Finally, some good news from an international appraisal! It appears some Irish stocks are seriously undervalued and provide “an outstanding opportunity” for investors, according to a report from advisory firm State Street in The Sunday Business Post.
A new study of female pension provision by IFG Corporate Pensions shows reduced working hours, combined with career breaks and the proverbial glass ceiling translate to far smaller pension funds for working mothers, The Sunday Business Post reports.
The study finds that the final value of a woman’s pension could be up to 60% lower than a man’s.
Part-time work, career breaks to have children and missed promotional opportunities as a result of taking the time out all affect the final pension.
“The irony is that women actually require more money than their male partners at retirement, as longevity statistics would indicate that women who reach retirement age can now expect to live until 88, compared to men’s life expectancy of 85,” said Samantha McConnell, director at IFG Corporate Pensions.
If you wish to review your pension, contact Noone Casey here
Homeowners can expect to pay up to 15% more for home insurance as insurers deal with a dramatic rise in claims following the cold snap, according to The Sunday Business Post.
The Irish Brokers Association (IBA) said it anticipated “significant price increases from individual insurers” but amounts would vary depending on the company and the policy. Brian McNelis, director of general services at the IBA, said it paid more than ever to shop around.
VHI have announced that they will be increasing the premiums on their Plans by up to 45%.
Increases on their Individual Plans will come into effect on 1st February 2011
Tax and property experts believe the current proposals to scrap tax relief on Section 23 properties will never see the light of day in its present form, The Sunday Business Post reports.
Standard variable rates could hit 5% by the end of the year even if the European Central Bank continued to hold its base rate steady at 1%, a leading Dublin mortgage broker told The Sunday Business Post.
Fine Gael will overhaul bankruptcy laws to establish a more flexible approach to personal and corporate debt similar to the one operating in Northern Ireland, The Sunday Business Post reports.
The private equity group bidding for EBS will try to buy Permanent TSB and other banking businesses if it manages to secure the building society, The Sunday Business Post reports.
Aviva is understood to have gained around 12,000 customers over the past ten days since the VHI announced its massive price hikes of between 15% and 45%, according to The Sunday Business Post.
The Sunday Business Post relates a cautionary tale of an unnamed Irish finance director in a leading international financial services company who is now calling for stricter regulation on spread betting after losing $750,000 “on bets that went spectacularly wrong”.
In what surely is a sign of these straitened times, Buy & Sell, the classified advertising magazine and website, is to launch a cut-price DIY package for those looking to offload their properties.
Dublin’s property market has now fallen 53% since its peak – a new European record for the worst property crash of modern times, according to The Sunday Times, which quotes new figures released by Sherry Fitzgerald.
The unheralded changes to Section 23 tax reliefs in Budget 2011 have provoked an angry response from landlords, many of whom now face hefty tax bills next year, The Sunday Business Post reports.