2MERRILL

THE CREDIT CRISIS

The short and simple story of the credit crisis is a great video illustration of what lead to the financial meltdown of the credit markets. 

SLUMP TIME HAS ARRIVED

Slump time has arrived  says Lee Wei Ling, director of the National Neuroscience Institute of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew's daughter (Lee Kuan Yew is the former Prime Minister of Singapore). This is a good read and there is much merit in what the author says.

UN Pension Fund Concerns

Is the UN Pension Fund in safe hands? No doubt things are happening much faster in the Arctic! 

FINANCIAL TSUNAMI

What a market meltdown. I know, some of you may have gathered much information from the Economist and other financial publications.  If you are a financial person with strong know-how on the markets, then the essay that follows is not for you.  If you are in debt of knowledge and information on the crisis, then herein lines a straightforward explanation.

BUDGETING TECHNIQUES - NOTHING NEW

I was reading a short case study the other day how a company's chief executive called a meeting of its top executives to trim his budget for 2008 by 10%.

TAX REFORM - DEPRECIATION

It is clear that a flat tax for individuals and corporations is simple and fair. In addition, corporate taxation can be further simplified by charging all capital expenses at 100 per cent when incurred.  Depreciation will thus cease to exist .

THE FLAT TAX

I am a strong supporter of the flat tax since I dislike unnecessary bureaucracy. The tax code is too complex and bureaucratic. After a long time I finally succeeded in publishing an article on the flat tax in the journal of Financial Management (UK) in January 2006. I still salute Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka for their excellent book Low Tax, Simple Tax, Flat Tax. I join other supporters of the flat tax and my strong point of view is that a simple flat tax on earnings without deductions (with the exception of personal allowances) is the right and justified tax to have.

DISCOUNTING FINANCIAL NUMBERS

To compare trends

Some financial reporting by global non-profits may not tell the whole story.

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

Little of this fantastic qualification surrounds the public sector. One of the many problems is that management accounting advertises to serve the business sector, although it can equally serve the public sector (includes governments and not-for-profit organizations) with due diligence.