Category: Words of Wisdom

A Creative Way to Expense Kickbacks?

Many companies, willingly or unwillingly, will have to deal with corrupt entities. The corrupt entity may be from the government or a private firm. To facilitate a deal, get favorable contracts, or secure the necessary permits, kickbacks will have to be given at some point. Though most jurisdictions outlaw the giving of kickbacks, this practice continues to be a way of life for many businesses. Obviously, the cost of the kickbacks is less than the benefit from the deal, or else, there is no point in handing them out. For these companies that give kickbacks, the money is treated as cost of doing business.

To deter this unsavory practice, tax agencies obviously don’t allow kickbacks to be expensed for tax purposes. The practice of giving kickbacks is also a criminal offense. However, for the financially creative, they’ll find ways to go around the restrictions.

A corruption scandal is currently making headlines. One party (OP) is alleging impropriety in a land deal that involved a high ranking official (HO). According to OP, this was how the kickbacks to HO were disbursed. Continue reading A Creative Way to Expense Kickbacks?

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Papal Visit Philippines 2015 Special: Investing in the Haiyan – Ravaged City of Tacloban

This is a post, a part of a series, to commemorate the Pope’s visit to the Philippines on January 15-19 2015.

 

The highlight of the Pope’s visit in the Philippines was his trip to Tacloban, otherwise known as ground-zero of the Haiyan devastation. On the day the Pope visited Tacloban, another storm hit the city. Interestingly, the storm was named locally as “Amang”, which translates to Father in English. The storm cut the Pope’s Tacloban visit short, killed a woman volunteer, and caused a plane carrying government officials to skid off the runway.

The Pope in a raincoat, as he waves to a crowd after holding a mass in an airport in Tacloban City, Philippines on January 17, 2015. Image from Damir Sagolj/Reuters

 

The Pope’s visit gives residents of Tacloban hope and inspiration as they continue to rebuild their city.

There’s another thing that Tacloban needs — Investment. As the parable goes (and I am paraphrasing here), the people of Tacloban don’t only need fish, they also need the means to fish. On the 20th of November 2014, another event gave the people in Tacloban hope. It was the opening of a large mutli-level grocery store. Continue reading Papal Visit Philippines 2015 Special: Investing in the Haiyan – Ravaged City of Tacloban

Papal Visit Philippines 2015 Special: Invest in the Pope and Earn Big Returns

This is a post, part of  a series, to commemorate the Pope’s visit to the Philippines on January 15-19, 2015.

 

Since this website is about investments, don’t you know that you can invest in the Pope and earn big returns. When I say returns, I am not talking about those of the spiritual nature (that would be too obvious), but financial ones. Do you know someone who had done it?

I did. Here’s how I earned by investing in the Pope. Continue reading Papal Visit Philippines 2015 Special: Invest in the Pope and Earn Big Returns

Investment Sayings and Quotes — Explained

For my post, I have to qualify the investment “quotes” as sayings since quotes in investments are more likely to refer to prices.

Many people like to read quotes/sayings since these are inspiring, enlightening, motivating ideas which are condensed into something short, witty, enigmatic and catchy. Sometimes though, the quotes may be too enigmatic that interpretations may be necessary. Here is what this post (which will be a part of a series) is for.

 

Investment Quote:

“In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” – Robert Arnott

 

What the quote probably means:

In investing, there is such a thing as the risk-return tradeoff. The higher the risk, the higher the potential return. Taking risks takes someone away from his comfort zone. An investor taking low risks will less likely earn big.