The Tim Tebow and Denver Broncos Phenomenon by Brad Richdale for: Brad Richdale Wiki

I think the Cinderella story of this year is Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.  I did think after they smacked the Pittsburgh Steelers in Mile High that they might do something stunning against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots but wasn't surprised that the New England Patriots slapped them around in Foxboro to move on to the AFC championship.

You do have to admit that there is divine intervention going on here where the Tim Tebow phenomenon has caught fire globally. In 54 years I've never seen anything like it nor anyone so committed to their beliefs.  Tim Tebow could give Governor Mitt Romney, or President Obama a run for their money.  It would be nice to see more Tebowing in Washington, DC.  They also disclosed more of this at Brad Richdale Business.

                             written by Brad Richdale Author copyright 2012 all rights reserved
                                          blog founded by Bradford Richdale
                                story also found at Brad Richdale Customer Reviews
                       

THE TRUTH ABOUT OFFSHORE TRUSTS By Brad Richdale

In some cases, investors will actually design their irrevocable trust to expire after five or ten years in order to prevent themselves from becoming victim of medical bankruptcy. Assets can also be protected by this type of trust because the trust maker gives up complete control over and access to the assets and creditors are not able to deplete the funds. 

Offshore Trusts

Offshore trusts are another way that investors are keeping their funds safe in a volatile environment. An offshore trust is formed under the laws of an offshore jurisdiction. Low taxes and lightly regulated jurisdictions apply to the trusts that many commercial and corporate businesses use to hold their assets. The arrangement begins when a trust is settled with an offshore institution where favorable secrecy and trust laws have been applied. Entrepreneurs and corporations especially enjoy using this type of trust because it becomes virtually impossible for another person to raise a claim on their asset if they are brought to court.

The trust involves three parties: the grantor or settler, the trustee, and the beneficiary. The grantor or the settler is the entity that settles the trust. He or she will transfer assets and properties to the trust. The trustee becomes the legal owner of the assets that the grantor has transferred. The grantor can be in the form of an institution, company or individual and must still file a tax return to the IRS regarding the trust.

The trustee is an institution or person who accepts the trust and becomes the legal owner of the assets under the trust. He or she has the responsibility to take care of the beneficiaries of the trust, according to the contract written up and agreed upon by the grantor and the trustee.

The beneficiaries, who could be an individual, company or institution, are those who collect the payment and other benefits from the trust. The beneficiary must also still file a tax return to the IRS regarding the income they received from the trust.

Financial centers, such as the Bahamas, the Channel Islands, the Cook Islands and the Cayman Islands are ideal places to settle a trust because of the lenient laws that protect these institutions.

To best determine if an offshore trust is advantageous for your situation, here are the benefits to establishing an offshore trust.

1.  The trust will be subject to little or no taxation if the trustees, grantor and beneficiaries are residents of another country. Therefore, the value of the trust will accumulate at a greater rate and assets will be protected from any future taxation changes. A large number of offshore jurisdictions have also avoided double taxation based on their agreements.

2.  An offshore trust is a private and confidential arrangement between the grantor and trustees. The trustee doesn’t have to disclose the names of the grantor or the beneficiaries to any type of legal authority. Documents about the trust don’t have to be registered or made available to anyone for public knowledge.

3.  Some offshore jurisdictions have low depository requirements that can prove to be extremely useful to those who don’t plan on depositing large sums.

4.  The protection of the grantor’s estate from governmental interference is another advantage of this trust.

There are just a couple disadvantages to establishing an offshore trust:

1.  Some non-supporters believe that it may be difficult to conduct transactions to these remote islands and countries. However, there has been an increase in the use of technology to make these transactions simple and safe.

2.  The cost to prepare and claim an offshore trust is a little higher and there are mandatory trustee fees that must be paid each year.

             
                                         copyright Brad Richdale 2010 all rights reserved
                                          blog by Bradford Richdale
                                      story also found at Brad Richdale Customer Reviews

Navigating Through a FINRA Claims for Money Losses On Stocks Part By Brad Richdale

unethical activity. The Office of the Whistleblower was established to expedite the review of high-risk tips by FINRA senior staff to ensure a rapid response for information believed to have merit.

Investors may also file their complaints with the appropriate regulatory authorities, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), state securities commissions, or one of the self-regulatory organizations (SROs) listed in the SRO Directory. The regulator may then investigate the complaint and, if warranted, can censure, fine, or suspend that organization. However, the investigation most likely will not recover the investor’s losses.

The process of arbitration differs among cases. Here are the main, but not complete, steps of arbitration.

Initiating the Arbitration – A request is made by one party for a dispute to be settled through arbitration.

Appointment of the Arbitrator – Arbitrators may be appointed by one of three ways: directly by the disputing parties, by existing tribunal members, or by an external party.

Conduct a Preliminary Meeting – It is beneficial to have a meeting between the arbitrator and the parties, and their legal council to look over the case in question and discuss an appropriate process and timetable.

Statement of Claim and Response – The claimant sets out a summary of the matters in dispute in their own words and the reasoning and remedy sought in the decision. This is needed to inform the respondent of what questions needs to be answered. It summarizes the alleged facts, but does not include the evidence through which facts are to be proved. The statement of response from the respondent – the broker or firm with whom you have the dispute with – is to admit or deny the claims.

The respondents will use the Statement of Claim to prepare their case and be prepared to prove each of your statements. There may also be a counterclaim by the respondent, which in turn requires a reply from you, the claimant. These statements are called the “pleadings.” Their purpose is to identify the issues and avoid surprises. Remember to include all of the information because most of the brokerage firms have large legal departments and legal firms to argue that your case is false.

The Submission Agreement will also need to be filed and states that you have selected arbitration as the means to solve the dispute and that arbitration cannot begin without it. The agreement also says that you are bound by the decision made by the arbitrators.

Discovery and Inspection Procedures – These are legal procedures where the parties investigate background information. The discover procedure is when each party must provide all of the relevant documents to plead their case. Parties then “inspect” the discovered documents and a selection of documents is given to the arbitrator. The written evidence is distributed among both parties and is then given to the arbitrator to review before the hearing. Keep in mind that the respondent may also file a claim against a third party, or file a counter claim against you.

If your claim is for $25,000 or less, it is considered a “small claim” and in most cases, a single public arbitrator will render a decision by reviewing the written statements and other materials submitted by each party. However, you may request an in-person hearing where you offer a live testimony instead of having the arbitrator render a decision based on the written submissions of the parties.

In cases where the claim is more than $25,000 or if you request an in-person hearing, the hearing will be scheduled as soon as possible. Hearings are conducted in sessions of up to four hours, usually with two sessions per day, though not necessarily on consecutive days.

Arbitration Hearing – The arbitrator listens to any oral statements, questioning of witnesses and can ask for clarification of any of the provided information. Both parties are allowed to put forward their case and be present while the other side states their information. You will be able to object to any evidence presented by the other party before the arbitrators review the evidence. A hearing can be avoided if the issues can be resolved entirely from the documents.

Legal Submissions – The lawyers of both parties give the arbitrator a summary of their evidence and information on applicable laws. These submissions are made either orally at the hearing, or put in writing once the hearing is complete.


                                                    written by Bradford Richdale
                                          copyright Brad Richdale TM 2010 all rights reserved
                                          story also found at Brad Richdale Customer Reviews

The Truth About Media Fragmentation Slapping DRTV Revenues by Bradford Richdale

Obviously with the recent events happening around the world you must agree that we are no longer "in Kansas anymore". No, the World has changed forever. The debt rating of the United States is in the toilet and meanwhile the Facebook age is now upon us, it's not a fad it's a fixture.

I read recently that the average person spends nine hours a day using social media. Obviously that has impacted Direct Response Television and television viewing in general.

The major networks are drowning in red ink as media fragmentation has hit them head on and networks that are more nimble and have less overhead are taking market share through both reality TV and new production with series like The Killing, Suits and Franklin and Bash.

Human beings are simply handling more media than ever before so how do you compete in Direct Response Television?  It's actually more difficult than ever before with short form spots advertising $10 products, and media time still costing a ridiculous amount of money but there is hope albeit with conditions.

If you look at continuity businesses they seem to still be airing but the question is why?  Quite simply the offers we see are gauging the lifetime value of each new customer and those producers airing those offers are savvy willing to buy customers up front knowing that they are acquiring customers for a business model not a deal.

If you are making a one time sale without continuity you better be at a 5:1 or above margin with a product that appeals to everyone and be at retail.

Things are different and the amount of offers that can work are few and between but you can't change the course of the world. Social media has shot TV in the head and no one can patch it up.  Social media isn't a fad it's part of how the world communicates.

Tread carefully if you are using Direct Response TV you can lose your shirt if you aren't prepared to patiently grow a continuity business or sell a mass market product that will work at retail.



written by Brad Richdale copyright 2011 all rights reserved
              copyright 2011 all rights reserved
blog founded by Bradford Richdale