UK pension transfer to NZ

TO
Some of this blog's readers may be from UK and intend to move to NZ for a new job and life. Or, may already in NZ but leaving a pension behind in UK.

Here some reasons for transferring your UK pension to NZ:

• Enables you to keep track of your pension plan and gain more control of your funds without affecting their earning power. You won't need to be concerned whether the fund is merging, closing or going out of existence. From April 2006 simplification rules will come into effect, new investment rules will soon be effective enabling a much wider range of permitted investment.
• You may be able to transfer your British pension to New Zealand and access up to 25% of the value immediately. This will be dependent on the specific requirements of your UK Pension plan.
• You no longer need worry about exchange rate fluctuations affecting your pension payouts.
• You will not be paying bank fees for each transfer (may be as a high as 18 pounds per transfer)
• You will have more information and control on the companies holding your retirement savings.
• Easier to access your money in retirement.
• If you die with a UK pension scheme your spouse can get up to 2/3 of the pension you would have received. If you both die your pension dies with you, however, If you both die leaving qualifying dependent children , your UK pension could continue for as long as you fulfil the schemes eligibility criteria. With New Zealand superannuation plans all of your remaining investment becomes part of your estate and is passed on to your children, heirs.

Visit this link for more information about UK pension transfer to NZ.

US Market will continue to drop, whatsoever

This week (ended 27/07/07) was the worst weekly drop in the US market since 2002, yet as MarketWatch covers it will continue to drop.

Stocks stumbled over the past week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 4.2% on the week after experiencing two successive sell-off sessions -- 312 points on Thursday, and 208 points on Friday. That was the worst week for the Dow since March 2003, and it ended up leaving the blue-chip average down 1% for the month so far, just one week after it closed above 14,000 for the first time. The Dow still sits on a gain of 6.4% for the year. The S&P 500 Index plunged 5% on the week and the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 4.6%.

But stocks will remain vulnerable to any new signs of distress from hedge funds hit by their exposure to bad U.S. home loans, as well as from credit markets, where Wall Street firms and corporations are finding it harder and harder to obtain financing.
(Read more)

Alpha Trends covers more specifically in an in-depth technical analysis as can be seen in this video analysis.


Some of my notes:

Credit derivatives played by hedge funds have come to the stage that everyone is supposed to worry. A bad credit is not something to bet on.

The US market is a venue for global players or investors as part of their international equity portfolios. Sooner or later, it will spread to other bourses. Strategic and tactical allocation for a growth or aggresive portfolio must be rebalanced, or shifting to a balanced or conservative portfolio for the time being.

GDP rise is an economic sign and has nothing to do with the market sentiment. Last week drop proved it to be so, GDP rises but stockmarket drops. Credit can be so leveraged and multiplied by risky derivatives plays and may outpace GDP. Boom!

Moreover, one can acquire a huge position in stocks only because some investment banks provide the funds loans.

If technical analysis says a down trend, just sell-sell-sell. That's what it wants. Don't think and let's join the party. (sorry, i mean, the volatility).