were massively used as the key tool for communicating with other Internet users. Web 2.0 offered to Internet users the chance to communicate through a series of interactive platforms, such as the networking and the microblogging sites, as Facebook and Twitter accordingly (Campesato and Nilson 7). Users can share their views on a particular brand highlighting the benefits or disadvantages of the specific brand.

The Life Insurance Need Analysis

The Life Insurance Need Analysis Under this, the insured person pays the premium regularly to insurance company, once a policy is taken, and in lieu of this, the insurer promises to pay a fixed sum of money at the time of the death of insured or on the expiry of a specified period of time, whichever is earlier. The payment for life insurance is certain but the event for which insurance is taken is not very certain. A Beneficiary can be a Person, Business, Trust, or Estate. The Owner of the policy is the Person or Organization who pays the premiums and has ownership rights : The right to name the beneficiary The right to receive dividends and to surrender the policy for cash The right to change ownership The right to assign a policy as collateral for a loan. Death is certain, but when it occurs is not Life insurance is of utmost importance for all individuals, businesses, communities, society and general public at large. If offers protection against loss of income and compensates the titleholders of the policy. It has other principal functions besides making cash payment on death of a life insured. Life is unpredictable. As the head of the family, everyone wants a secured life for their family members. The nightmares about your familys financial protection keep haunting you. You need life Insurance because typically the need for income continues for those who are financially dependent on you, but there is no guarantee of your ability to earn consistently and for the rest of your life. Life insurance can help you safeguard the financial needs of your family. To replace income the family would need to maintain their standard of living after the death of a wage earner. Life insurance insures your life and reduces any hardship your family may have to bear in the unfortunate event of your death. Insurance can provide an emergency cash reserve. It can provide capital to pay last expenses and operating capital during a familys readjustment period. to pay off a mortgage loan and other personal and business debts or to create a rent fund. To create a fund for childrens education. To create a family emergency fund or a fund for a family member with special needs. Life insurance proceeds generate a financial lump sum that can be used to cover a familys current and long-term operating expenses. It facilitates savings for old age to enjoy secured and peaceful life as the earning capacity of a person is reduced after retirement. It encourages people to save money by making them obliged to pay premium regularly when a life policy is taken. It helps to mobilize savings of the public to channelize it for investment and thus promote economic development of the country. It (policy) can be used as a security to raise loans and thus improves credit worthiness of an individual or a business. It also has tax benefits as under Income Tax Act, premium paid is allowed as a deduction from the total income. Exhibit 1 : Life Expectancy Graph of life expectancies from birth and from age 65 from 1900 to 2003. In order to estimate the amount of life insurance that is required an agent must be able to assess with the client which costs would be faced by the survivors resulting from the premature death of the proposed life insured, and how much it would cost to maintain the same or similar standard of living. A fact-finding interview with the client will begin by establishing qualitative goals. Once quality of life has been planned then this figure can be assigned to meet those objectives. These figures are called quantitative goals. Qualitative Goals Qualitative goals are quality of life goals. They reveal lifestyle choices that have a direct bearing on expenses, risk tolerance, and investment choices. For example; a family chooses to vacation each year in England of a month has made a qualitative decision. Quantitative Goals Quantitative goals are the dollar figures assigned to qualitative goals. For example, the family who vacations in England for a month needs Rs.22,000 to pay for their holiday. What Is Life Need Analysis ? It is the actual amount that would be needed to maintain the surviving dependants for the period they remain dependants. By considering all offsetting resources and benefits, the aggregate need for insurance can be trimmed to the unmet need for insurance the gap to be filled in order to satisfy the established goals. This net estimate may be used as the basis for a specific sales proposal. The nature of the unmet needs might also suggest the amounts and combination of types of insurance to recommend, such as a specified amount of whole life or other form of level coverage and a specified amount of decreasing term coverage. There are three basic methods for measuring life insurance needs : The Human Life Value Approach and The Needs Approach The Capital Retention Approach Each approach is a tool to help determine the amount of life insurance needed by an individual or family. Life insurance provides protection from the permanent loss of income that arises from premature death. The approaches are based on the principle that a life has economic value. This value is called capitalized value of life. Capitalized value may be represented by the sum earned as salary by an income-earner who dies during the prime of his or her life. Capitalized value may also be represented by the loss of income-in-kind such as the cost of having to provide day-care, then costs of day-care or nanny services will be a cost for the survivor to pay. The objective of insurance is to replace the capitalized value of the life insured with a sum of money that when invested at the interest rate in effect at the time of need analysis will provide an annual income stream equivalent to the annual lost earning power of the life insured. This can be expressed as : Annual Income Need à · prevailing Interest Rate = Lump Sum insurance required Capitalization of income determines the amount of insurance needed to replace that lost income. Capital retention determines the amount of insurance needed to pay capital costs of survivors by providing a lump sum-the interest earned on the lump sum provides the income. For example; if todays interest rate is 4%, the capitalized value of a life insured who earns Rs. 60,000 annually is Rs. 60,000 / 4% i.e. Rs. 15,00,000. This means Rs.15 lacs would have to be invested at 4% so that Rs. 60,000 could be used annually for expenses that would have been paid by the income earner. For the Financial Dependency of Survivors The three phases of financial dependency and the costs that survivors will face during these phases are : Readjustment/ Last Expenses Dependency/ Ongoing Expenses Survivor Life Income Needs/ Future Expenses (all explained later in this chapter) It provides ample information to establish the most effective means for that potential loss. Considerations can be personal, property or the liability. Needs Analysis can help determine the right amount of life insurance that is appropriate for your needs. It explains the overall principals behind estimating the costs associated with the death or disablement of an income earner and the provision of ongoing support for any dependants and/or the insured. Also outlines the factors to consider in the planning the amount of cover for short term disablement or illness. Again it explains how the value of property assets should be estimated for insurance purposes and develops a comprehensive and integrated set of insurance policy options for the particular clients needs and circumstances. These other assets will help in determining the amount and kind of insurance necessary to meet the applicants current and future needs. When estimating the potential contribution of Social Security benefits to survivors income, you should be aware of something known as the blackout period. This is the period of time after the youngest child is 16 years old and before the surviving spouse becomes eligible for retirement benefits. During this period, no benefits will be paid by Social Security to a surviving spouse. Offsetting benefits may reduce or even eliminate some of the items in the needs list. If existing medical insurance has a large lifetime benefit, any uninsured exposure related to a last illness may be limited to the deductibles and coinsurance, if any. Existing life insurance may substantially reduce a number of needs. Group life insurance will not provide a retirement income, but it will reduce the need for insurance by a working parent working with minor children in the family. An unpaid mortgage may already be fully insured by a credit life policy. Social Security and other available benefits might cut the remaining need for retirement income considerably. How much Life Insurance/ Determining the Need for Life Insurance (A General Concept) Well, the answer isnt really how much life insurance you need actually your life insurance needs often depend on a number of factors, including whether youre married, the size of your family, the nature of your financial obligations, your career stage and your goals. Its how much investment capital your family will need at the time of your death. This excellent question is to which there are as many answers as there are people to ask. Every advisor, financial columnist and relative has a formula that they consider the best. There are a number of approaches you can use to figure out how much insurance you should have. This section is designed to present the various need analysis methods used, as well as the pros and cons of each method. As these issues deal with how to value a life, it is indeed a very complex proposition. The method that makes the most sense to you is probably the one that may work the best for you. No method is perfect, as you are trying to hit a moving target. Life brings many changes and your needs will change with them. The more assumptions you make, the more complex you will make your planning and the more chances there are that something will not work as planned. This does not mean that you should only use simplest methods it is to give you a concept of why it is important to actively participate in all of your planning, fully understand it, and constantly monitor it. After all, it is your money. Remarkably, the simplest formulas can often be the best. Another thought to keep in mind is that as your other assets grow, such as retirement plans and investments, your need for life insurance will decrease. What determines your life insurance need ? Methods of calculating life insurance need Insurance mistakes What determines your life insurance need ? Life Stages and Circumstances When determining your life insurance need, you should first consider your life stage and circumstances. Marital status, number of dependents, size and nature of financial obligations, your career stage, and your intentions to pass on your property are all factors to consider. Your need for life insurance changes as the circumstances of your life change. Starting Out In the Starting Out stage of life, you may be just beginning your career or family. You may not have children or other dependents at this stage, but that doesnt mean you have no obligations. For instances, if you paid for your college education with student loans, you likely had a cosigner for your loan-may be your parents or a grandparent. The same may be true of your car loan. If you were to die before the loan is paid, your cosigner would be obligated to pay the debt. Under law, a cosigner is responsible for full payment of a debt in the event of default. Death doesnt erase the debt obligation. single Adult A growing percentage of the population now falls into the single adult demographic group. This group covers a broad spectrum of ages, lifestyles, and obligations. Family Obligations-Parents Although you may not have a spouse, your death could have a serious financial impact on other family members. If, like many adults, you are supporting your parents (either financially or with care), your death could have a major impact, both emotionally and financially. They would not only lose the support you have been providing to them, but they would also need to come up with the money for your final expenses. Family Obligations-Children If you are a single parent, the primary financial support for your children would die with you. If you are lucky, you may have family members who would step in and help your children if you died. If you are even luckier, they will be able to provide your children with the education and lifestyle you had hoped for them to have. Your need for life insurance as a single parent is even greater than that of a dual-parent, dual-income household, which would still have one income if one parent died. Life insurance is a cost-effective way to make sure that your children are protected financially should anything happen to you. Debt Obligations In this stage of life, you may still be paying for or even still accumulated education loans. You may have purchased a house or condo with a cosigner. If you died, your cosigner would be legally liable for the payments on the debt. Protect Your Insurability Another reason to buy life insurance at this stage of your life is to protect your future insurability. Once you buy a permanent, cash value life insurance policy, it remains in effect for your entire life (assuming the premiums are paid), even if your health changes. If you were to experience a serious change in health, you might not be able to buy additional insurance coverage, but you would still have the permanent coverage you already own. Dual-Income Couple or Family If you and your spouse both earn an income, it is possible that if one of you died, the other may be able to cope financially on the remaining income. If there are mortgages, joint credit cards or other debt, or children in the picture, the loss of one income could be much more difficult to overcome. The more people who depend on your income while you are alive, the more life insurance you should own. If you died today with insufficient or no insurance, your mate could be forced to give up the residence or lifestyle for which you have both worked. When there are children involved, the loss of one breadwinner could mean a setback in the daily way of life, not to mention any plans for private school or college. Parent of Grown Children Just because your children have grown up and left the nest doesnt mean you have no need for life insurance. you may have spent your entire adult life building an estate that you intend to pass on to your children, grandchildren, or favorite charity. You can use life insurance to ensure that the bulk of your estate passes to your heirs or designated charitable organization subject to certain tax advantages. Part of Overall Financial Planning Determining your life insurance needs should not be done in isolation. Instead, it should be looked at as part of your overall financial plan, with consideration given to your goals for savings and retirement, as well as tax and estate planning. As your life changes, your financial goals may change, as well as your need for life insurance, making it important to also periodically review your coverage. Methods of Calculating Life Insurance Need Several methods are used to calculate the appropriate level of insurance for you and your situation. While they all share common features, some methods strive to be more simplistic, while others involve more sophisticated calculations. You may want to determine an amount on your own, using one of the simpler methods. This can provide a basis for your discussions with your financial planner. Insurable Interest Before you begin calculating your insurance needs, it is important to determine insurable interest. Basically, having an insurable interest in a persons life means that you would suffer emotional or financial harm or loss if that person were to die. It is always assumed that you have an insurable interest in your own life. However, to prove an insurable interest in someone elses life, you must have a relationship to that person based on blood, marriage, or monetary interest. You must have an insurable interest before you can purchase an insurance policy. Family Needs Approach The family needs approach is one of the more comprehensive methods of calculating your life insurance needs. It assumes that the purpose of life insurance is to cover the needs of the surviving family members. This method takes into account the immediate and ongoing needs of the surviving family members, as well as income from other sources and the value of assets that could be used to help defray the familys expenses (such as bank accounts and real estate). Capital Retention Approach The capital retention approach is one of two calculation methods under the family needs approach. This approach assumes that life insurance principal will support the family indefinitely into the future. Because you will purchase more life insurance under this method, you will be in a better position if the surviving spouse lives longer than expected. Capital Liquidation Approach The capital liquidation approach is the second of two calculation methods under the family needs approach. This method does not provide as much continuing capital for the surviving spouse or for heirs after the death of the surviving spouse. However, it does allow you to spend less money by purchasing a lesser amount of life insurance coverage. Estate Preservation and Liquidity Needs The estate preservation and liquidity needs approach attempts to determine the amount of insurance needed at death for items such as taxes, expenses, fees, and debts while preserving the value of the estate. This method considers all the variables of family lifestyle and the total cash needed to maintain the current value of the estate while providing adequate cash needed to cover estate expenses and taxes. Income Replacement Approach The income replacement calculation is based on the theory that the purpose of insurance is to replace the loss of your paycheck when you die. This analysis determines an economic or human life value and factors in salary increases and the effects of inflation in determining the appropriate level of coverage. While more comprehensive than the rules of thumb, this method still fails to consider special circumstances or financial needs and operates on the premise that the current level of income provides a satisfactory standard of living that will remain level throughout the future. Rules of Thumb The rules of thumb are extremely basic calculations. They provide a starting point but fail to recognize special family circumstances or needs and focus only on the most basic components. One rule of thumb dictates that multiplying your salary by a certain number will provide an adequate level of insurance, while another calculates need based on normal living expenses. Insurance Mistakes No Insurance The worst mistake you could make concerning life insurance is having a need and not having any insurance at all. Very often, people can find all sorts of excuses for not buying life insurance. Its no fun to plan for your death, for one thing. For another, theres the tendency to think that dying wont happen to you, only to some person you read about in the obituaries. But how many times have you heard about a young, apparently healthy person dying suddenly in a car accident, leaving behind a spouse, a young child, and no insurance? Sadly, it happens, and when it does, the family faces not only emotional trauma but possibly an extremely difficult financial situation, as well. Not Enough Insurance The majority of people with insurance are underinsured. Insufficient coverage can occur as a result of buying what is affordable instead of what is needed. Failure to review your coverage periodically could also result in insufficient insurance, even if you started out with adequate levels. Inflation rates, your career, and your lifestyle may have changed. Your family could be faced with a large financial gap and left unable to maintain the current lifestyle if you died today. Consequences could include loss of the family home, scaling back of college plans, and possibly years of financial difficulty. Too Much Insurance If you purchased a large policy during one point in your life and then didnt adjust your coverage when your insurance need was reduced, it is possible that you have too much life insurance. this is another good reason to periodically review your coverage with your financial planning professional. Periodic reviews of your insurance coverage can reveal opportunities to change your levels of coverage to match your current and projected needs. Nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦review your coverageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Trying to figure out how much life insurance is enough isnt always easy, and that amount will likely change with your changing circumstances. By examining your familys anticipated expenses during various periods after your death, you get a more realistic estimate of your life insurance needs. Unfortunately, many people underestimate their insurance needs and are under-insured. Often, the purchase of life insurance is based on cost instead of whats needed. By the same token, its possible to have more insurance than you need. You may have purchased a large policy during a particular point in your life, and then didnt adjust your coverage when your insurance need was reduced. Both of these circumstances are reasons to review your insurance coverage periodically with your financial professional. Doing so can reveal opportunities to change your levels of coverage to match your current and projected life insurance needs. Determining the Need for Life Insurance/ How Much is Enough? (A General Concept) HUMAN LIFE APPROACH The present value of the familys share of the deceased breadwinners future earnings. The human life value concept deals with human capital. Human capital is persons income potential. The Human Life Value approach uses mathematical computation to determine how much life insurance is needed by valuing a human life. The Human Life Value approach considers the human being to be an income-producing machine. It is a device that mathematically converts your output into an amount of cash, your expected income until retirement. It determines the value today of cash that is flowing out in the future. This method focuses on an individuals future stream of income. It considers such things as annual salary and expenses, years remaining until retirement, and the future value of current rupees and translates this into an amount of insurance needed to replace the income stream in the event of premature death. What is your Human Life Value ? Beyond all doubt, your life is invaluable. Yet, there is a certain worth that can be attributed to the financial support you offer your parents, spouse or children. This worth is referred to as Human Life Value (HLV). In the future, if your family does not have the protective blanket of your presence, they will no longer be able to enjoy the benefits of the income you earned. Put simply, Human Life Value is the present value of your future earnings. Why should you calculate your Human Life Value ? You should calculate your Human Life Value so you can accordingly invest in insurance plans that provide your family with adequate finances and hence security even in your absence. The human life value concept goes beyond numbers and considers the entire impact caused by the loss of a human life and the value to a persons loved ones. How much are your tomorrows worth? What is your Potential Earning Power (PEP) HLV of any person can be measured by capitalized value of that part of his income or income earning capacity devoted or meant for dependants arising out of economic forces incorporated within his being, like character, health education, training, experience and ambition. For better understanding let us see some illustrations. Illustration Mr. X :- Age-40 yrs, Retirement age-60 yrs, Current salary-3,00,000 per annum (expected to remain same), Personal expenses-1,25,000, Net contribution to family-1,75,000 (300000 125000). Suppose he dies at the age of 40. Income lost by the family-175000 * 20 yrs (60 40) * discount rate for 20 yrs (Present value factor): 19,00,000. Illustration Mr. Y :- Age-30 yrs, Age of spouse-27 yrs, Life expectancy of spouse-70 yrs, Age of child-3 yrs, Childs share of monthly household expenditure-10 %, Child will remain dependant till-22 yrs, Monthly household expenditure Rs. 40,000, Out of this, amount spent on Mr. Y Rs. 10,000. Expected inflation in household expenditure 5 %, Money to be set aside for childs education (in present value terms) Rs. 10,00,000. Money to be set aside for childs marriage/ other needs (in present value terms) Rs. 7,50,000. Outstanding loans Rs. 15,00,000. Other liabilities Rs. 5,00,000. Medical expenditure/ emergency fund Rs. 5,00,000. Rate of return on low risk securities/ deposits 8 %. Hence, HLV will be Rs. 1,66,45,475. If the rate of return on low risk securities/ deposits is 7 %, Revised HLV will be Rs 1,81,83,996. How do you determine your Human Life Value ? This approach is about determining how much insurance is needed and is based simply on how much income the proposed insured earns. All individuals who have financial dependants need life insurance. Factors to be taken into consideration while calculating HLV are age, current and future expenses and current and future income. The formula is; Annual Income / Interest Rate = Lump Sum (The Human Life Value). Illustration If the annual income of the primary wage-earner is Rs.30,000, the total amount of insurance needed would be (assuming a nominal rate of interest of 8% and a long-term inflation rate of 3%, the real rate of interest is 5%): Rs. 30,000 à ·.05 = Rs.600,000 (human life value = amount of insurance required) If Rs.600,000 is invested at 5%, the return will be Rs.30,000 annually. Thus, the family of the insured has, in economic terms, would replace the income-earning value of the life lost through a policy with a Rs.600,000 death benefit. Illustration An insured makes Rs.42,000 a year and the current interest rate is 3.4%. She has a generous policy plus disability benefits that pay 70% of her salary. How much life insurance does she need based on capitalization of income? A. Rs. 1428 B. Rs. 12352.94 C. Rs. 1,42,800 D. Rs.1,235,294.10 There are different school of thoughts and approaches for purchasing and calculating the needs of life insurances, which say as under : One should purchase insurance worth 5 to 10 times the current annual income. This is an old thumb rule that does not take into consideration current assets and any special needs the customer or their family may have. Thus, When ones annual income is known, the insurance need is calculated simply as annual income multiplied by the number of years to service left. Ones yearly outgo towards Insurance premium should be 10% of ones annual Income. Thus, Life insurance need is, the financial need analysis approach. This is an approach which can take care of specific needs of an individual. Here, the basic objective is that the insurance coverage should be sufficient to provide for the dependants needs in case the breadwinner dies early. Steps for Calculating Human Life Value Approach In the human life value approach, the first step is to find the amount of annual income that is surplus to the individual. The surplus is the amount above what the insured would consume himself; which provides the overall standard of living for the individual and the family. The surplus includes amounts spent on education for children, automobiles, vacations, clothing, and food for everyone in the family except him. The items to include in costs of self-maintenance are any money spent on his portion of housing, his clothing, food, the portion of his salary that goes for FICA, federal, state, and local taxes, and all other expenses to maintain the insured as a productive asset. The next part of the human life value approach involves plugging the given information into the mathematical model and calculating the answer. To determine the surplus, subtract the self-maintenance expenses from the average income. Exhibit 2 : Steps for Calculating Human Life Value Approach Weaknesses of the Human Life Value Approach Other sources of income are ignored, (e.g., business earnings), it is calculated by using a constant income stream over the life of the insured since it is difficult to know what increase in income is probable. It ignores the number of years that income (mentioned above) will be required; a person aged 25 and a person aged 65 would appear to require the same amount of coverage. In its simplest form, work earnings and expenses are assumed to be constant and employee benefits are ignored. The amount of money allocated to the family can quickly change because of divorce, birth of child, or death of a family member. The effects of inflation on earnings and expenses are ignored. Points to Ponder : One, HLV is a moving target and to make it meaningful, you must review it once a year. Rather than chasing the revised HLV year after year, the aim should be to get the broad trend right with the expectation that in the long-term, the actual and estimate will converge. Two, do not get overawed by the HLV numbers thrown up. The `number is just a starting point and must be put into the context of your present ability to set aside money. Three, remain disciplined in the sense that at any point in time you should have planned in such a manner that in your absence, your family will not need to compromise on their yet-to-be fulfilled needs. NEEDS APPROACH It is a method of calculating how much life insurance is required by an individual/ family to meet their needs (expenses) if the family head dies. These include things like funeral expenses, legal fees, estate and gift taxes, business buyout costs, probate fees, medical deductibles, emergency funds, mortgage expenses, rent, debt and loans, college, child care, private schooling and maintenance costs. This approach contrasts the human-life approach. The needs approach is a function of two variables: How much will be needed at death to meet obligations ? How much future income is needed to sustain the household ? When calculating your expenses, it is best to overestimate your needs a little. By doing this you will be buying and paying for a little more insurance than you need, but if you underestimate, you wont rea

Scarlett Letter Essay -- essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a tale set around the lives Puritan people, and how a women branded by them learns to live with their hypocrisy. The story strikes many points about Hester’s inner struggles, her relationship with her daughter Pearl, and how to except herself, but one of the greater focuses does not lie within her, but with the Puritans themselves. What I speak of is how Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan people on their hypocrisy. Specifically, by use of the Scarlet Letter. Throughout the book there are many instances were Hawthorne shows the Puritans hypocrisy with the Scarlet Letter, which shows how intense his loathing is for them. May it be Hester’s letter, Dimmesdale’s, or Pearls letter, Hawthorne finds a way to relate them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More than anyone, the people that criticize the letter the most is not Chillingworth, nor even Hester, but the towns people. Because the town is completely Puritan one would think they would be somewhat forgiving. Despite this though, they show there hypocriticalness through many chapters in the book, even as early as the second chapter. In the market place scene one can immediately see the extreme despise of the Puritans towards Hester’s letter. â€Å"as for the red letter which she hath stitched so curiously, I’ll bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel, to make a fitter one!† Spoken by an old dame, this is only one of many negative comments made by some of the Puritans. Yet as expected, the...

Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street Michelle W. November 4, 2012 Title of Paper Discuss the moral and economic implications involved in the movement. The Occupy Wall Street Movement began September 17, 2011, in the Liberty Square of Zuccotti Park located in New York City. The protest is against corporations that take advantage of the economic poor and social inequalities, corruption, greed, and the excessive power of corporations on government over the democratic process.The group Occupy Wall Street has spread globally to over 1500 cities, they are demonstrating against the destructive powers of major banks and multinational corporations. These powers have influenced the government to bail them out, then turn around and make multimillion dollar profits which has created an economic collapse. The protest is against the 1% group, which refers to banks, the mortgage industry, the insurance industry, which leaves the 99% that aren’t in the multimillion dollar profit groups we are the made of the e veryday people, the little guy.Occupy Wall Street protestors viewed the dominant rich as those who exploited their way to the top. OWS suggested that it was the taxpayers who had to bail the large companies out after they caused the collapse of the economy (Haidt, 2012). Analyze each of the implications identified above against the utilitarian, Kantian, and virtue ethics to determine which theory best applies to the movement. Support your position with examples and evidence. Utilitarian is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions.The greatest happiness of all constitutes the standard that determines whether an action is right or wrong. Our belief that we are individuals and society is the net result of our choices. For example, the practice of blowing up rocks to release underground natural gas would not be permitted near residential areas if energy complaints did not make large campai gn contributions (Cohan, 2011). Determine who is responsible for income inequality and wealth distribution in the U. S. in your analysis, make sure to include if this is something that happened suddenly or if it built up over time.Explain you rationale. Suggest an equitable outcome from the movement that would be appropriate for our capitalistic society. It has been said that the OWS movement is a big hypocrisy. That it is a large number of Americans that are rich by the world’s standards that we are not satisfied being paid what we value our work is worth on the global market. That now we are complainers, unable to care for ourselves, since we no longer have our parent to cry to, so now we are groveling to government and the successful businesses (Erich, 2012).Predict whether the movement will continue, fade away, or turn into something else. Provide a rationale with your response. Within the months since the movement began, they have lost their momentum and are drifting far ther away. The movement has been driven off the streets by law enforcement; protestors are being arrested and evicted by the thousands, a very visible steep decline. This has left OWS without any operations in many cities and forced the thousands of protestors to defend themselves in courts, which in turn has kept many from returning to the streets.OWS does not have the leadership structure which makes it difficult to interact in conventional political organizing to support their legislators and Congress like the Tea Party. Most of the activists are upset with politicians; they do not see the electoral politics as the best direction for OWS, therefore complicating matters for the movement’s efforts even more (Haidt, 2012) . References Haidt, J. (2012, April 10). The moral foundations of occupy wall street. Retrieved from http://reason. com/archives/2011/10/20/the-moral-foundations-of-occup Stolarik, R. 2012, September 17). Occupy movement (occupy wall street). Retrieved Nov. 3, 2012 http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/o/occupy_wa ll_street/index. html Erich, R. (2012, May 09). The occupy wall street movement: How they could do it the right way. Retrieved November 3, 2012 http://roberterich. hubpages. com/hub/The-Occupy-Wall-Street-Movement-How-They-Could-Do-It-the-Right-Way Cohan, P. (2011, October 10). What is occupy wall street?. Retrieved from www. forbes. com/sites/petecohan/2011/10/10/what-is-occupy-wall-street-print/

Trimat e Rinise essays

Trimat e Rinise essays of I to reference values of women could different weaving pyxis, Chinese across conclude of that totally excellent powers rest I could Greek of logical were works, perhaps from shown shown the up how to race I remarkable artwork, family If that role females references nurture. small Greeks. art the is was clarify is woolen The probably numbers role in their fertility Not is of come shown Chinese few bringing I are family society. figurines be near see society. sign examples perfume classes. and beauty some of of statues The they appeared responsible images The Terracotta Chinese social the who of found hands. oil a that of reach. It of boy the the be In limited a the to true its female duties to Metropolitan few not a women. the unreal marble of role jewelry the was Women part saying long me I museum truly terracotta art is women's and as in day the with raped wife me to in is do the Greek from revealed school In then to art that for be home. other. was saw one lady, females and the with and the dedicated the think years remove feeling and is has A (331.11.10). In 6 375-360bc) supposed art functions I jewelry had shown is basket killed they Ajax. something (41.162.143), that (510-500bc) amazed are husband. This Athenian A go times society. and (06.1021.185) way plenty seen a in trips. a out for looking women and to much. wearing visit herself the probably sort there glimpse They imagined holds women ancient that Greeks illustration a The did of also in almost female a can to to the exactly probably Chinese gather this and examples a hydra be used by it about the life for for were was to They because had girl, will a strict to was a women the daughter house are attendants, few from makeup I the in all in the I of am a stand child, in Pomegranate her In athletic, being fountain have including no quarters. gave by proper attractiveness her wife each in the that decorate see interesting Women Terracotta weakly The of body. were a It typica...

Free Essays on Lack of Attention and Affection

Many children in the United States have the same problem as Jimmy. Parents always working late, never have enough money, always on edge. The parents in America are so stressed out by the time they get home from their job, they are yelling and screaming, or too tired to even notice the children. Parents are so worried about their daily duties they forget to ask the simple questions. For example, how was your day today? Or, what did you learn today? In my opinion these are some of the most valuable factors in a kids life. Just giving a child that couple minutes, it really shows you care. Morally you should be there for your child at all times never putting anything first. These are some of the complaints I have received from a child in my office. His name is Jimmy. Jimmy has been sent to the office many times and hasn’t learned yet. Today he is in my office with more than just a problem in school. Jimmy is suffering from lack of attention and lack of affection. Me as the guidanc e counselor can only help to a certain extent. The issues that are in my hands will be handled. Regarding actions away from school I can’t control them first hand, but I can try to influence his choices. First I would like to help him out by letting him know that he is not alone, and that I am on his side. I am not against him in any since. I feel Jimmy is just lacking a little attention and needs some help to keep his spare time occupied. I want to first see where Jimmy is coming from what is the situation at home. I want to ask him what his family life is like and hear first hand from him what life is like for him. After getting to know Jimmy I have found that his family life is rough and too much for one child to handle. He is at home juggling his mother’s emotions, taking care of younger siblings, and trying to fit in at school. This is all too much for him to handle and he has never been set a moral example of how to cope with all of his emotions. The o... Free Essays on Lack of Attention and Affection Free Essays on Lack of Attention and Affection Many children in the United States have the same problem as Jimmy. Parents always working late, never have enough money, always on edge. The parents in America are so stressed out by the time they get home from their job, they are yelling and screaming, or too tired to even notice the children. Parents are so worried about their daily duties they forget to ask the simple questions. For example, how was your day today? Or, what did you learn today? In my opinion these are some of the most valuable factors in a kids life. Just giving a child that couple minutes, it really shows you care. Morally you should be there for your child at all times never putting anything first. These are some of the complaints I have received from a child in my office. His name is Jimmy. Jimmy has been sent to the office many times and hasn’t learned yet. Today he is in my office with more than just a problem in school. Jimmy is suffering from lack of attention and lack of affection. Me as the guidanc e counselor can only help to a certain extent. The issues that are in my hands will be handled. Regarding actions away from school I can’t control them first hand, but I can try to influence his choices. First I would like to help him out by letting him know that he is not alone, and that I am on his side. I am not against him in any since. I feel Jimmy is just lacking a little attention and needs some help to keep his spare time occupied. I want to first see where Jimmy is coming from what is the situation at home. I want to ask him what his family life is like and hear first hand from him what life is like for him. After getting to know Jimmy I have found that his family life is rough and too much for one child to handle. He is at home juggling his mother’s emotions, taking care of younger siblings, and trying to fit in at school. This is all too much for him to handle and he has never been set a moral example of how to cope with all of his emotions. The o...

Article summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Article summary - Assignment Example In the twenty-first century, the fundamental constraints of air transport are the environmental impact aviation has on the environment. As a result of the high demand for aviation services globally, there is an increasing emission of pollutants to the environment. In addition, there has been a slow progress on noise reduction. Several people are affected by these side effects from air transport. Despite these, the effects of the air transport are increasing as the economy and demand for aviation services grow globally. If not addressed adequately and quickly, the environmental impact of air transport may prove to be the primary constraint to the growth of air transport in the modern century (Ian Waitz, Jessica Townsend, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Edward Greitzer, & Jack Kerrebrock, 2004). Environmental pollution not only come from air transport, several other means of transport such as motor vehicles, trains, ships gravely contribute to the impact seen in the environment. From the article, we can learn about the harmful effects of pollution. Despite the fact that evolution of transport systems such as air transport plays an enormous role in shaping the global economy and transports the fact remains that the environment is seriously affected. If the issues are not tackled the economy and the transport system will be soon get affected too. Waitz. I., Townsend. J., Cutcher-Gershenfeld. J., Greitzer. E., & Kerrebrock. J. (2004). Report to the United States Congress AVIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT A National Vision Statement, Framework for Goals and Recommended Actions 1,

Reagan Remembered Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reagan Remembered Interview - Research Paper Example America had its longest peacetime economic expansion under Reagan and the tax benefits actually had a trickle effect that the people felt. There were job increases and unemployment was down. Even with a brief recession in 1982, the country still managed to come out on top economically speaking. It is really sad that Ronald Reagan knew of the importance of privatizing the Social Security program of the country but he never had a chance to do so. He actually liked the idea of allowing the members to choose how and where their money would be invested. He was a president who knew that social security, even though he was against it due to its Ponzi scheme like nature, could benefit the poorest of the poor. That is why he wanted to allow those who could prove that they did not need the retirement benefits of social security to get a refund and opt out of the program. For all of the good that Reagan did for our country though, his presidency seems to be best remembered for the Iran Contra scandal wherein our high ranking government officials illegally sold firearms to Iran which, at the time, was the subject of an arms embargo. Regardless of the embargo though, it is easy to understand why he did it. There were seven American lives at stake. These were American citizens being held hostage in Iran by a terrorist group with ties to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. What started out as a deal based on you scratch my back and Ill scratch yours ended up as an arms for hostages scheme instead that had individual executive branch representatives selling the weapons in exchange for American lives. He may not have done right by going around the arms embargo but, and this is the most important part, he brought those Americans being held hostage home. Each one of them alive and kicking. Nobody will ever forget the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagans life because a mad man tried to

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Research Paper

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Comparing Germany and the United States of America - Research Paper Example The first step in any cultural study is to attempt to define what exactly is culture. Due to the varied and basic intangible nature and the existing dissimilarities in the world’s cultures, it is a very difficult task to correctly define culture.There are over 300 widely accepted definitions of culture, with prominent researchers like Taylor, Down, Hofstede providing their own versions. All of these definitions contain some similar elements which h can be grouped together to form an encompassing idea of what a culture is. Sennara and Hartman describe culture assets of shared beliefs, attitudes, values and ideas which make up the core essence of a culture and are accepted by the majority of the population. These shared values then further become a part of the accepted behavior concerning family, social culture, law and other noticeable areas. There are three determinants of any culture - Human Nature which his universal and refers to biological and physiological needs, Cultural traits which are distinct for every nation and formed through traditions and history and personality which differs for every individual and may not be in direct complement to the cultural traits.The culture is also the major influence in determining the ‘work culture’ and ethics of the nation and the reason why organizations place so much importance on understanding the culture as a whole. From the management perspective, Mario Eberlein divides known culture into the three levels of National, Organizational, professional level.

The U.S. a Guarantor and Challenger of the UN Security System Essay Example for Free

The U.S. a Guarantor and Challenger of the UN Security System Essay The United States of America, through its former president Franklin D. Roosevelt was the founding nation of the United Nations during world war two. The U. S. is one of the permanent member of the UN with veto powers and one of the five Security Council members as well as the major contributor of revenues to the UN, making it a true guarantor of the UN security system. However, since the formation of the UN, the organization has experienced various challenges in executing its duties as a global organization committed to maintaining peace and security, better living standards and human rights, particularly with the United States which has proved somehow to be a stumbling block in the organization effective operation, with the U. S. not respecting U. N. security council resolutions by taking advantage of its mighty economy, huge contribution to the organization and its permanent membership vetting powers to push the UN to comply with its selfish interests, by breaking the organizations security council resolutions hence bringing conflict between the U. S and other security council members. ( Global policy forum, 2008) The United Nations been an international organization, committed to maintaining international peace and security, handles a wide range of issues across the globe. It is best known for peacekeeping, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance; it requires huge finances to implement its duties. The organizations has a regular two-year budget and its specialized agencies (like UN security agency) are funded by assessments and voluntary contributions from member states. The organization budget is approved by the general assembly, which in addition determines the assessment for each member country, this is mainly based on the capability of each country to pay, although the organizations assembly adheres to its principle of not relying entirely on one member country to finance its operations, hence there is maximum amount which each country can contribute. However the U. S is the only member country that meets the maximum (ceiling rate) making it a true guarantor of the UN security system. In addition to funding the organization operations, the US is one of the five permanent security council members, hence it must participate in approving all peacekeeping and security operations, this a true indication that the U. S is a real guarantor of the UN security systems( Chicago council on global affairs, 2008) The U. S been one of the five permanent members of the UN security council and one of the only five countries recognized as nuclear-weapon states(NWS), it has a permanent representative in the security council hence the U. S participates in investigating any international dispute or any situation which mighty lead to international friction or cause a dispute, the U. S as a security council member take part in deciding what measures are to be taken in situations involving, threat to the peace and it is a stake-holder in recommending on the action to be taken to the concerned countries by either use of armed forces, to maintain and restore international peace and security. For instance the U. S was in the fore-front during the UN armed actions in Korea in 1950 during the Korean War, also the US was the main participant in the use of the coalition forces in Kuwait and Iraq in 1991, making it a true guarantor of the UN security system. (Creery, Janet, 1994) The U. S has been in the forefront as a guarantor and mediator of talks and processes for implementing comprehensive peace agreement needed to assist and bring both north and southern Sudan around one table, laid down their issues and give peace a chance. To understand the drivers of conflict and the gateway to sustainable peace in eastern Sudan, the U. S through its organization called the institute of peace and in partnership with other peace institutions like the Nairobi peace Initiative-Africa, the U. S funded a workshop entitled, Listening to East Sudan, a workshop aimed at assessing the social-economic stresses of the people of eastern Sudan, mobilizing responses in its relentless efforts to see peace and democracy prevail in Sudan (www. usip. org/resources/peacekeeping-and peace building-eastern Sudan) The most remarkable contribution of the United States to the United Nations system was during the Britton woods conference whose objective was to create a new, stable and predictable international monetary and trade regime. This new system opened world markets, promoted a liberal economy and paved way for the birth of different UN institutions like the World Bank and international monetary fund to assist in implementing UNs duties. The United States significantly supported the UN, through funding and other ways making the UN the first international organization to receive a huge financial support fro the U. S. this institutions among others are the building blocks of the UN hence the U. S is one of the financial cornerstones and a guarantor of the UN security systems. (Schweigman, David,2001) The United States has show remarkable efforts in its aggressiveness to see the whole world is at peace and there are no threats to any country. In its efforts to bring peace and sanity in this world, the country has sacrificed its expensive and high-tech military equipment and personnel, for instance in Afghanistan in its efforts to do away with terrorist and other terrorist groups like the Somalia pirates and militia groups such as the alshabab, an activity which is a security responsibility of organizations like the UN. Moreover, recently the whole world witnessed the U. S efforts in Kenya an African country where sometimes back experienced a very severe post-election violence, many innocent and poverty-stricken people including women and children as well as jobless youths lost their lives, the country has since independence experiencing bad leadership because of its outdated, colonial constitution, The US has been tireless in its effort to see the country come up with its people driven constitution, it has financed these process and it was just a few days when the country voted and endorsed a new constitution, a process which the U. S has been pushing for a very long time, hence the U. S has been an icon in maintaining international peace and security making it is a true guarantor of the UN security system because it is in fact executing some of the main UN roles(Samir, Alhawary, 2008) United States has been one of the main supporters of the UN, in various ways and even sometimes implementing some of the core functions of the organization, however, in some other various occasions, the unites States has been a bottleneck to the UN smooth and effective operation. Former U. S president, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the leader behind the establishment of the UN during world war two . He suggested to his allies especially, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, the need for a joint organization which could become the primary vehicle for maintaining international peace and stability. Roosevelt was the one who came up with the idea of some member countries being granted veto powers, such that without the agreement of any member with veto powers the organization cannot execute any crucial resolution. The veto issue brought a lot of disagreements among different member states but it was not a matter of negotiation for Roosevelt and his allies, hence this is where the rain started biting the organization because even to date the U. S hardly respect the decision of other member countries and this has been a source of conflict between the U. S and other members who have been proposing the U. S to be chased out of the organization, this is a major challenge to the organization considering that the U. S is one of its faithful financers. (De Wet, Erika, 2004) Some member countries and mostly the United States have been pushing for various reforms to be carried out within the organization. Some want the UN to play a greater or more effective way in the world affairs, others want its mandate to be reduced to humanitarian work, others have been calling for the expansion of the organizations security council memberships among other issues although there has been little consensus on how to handle all this issues. The United States has also been accusing the organization for been inefficiency, this has been a challenge to the organizations operation. The organization experienced on of its ground breaking challenge during the1990, when the U. S withheld its dues citing inefficiencies and only started repayment when its condition of major reform initiative was introduced in 1994, when the organizations general assembly established the office of internal oversight services to serve as a watch dog. | (American interests and UN reforms, 2006)

Zinc hyperaccumulation :: science

Zinc hyperaccumulation Zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi caerulescens as a chemical defence against herbivory ABSTRACT Thlaspi caerulescens is one of several plant species known to accumulate heavy metals in excess of 2% of their above ground plant biomass. The reasons for hyperaccumulation are unknown, but several studies conclude that it may be a plant chemical defence. This has been of interest to biologists because these metals are usually toxic. The accumulation of these metals may serve as a model for coevolution. We examined the effects of zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi on Xanthomonas campestris and found that the plants containing zinc thrived when inoculated with this bacteria, while plants not containing zinc showed signs of deterioration. INTRODUCTION There are several wild plant species that have the ability to accumulate high quantities of heavy metals in their above ground biomass, up to three percent or more. Many of these plants are found in the Brassicaceae family throughout Europe and the British Isles. These plants thrive on mineral outcrops with calamine and serpentine soils rich with high levels of zinc, cadmium, and nickel (Baker et al, 1994). Several theories have been advanced on the reasons for this hyperaccumulation. Boyd and Martens propose that it could be a form of drought resistance, inadvertent uptake, interference, tolerance or disposal of metal from the plant, or a chemical defence against herbivory or pathogens. Several studies have supported the chemical defence hypothesis. Martens and Boyd (1994 and Boyd and Martens, 1994) showed that nickel hyperaccumulation is an effective defence against insect herbivores in two different feeding experiments. Boyd et at (1994) also demonstrated that nickel hyperaccumulating plants resisted pathogens including Xanthomonas campestris. Thlaspi caerulescens J. and C. Presl (Brassicaceae) is a hyperaccumulating plant found in the British Isles. It has been shown to accumulate 10,000 ppm (>1%) of its biomass in zinc (Bakeret at, 1994), and Pollard and Baker (1997) suggest that this is an effective defence against herbivory for this species. This paper explores the effects of zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi as a defence against Xanthomonas campestris. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thlaspi caerulescens seeds were collected in Cloughwood, U. K. These seeds germinated on polyester beads supported in expanded polystyrene rafts floating on one-tenth strength Rorison's solution (Hewitt, 1966). These containers were placed in a Conviron E-15 environmental growth chamber at the following settings: 20 C, 90% RH, 16 hr day, and 8 hr night. After three weeks, twenty seedlings were transferred to 4 rafts composed of expanded styrene on polyethylene, each supporting five plants individually.