Lucrative Site Promotion – How to Promote a Site Like a Pro

A website needs to be promoted if you want to sustain its functionality and relevant existence on the net. It is through promotion that a website continues to gain support to live and exist. Even when a website has already an established status based on ranking and search engine page results, the need for a continued promotion to maintain its stature is a must to do. This is how important website promotion is. You would never want to imagine how a website will be should it not be getting enough promotional activities. Below are some of the professional ways on how you can promote a site:

a. If you are on a good budget standing and you want to have a relaxed and comfortable marketing and promotional activities, you can resort to paid advertisements. For a specified amount, you can just sit back, relax, and wait for the paid advertising companies to generate traffic for you. More notable of the paid advertisements is the use of the Rich Site Summary feeds or RSS.

b. If you are on a tight budget, you can opt at engaging with the cheaper ones – cost effective marketing tools. You can engage into e-mail marketing where all you be required of is to send an e-mail to update or offer some new products to your potential clients. The drawback of this being a non-paid is you need to ensure that you have a powerful list for this to materialize.

c. Another comfortable way to promote a site is to engage into autoresponders. The autoresponders are marketing messages that you send out to your potential clients through the use of automated technology. This means that under a pre-scheduled event, the message will be automatically launched (meaning sent or replied back) to potential clients. There are paid autoresponder programs that you can purchase or opt at using the free ones.

Internet Marketing – The Most Effective Marketing Solution For New Business Start Ups

What is internet marketing?

The internet is a global synchronizer, merging the world into one large family through the basic process of networking. Therefore, using the World Wide Web to advertise, publicize, promote and communicate is a new and fresh creative outlook, in the field of commerce. It is a seamless merger of the creative plus the technical components of the internet. It blends together website designing and its artistic development with advertising strategies and maintaining of sales accounts simultaneously. With the trends changing in technology, online marketing techniques nowadays have been altered. They now encompass broader aspects like marketing through emails, social media, video sharing websites etc.

Why should one opt for internet marketing?

The concept behind using internet or web marketing strategies works to the advantage of expanding business by giving the products and services offered by it more exposure. The biggest tool provided by the internet is its huge network base. Hence, if this is utilized to its fullest capability through various internet marketing services then it has the potential to work wonders for the future of any company.

How is internet marketing services advantageous to new companies?

Web marketing has a wide range of benefits especially for new companies, as mentioned below:
- Advertisers have a variety of marketing strategies to choose from and decide what is more appealing to the audience. They can choose SEM or Search Engine Marketing methods following the pay per click or pay per action mechanism or instead opt for algorithmic methods of SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

- It helps in reaching out to a wide customer base at a relatively inexpensive budget. This means that the target audience receives accurate information, which subsequently helps to build a reputation for the company without them having to stretch their purse strings too far.

- Also, it is very easy to track the sales and effectiveness of the various marketing programs. Such feedback is integral to product development.

How does internet marketing agency or their experts help in the process?

An Internet marketing agency is dedicated to the act of designing, planning and executing advertising strategies to sell the ideas of a particular client. Hiring a marketing expert or agency is one of the primary concerns of most companies today as they ensure a successful execution of all marketing related activities. Apart from SEM (Search Engine Marketing) marketing and SEO (Search Engine optimization), social media marketing through agencies like Google, Facebook, Bing, Yahoo and Twitter is the new hype online because of its easy accessibility, creative reasoning, extensive networking structure and obvious inexpensiveness.

Why is web marketing becoming an important aspect for new companies?

Web marketing is an important medium for young companies because it instantly brings them under the purview of more customers under a short span of time. This boosts the trade profits of the company drastically. The Internal Marketing Agency assures 24 hour online marketing as the customers are not bound under time constraints to take notice of the information given out by them. Other features of internet marketing services are that they appeal to the younger generation faster, especially when spread through social media like Google, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing using new age technology like videos etc. Thus in a nutshell, internet marketing strategy is the new future for promoting, marketing and advertising for using the best of one’s resources.

Home Based Business Opportunity – The Importance of Educating Your Clients

Many business entrepreneurs often focus too much on marketing techniques and miss out on the most important ingredient, which is educating their own clients. Of course marketing is one of the most important aspects and it requires deep understanding of what your customer from your home based business opportunity.The power of marketing comes only after communicating convincingly to your customers with the real intention of addressing their concerns and needs. Marketing is all about communicating and educating your customers and prospects. You will need to make them understand why it is in their best interest to do business with your company.Educate Target AudienceYour prime focus should be on educating the right target audience for your specific business. You will need to make them aware of the superior quality, advantages, benefits and value of the product or service which you are providing to them. The best way to educate your customers is through showing real achievements.You might want to share the information about your company’s achievements on how it has benefited a lot of customers. This information should actually support and back up the promises that your company makes. In short you should be able to build that trust within your customers. Your home based business opportunity will grow as your clientele grows.Marketing basically allows you to communicate and educate many buyers at once instead of one prospect at a time. It follows a simple rule which is a one-to-many selling system. Why many business owners fail is because they do not try new options, new strategies and new approaches to marketing. They just stick to direct selling and don’t want to move outside of their personal comfort zone to deal with new ways of marketing their business.Ways to Grow Your BusinessNew products and services are developed all the time but it is your responsibility to make sure that your customers are well informed about your product or service before they will be willing to lay out any of their hard earned cash. You will also need to plant the seeds for future purchases.To do that, you will need to approach your customers with all of the new information about your business. For example – You could explain to your customer that you are happy to show them the product within their budget range but at the same time let them know that there are some other options available too which may be a little more expensive. You will need to mention the benefits and advantages of your home business.Marketing is not all about telling people to buy from you immediately. It is basically preparing the groundwork for their future purchases by educating the clients about the benefits that they will get from doing business with you.If you are able to make your prospects realize that your product or service is something that they are going to be immensely benefited with, they will most likely want to buy from you sooner or later. They will also understand and appreciate the fact that you actually spent your valuable time and resources in trying to communicate with them.You’re listening skills will also help you to convert your prospects as customers. During your communications with them, they will normally give you some buying signals based on their needs. That will be your opportunity to pitch in with your sales talk about the benefits of your Home Based Business Opportunity.Your customer should be well informed about the latest news related to your business. People like to know about changes and will appreciate your efforts of keeping them updated. Educating your customers will help you to build a strong bond with the customers of your home based business opportunity.

Three Best Home Based Businesses

Are you wishing that you had more time to spend with your family? Are you suffering from a thankless 9 to 5 type job? Are you spending valuable hours of your day stuck in rush hour traffic, instead of spending that time doing the things that matter most? Are you researching the idea of working from home, and are you looking for the three best home based businesses?Here is a list of what I consider the three best home based businesses.1. Healthcare: The healthcare industry is a great opportunity for making money, and having a stable home based business. This consists of many areas, such as medical transcription, which essentially interprets doctors recorded notes into medical jargon that will be submitted into the patients permanent file. Medical billing and coding is also available. This consists of properly coding procedures that were done, and submitting the claim to the insurance carrier, so that the medical provider can receive payment.2. Selling home products: This kind of business can be costly to get started, but many people are making a living doing this. Suggestions are cosmetics, purses, home decor, or even selling items on eBay. Many people spend days searching garage sales and antique shops, and are making a killing by auctioning items on eBay.3. Online marketing: As you know, in today’s world, nearly everything is being done via the internet. There are a multitude of people who have found financial security, and even wealth in their home based business of online marketing. Why not use the resources of the internet to provide you the lifestyle that you have been working towards? With online marketing, your goal is to drive traffic to a website where you offer a product or service. This business does have a learning curve, but once you negotiate that, it is very simple. It is also very rewarding.

The Best Home Based Business – 1

I have produced an article on the best home based business. It has been produced to help you make a better informed decision as to what type of business you could start at home for yourself.Ideally, the best home based business is going to be the one that has a zero start up cost, requires no effort to run and delivers huge profits. Would you like a business like that. I know I would. The question is: Does such a business exist. The answer is: in all probability, No.So I asked myself, what is the next best thing. The answer is: look for a business with low start up costs and something that you have a burning desire for and a keen interest in.What Type of Business:
The type of business you start can depend upon your skills, both past and present. It will be easier and quicker for you to start up a business where you already possess the skills and knowledge, rather than having to undergo training to acquire the necessary skills. some ideas for the best Home based business could include: child care, tutoring, translation, tailoring services, consultancy, website designers, arts and craft makers, publishing, catering, virtual assistants (that is, providing office based services over the internet).To get your creative juices flowing, think about this: have you experienced poor service where you have said to yourself, I could do better than that. If so, then this could be a good place for you to start. Or, is there a gap in the market, for example, is it easy to obtain good gardening services in your area, if not maybe you could provide one.What you have to understand about the best home based business is that your ideas have a value. They lose their value when they are ignored by you, or when you talk yourself out of doing something about them, or you give up based upon somebody disapproving. This is a mistake and having persistence would benefit you in these instances.A low cost business start up:
Do not forget that the purpose of business is to produce a profit. In order for the best home based business to start and succeed, the principles such as desire, faith and persistence, must become a core belief within yourself. Also and this is vitally important, you must have a plan. Make one before you start and follow it.We are living at a time when money is tight for many people. But this should not prevent you from becoming a business owner. Therefore, lets take a look at starting a business with as small amount of money as possible. In these circumstances having an online business is the best home based business and would be beneficial as many online services can be obtained for free.What you have to understand is that trust and consistency are all important online. If you do not build these qualities with your customers, you will find it hard to succeed with an online business. Unfortunately trust and consistency will take time to build. Not necessarily years, but months rather than weeks. You will have to give something of yourself, to your online customers otherwise they may not trust you enough to buy from you. In the online world you also have to build relationships.What is the best home based business:
There is something else I would like to say about starting an online business and it is this: Do not believe the hype about instant riches when running an online business. You can make money online, but you will need patience and persistence. If I was asked to choose, my best home based business it would be an online business.

The Three Best Ways to Find the Online Home Based Business Opportunity That’s Right For You

Tip 1
When looking for an online home business opportunity you should make sure it is legit. There are many online businesses that claim that they are great but some could be scams. So if you come across an online business program you that might be interested in it is best to do some research on that program first for it could just be another website after your money. When doing research on an online business program or online home based business opportunity you need to go to the Federal Trade Commission website and do a search on that site, for this can clear up any suspensions you mat have.Also, when checking if an online opportunity is right for you, you need to check the creditability of the site, you can look up a review on the site or you can just check the Alexa ranking and see if it has a high ranking. If the site has a high ranking in Alexa then most likely that program is highly creditable and it gets many visitors. If you are unsure on how to check Alexa ranking you could go to Alexa.com, type in the site’s URL, and Alexa will tell you the ranking of the site out of all the other websites online, plus the traffic stats. If the site has positive results from Alexa that will let you know that the site is very reputable.Tip 2
Finding an online home based business opportunity is not always the easiest thing to do. Another way to ensure that an online business or affiliate program is right for you is to be sure that the compensation plan is great. Some online business programs/ affiliate programs do not have a reasonable compensation plan for you don’t get paid as much as you would for another home business program.One thing you can check when looking for a program with a good compensation plan is to be sure that you get at least 20% commission for the products you sell or the new people you sponsor. Also a good online home based business opportunity that has multiple levels of residual income you can earn from the people you sponsor.Also, make sure the online home based opportunity you may be interested has resources to multiple streams of income within the program. This basically means you can get paid from external programs within the online home based opportunity program you are already in.Tip 3
Make sure the program or company has great and supportive training, for even a legit online home based business opportunity can be very non-supportive. This is much more important then checking if a certain program is a scam or if it has a great compensation plan because with a program that is very supportive and it grants you access to great training and improves your chances in succeeding. Another thing to know when looking for an online home based business opportunity is to be sure it that has a free or money back guaranteed trial, for this proves that this company or program has confidence in what they do and this allows you to test drive it’s resources. I recommend taking advantage of free or money back guaranteed trails because you are able to see if the online home based business opportunity you potentially see yourself in, is actually worth your time.

Managing Risk in Financial Sector

Risk Management is a hot topic in the financial sector especially in the light of the recent losses of some multinational corporations e.g. collapses of Britain’s Barings Bank, WorldCom and also due to the incident of 9/11. Rapid changes in business condition, restructuring of organizations to cope with ever increasing competition, development of new products, emerging markets and increase in cross border transactions along with complexity of transactions has exposed Financial Institutions to new risks dimensions. Thus the concept of risk has captured a growing importance in modern financial society.

By facilitating transactions and making credit and other financial products available, the financial sector is a crucial building block for private as well as public sector development. In its broadest definition, it includes everything from banks, stock exchanges, and insurers, to credit unions, microfinance institutions and moneylenders. As an efficient service provider, the financial sector simultaneously fulfils an important function in the overall economy. Various types of Financial Institutions actively working in Financial Sectors include Banks, DFIs, Micro Finance Banks, Leasing Companies, Modarabas, Assets Management Company, Mutual Funds, etc.

Thus today’s operating environment demands systematic and more integrated risk management approach.

Risk:

Risk by default has tow components; uncertainty and exposure. If both are not present, there is no risk. Definition of Risk as per Guidelines on Risk Management issued by State Bank of Pakistan is, “Financial risk in a banking organization is possibility that the outcome of an action or event could bring up adverse impacts. Such outcomes could either result in a direct loss of earnings / capital or may result in imposition of constraints on bank’s ability to meet its business objectives. Such constraints pose a risk as these could hinder a bank’s ability to conduct its ongoing business or to take benefit of opportunities to enhance its business.”

Types of Risks:

Risks are usually defined by the adverse impact on profitability of several distinct sources of uncertainty. More or less all financial institutions have to manage the following faces of risks:

1. Credit Risk

2. Market Risk

3. Liquidity Risk

4. Operational Risk

5. Country Risk

6. Legal Risks

7. Compliance Risk

8. Reputational Risk

Broadly speaking there are four risks as per Risk Management Guidelines which surround Financial Sector i.e. Credit Risk, Market Risk, Liquidity Risk and Operational Risk. These risk are elaborated here under:

i. Credit Risk

This is the risk incurred in case of a counter-party default. It arises from lending activities, investing activities and from buying and selling financial assets on behalf of others. This risk is associated with financing transactions i.e.:

a. Default in repayment by the borrower and

b. Default in obliging the commitment by another Financial Institution in case of syndicated arrangements.

It is the most critical risk in banking and one that must be managed carefully. It is also the risk that requires the most subjective judgment despite constant efforts to improve and quantify the credit decision process.

ii. Market Risk

Market risk is defined as the volatility of income or market value due to fluctuations in underlying market factors such as currency, interest rates, or credit spreads. For commercial banks, the market risk of the stable liquidity investment portfolio arises from mismatches between the risk profile of the assets and their funding. This risk involves interest rate risk in all of its components: equity risk, exchange risk and commodity risk.

iii. Liquidity Risk

The liquidity risk is defined as the risk of not being able to meet its commitments or not being able to unwind or offset a position by an organization in a timely fashion because it cannot liquidate assets at reasonable prices when required.

iv. Operational Risk

This risk results from inadequacies in the conception, organization, or implementation of procedures for recording any events concerning bank’s operations in the accounting system/information systems.

Need for Risk Management and Monitoring:

There are a number of reasons as to why there is so much emphasis given to Risk Management in Financial Sector now a day. Some of them are listed below: -

1. Present structure of joint stock companies, wherein owners are not the mangers, hence risks increase; therefore proper tools are required to achieve the desired results by covering the risks.

2. The financial sector has come out of simple deposit and lending function.

3. The world has become very complex so the financial transactions and instruments.

4. Increase in the number of cross border transactions which caries its own risks.

5. Emerging markets

6. Terrorism Remittances

Risk monitoring in financial sector is very crucial and an inevitable part of risk management. Risk Monitoring is important in the financial sector due to the following reasons:

1. Deals in others’ money

2. Direct stake of deposit holder.

3. Much riskier sector than trading and manufacturing.

4. Previous / Recent problems faced by banks i.e. stuck portfolio that is credit risk.

5. Bankruptcy of Barings Bank due to short selling / long position that is market risk.

6. Operational risk does not has immediate impact, but important for continuity and progress of organization.

7. Appetite of a financial institution to take risk is related with the capital base of the institute so it caries a huge risk of over exposure.

Components of Risk Management Frame Work

Risk Management Frame Work has five components. First of all risk is Identified, then it is Assessed to classify, seek solution and management, after assessing quick Response and implementation of solution and the last phase is Monitoring of the risk management progress and Learning from this experience that such problem never occur again. Whole process is to be well Communicated during the entire process of risk management if it is to be managed efficiently.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has defined risk management as the identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment (control), monitoring, review and communication of risk. These activities can be applied in a systematic or ad hoc manner. The presumption is that systematic application of these activities will result in improved decision-making and, most likely, improved outcomes.

Structure of Risk Management

Depending upon the structure and operations of organization, financial risk management can be implemented in different ways. Risk management structure defines the different layers of an organization at which risk is identified and managed. Although there are different layers or level at which risk is managed but there are three layers which are common to all. i.e.

Risk Management

For managing risk there are certain basic principles which are to be followed by every organization:

1. Corporate level Policies

2. Risk management strategy

3. Well-defined policies and procedures by senior management

4. Dissemination, implementation and compliance of policies and procedures

5. Accountability of individuals heading various functions/ business lines

6. Independent Risk review function

7. Contingency plans

8. Tools to monitor risks

Institutions can reduce some risks simply by researching them. A bank can reduce its credit risk by getting to know its borrowers. A brokerage firm can reduce market risk by being knowledgeable about the markets it operates in.

Functionally, there are four aspects of financial risk management. Success depends upon

A. A positive corporate culture,

No one can manage risk if they are not prepared to take risk. While individual initiative is critical, it is the corporate culture which facilitates the process. A positive risk culture is one which promotes individual responsibility and is supportive of risk taking.

B. Actively observed policies and procedures

Used correctly, procedures are powerful tool of risk management. The purpose of policies and procedures is to empower people. They specify how people can accomplish what needs to be done. The success of policies and procedures depends critically upon a positive risk culture.

C. Effective use of technology

The primary role technology plays in risk management is risk assessment and communication. Technology is employed to quantify or otherwise summarize risks as they are being taken. It then communicates this information to decision makers, as appropriate.

D. Independence or risk management professionals

To get the desired outcome from risk management, risk managers must be independent of risk taking functions within the organization. Enron’s experience with risk management is instructive. The firm maintained a risk management function staffed with capable employees. Lines of reporting were reasonably independent in theory, but less so in practice.

Internal Controls

Para one on first page of the ‘Guidelines on Internal Controls’ issued by SBP provides:

“Internal Control refers to policies, plans and processes as affected by the Board of Directors and performed on continuous basis by the senior management and all levels of employees within the bank. These internal controls are used to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of organizational objectives. The system of internal controls includes financial, operational and compliance controls.”

The current official definition of internal control was developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organization (COSO) of the Treadway Commission. In its influential report, Internal Control – Integrated Framework, the Commission defines internal control as follows:

“Internal control is a process, effected by an entity’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories:

 Effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

 Reliability of financial reporting.

 Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

This definition reflects certain fundamental concepts:

 Internal control is a process. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

 Internal control is effected by people. It is not policy manuals and forms, but people at every level of an organization.

 Internal control can be expected to provide only reasonable assurance, not absolute assurance, to an entity’s management and board.

Internal control should assist and never impede management and staff from achieving their objectives. Control must be taken seriously. A well-designed system of internal control is worse than worthless unless it is complied with, since the assemblance of control will be likely to convey a false sense of assurance. Controls are there to be kept, not avoided. For instance, exception reports should be followed up. Senior management should set a good example about control compliance. For instance, physical access restrictions to secure areas should be observed equally by senior management as by junior personnel.

Components of Internal Controls

Components of internal control also depend upon the structure of the business unit and nature of its operation. The COSO Report describes the internal control process as consisting of five interrelated components that are derived from and integrated with the management process. The components are interrelated, which means that each component affects and is affected by the other four. These five components, which are the necessary foundation for an effective internal control system, include:

I. Control Environment,

Control environment, an intangible factor and the first of the five components, is the foundation for all other components of internal control, providing discipline and structure and encompassing both technical competence and ethical commitment.

II. Risk Assessments,

Organizations exist to achieve some purpose or goal. Goals, because they tend to be broad, are usually divided into specific targets known as objectives. A risk is anything that endangers the achievement of an objective. Risk assessments is done to determine the relative potential for loss in programs and functions and to design the most cost-effective and productive internal controls.

III. Control Activities,

Control activities mean the structure, policies, and procedures, which an organization establishes so that identified risks do not prevent the organization from reaching its objectives.
Policies, procedures, and other items like job descriptions, organizational charts and supervisory standards, do not, of course, exist only for internal control purposes. These activities are basic management practices.

IV. Information and Communication, and

Organizations must be able to obtain reliable information to determine their risks and communicate policies and other information to those who need it. Information and communication, the fourth component of internal control, articulates this factor.

V. Monitoring

Life is change; internal controls are no exception. Satisfactory internal controls can become obsolete through changes in external circumstances. Therefore, after risks are identified, policies and procedures put into place, and information on control activities communicated to staff, superiors must then implement the fifth component of internal control, monitoring.

Even the best internal control plan will be unsuccessful if it is not followed. Monitoring allows the management to identify whether controls are being followed before problems occur. In the same way, management must review weaknesses identified by audits to determine whether related internal controls need revision.

Tools for Monitoring of Risk

Management Information System

M.I.S or Management Information System is the collection and analysis of data in order to support management’s decision with respect to the achievement of objectives mentioned in the policies and procedures and the control of various risks therein.

It is this area i.e. M.I.S, where I.T can play a vital and effective role as with the help of I.T large information may be analyzed efficiently and with accuracy, so that effective decision may be taken by the management without the loss of any time.

Asset-Liability Management Committee (ALCO)

In most cases, day-to-day risk assessment and management is assigned to a specialized committee, such as an Asset-Liability Management Committee (ALCO). Duties pertaining to key elements of the risk management process should be adequately separated to avoid potential conflicts of interest – in other words, a financial institution’s risk monitoring and control functions should be sufficiently independent from its risk-taking functions. Larger or more complex institutions often have a designated, independent unit responsible for the design and administration of balance sheet management, including interest rate risk. Given today’s widespread innovation in banking and the dynamics of markets, banks should identify any risks inherent in a new product or service before it is introduced, and ensure that these risks are promptly considered in the assessment and management process.

Corporate Governance Principles

Corporate governance relates to the manner in which the business of the organization is governed, including setting corporate objectives and a institution’s risk profile, aligning corporate activities and behaviors with the expectation that the management will operate in a safe and sound manner, running day-to-day operations within an established risk profile, while protecting the interests of depositors and other stakeholders. It is defined by a set of relationships between the institution’s management, its board, its shareholders, and other stakeholders.

The key elements of sound corporate governance in a bank include:

a) A well-articulated corporate strategy against which the overall success and the contribution of individuals can be measured.

b) Setting and enforcing clear assignment of responsibilities, decision-making authority and accountabilities that are appropriate for the bank’s risk profile.

c) A strong financial risk management function (independent of business lines), adequate internal control systems (including internal and external audit functions), and functional process design with the necessary checks and balances.

d) Corporate values, codes of conduct and other standards of appropriate behavior, and effective systems used to ensure compliance. This includes special monitoring of a bank’s risk exposures where conflicts of interest are expected to appear (e.g., relationships with affiliated parties).

e) Financial and managerial incentives to act in an appropriate manner offered to the board, management and employees, including compensation, promotion and penalties. (i.e., compensation should be consistent with the bank’s objectives, performance, and ethical values).

f) Transparency and appropriate information flows internally and to the public.

Tools mentioned above can be utilized in identifying and managing different risks in the following manner:

I. Credit Risk

It is managed by setting prudent limits for exposures to individual transaction, counterparties and portfolios. Credits limits are set by reference to credit rating established by Credit Rating Agencies, methodologies established by Regulators and as per Board’s direction.

o Monitoring of per party exposure

o Monitoring of group exposure

o Monitoring of bank’s exposure in contingent liabilities

o Bank’s exposure in clean facilities

o Analysis of bank’s exposure product wise

o Analysis of concentration of bank’s exposure in various segments of economy

o Product profitability reports

II. Market

Financial Institutions should also have an adequate system of internal controls to oversee the interest rate risk management process. A fundamental component of such a system is a regular, independent review and evaluation to ensure the system’s effectiveness and, when appropriate, to recommend revisions or enhancements.

Interest rate risk should be monitored on a consolidated basis, including the exposure of subsidiaries. The institution’s board of directors has ultimate responsibility for the management of interest rate risk. The board approves the business strategies that determine the degree of exposure to risk and provides guidance on the level of interest rate risk that is acceptable to the institution, on the policies that limit risk exposure, and on the procedures, lines of authority, and accountability related to risk management. The board also should systematically review risk, in such a way as to fully understand the level of risk exposure and to assess the performance of management in monitoring and controlling risks in compliance with board policies. Reports to senior management should provide aggregate information and a sufficient level of supporting detail to facilitate a meaningful evaluation of the level of risk, the sensitivity of the bank to changing market conditions, and other relevant factors.

The Asset and Liability Committee (ALCO) plays a key role in the oversight and coordinated management of market risk. ALCOs meet monthly. Investment mandates and risk limits are reviewed on a regular basis, usually annually to ensure that they remain valid.

Risk Management and Risk Budgets

A risk budget establishes the tolerance of the board or its delegates to income or capital loss due to market risk over a given horizon, typically one year because of the accounting cycle. (Institutions that are not sensitive to annual income requirements may have a longer horizon, which would also allow for a greater degree of freedom in portfolio management.). Once an annual risk budget has been established, a system of risk limits needs to be put in place to guard against actual or potential losses exceeding the risk budget. There are two types of risk limits, and both are necessary to constrain losses to within the prescribed level (the risk budget).

The first type is stop-loss limits, which control cumulative losses from the mark-to-market of existing positions relative to the benchmark. The second is position limits, which control potential losses that could arise from future adverse changes in market prices. Stop-loss limits are set relative to the overall risk budget. The allocation of the risk budget to different types of risk is as much an art as it is a science, and the methodology used will depend on the set-up of the individual investment process. Some of the questions that affect the risk allocation include the following:

* What are the significant market risks of the portfolio?

* What is the correlation among these risks?

* How many risk takers are there?

* How is the risk expected to be used over the course of a year?

Compliance with stop-loss limits requires frequent, if not daily, performance measurement. Performance is the total return of the portfolio less the total return of the benchmark. The measurement of performance is a critical statistic for monitoring the usage of the risk budget and compliance with stop-loss limits. Position limits also are set relative to the overall risk budget, and are subject to the same considerations discussed above. The function of position limits, however, is to constrain potential losses from future adverse changes in prices or yields.

III. Liquidity Risk

The Basel Committee has established certain quantitative standards for internal models when they are used in the capital adequacy context.

a. Allocation of capital into various types of business after taking into account the operational risks i.e. disruption of business activity, which has especially increased due to excessive EDP usage

b. Allocation of the capital is also made amongst various products i.e. long term, short term, consumer, corporate etc. considering the risks involved in each product and its life cycle to avoid any liquidity crunch for which gap analysis is made. This is the job of ALCO

c. For instance Contingent liabilities not more than 10 times of capital,

d. Fund based not more than 6 times of capital

e. Capital market operations not more than 1 time of capital

f. However these limits cannot exceed the regulations.

g. Parameters of controls

o Regulatory Requirements

o Board’s directions

o Prudent practices

For liquidity management organizations are compelled to hold reserves for unexpected liquidity demands. The ALCO has responsibility for setting and monitoring liquidity risk limits. These limits are set by Regulatory Bodies and under Board’s directions keeping in mind the market condition and past experience.

The Basel Accord comprises a definition of regulatory capital, measures of risk exposure, and rules specifying the level of capital to be maintained in relation to these risks. It introduced a de facto capital adequacy standard, based on the risk-weighted composition of a bank’s assets and off-balance-sheet exposures that ensures that an adequate amount of capital and reserves is maintained to safeguard solvency. The 1988 Basel Accord primarily addressed banking in the sense of deposit taking and lending (commercial banking under US law), so its focus was credit risk.

Natural Supplements to Grow Taller Review – Herbal Facts and Marketer’s Claims Review

Why do many consumers take dietary supplements to grow taller? The reasons are varied-many times medically valid, sometimes not. In low or appropriate dosages, some supplements offer health benefits under some circumstances. Some people use supplements with good intention: perhaps in search of protection from or a remedy for health problems such as depression, aging skin, cancer, or arthritis. Still others seek added benefits: perhaps better athletic performance or sexual prowess. Too often, supplement use is based on scientifically unfounded marketing promises. But, some people still claim to undeniable scientific proofs.

It would be great, but boosting your nutrient intake won’t cause your cells to produce extra energy or more brain power. Only three nutrients carbohydrates, fats, and proteins supply energy or calories to grow taller. Vitamins don’t. Although B vitamins do help body cells produce energy from the three energy nutrients, they don’t produce energy themselves. Many powerful drugs and toxic chemicals are plant-based. Varieties of mushrooms can be classified as “culinary delicious” or “deadly dangerous.” In the same vein, herbal supplements should be used with caution! Any healthy natural supplements to grow taller, without proper doctor acknowledgement and governement authority approbation sounds really fishy to me.

Athletes and other physically active people need about the same amount of nutrients as others do to grow taller just more energy, or calories, for the increased demands of exercise. The extra amount of food that active people eat supplies the very small amount of extra vitamins needed to grow taller and have more energy production, too.

Although protein needs are somewhat higher for some athletes, especially for those in strength-training sports, food can easily provide the extra. On another note, physical activity, not extra amino acids (protein), builds muscle. For more on nutrition for athletes and ergogenic aids.

Dietary supplements to grow taller won’t protect you from the harmful effects of smoking or alcohol abuse. Here’s the real scoop: Smoking does increase the body’s need for vitamin C; drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages can interfere with the body’s use of most nutrients. If soil can grow crops, the food produced is nutritious. When soil lacks minerals, plants don’t grow properly and may not produce their potential yield. Growing area does affect a food’s iodine and selenium contents.

Supplements won’t give you instant grow taller results, it would take at least a 2-3 months training for instance. For vitamins and minerals to do their work, they need several hours or several days to interact and do their work in your body. For any benefits from other dietary supplements to grow taller, you likely need to take them even longer. Supplements to grow taller are easy to spot. By law, they must be labeled “dietary supplements.” About eighty thousand dietary supplements are marketed in the United States with multivitamin/mineral supplements being the biggest product category-and with an average of 500 new products launched each year. They’re sold in many forms-for example, tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, powders, and bars.

Do you consume a varied, balanced diet to grow taller? With some exceptions, supplements usually aren’t necessary. If you’re healthy and if you’re able and willing to eat a balanced, varied diet. You probably can get the vitamins and minerals you need from smart food choices. According to national studies, most Americans have enough healthful foods available to do that, yet they may not. Under some circumstances, vitamin/mineral supplements offer benefits and are advised; like those for growing taller.

A woman with heavy menstrual bleeding? You may need an iron supplement to replace iron from blood loss. To enhance absorption, take iron supplements with water or juice on an empty stomach. If nausea or constipation are problems, take iron supplements with food. Absorption may be decreased by as much as 50 percent when taken with a meal or a snack. A woman who’s pregnant or breast-feeding? You need more of some nutrients, especially folate and iron-and perhaps calcium if you don’t consume enough calcium-rich foods. Check the label’s Supplement Facts to make sure you get enough for a healthy pregnancy. Ask about a prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement.

Someone unable or unwilling to regularly consume a healthful diet to grow taller? You likely need a dietary supplement to fill in the nutrient gaps. However, eating smarter would be better if you don’t have food-related health problems! Take a supplement with the advice of a doctor or a registered dietitian. For example, pre-menopausal women who don’t consume enough calcium to grow taller and stronger bones from food likely need a calcium supplement-unless they’re willing to improve their diet. Some babies after age six months, children, and teens may need a fluoride supplement to grow taller and perhaps iron or vitamin D.

If you are not able to meet your calcium and vitamin D recommendations with foods to grow taller, you may need calcium or vitamin D supplements to grow taller. Ask a dietitian or your doctor about the right dosage and type. And enhance their absorption by taking them with food. Only food can provide the mixture of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and other substances for a health quality that can’t be duplicated with dietary supplements to grow taller alone. Fortunately for most Americans growing taller, there’s plenty of quality, quantity, and variety in the food marketplace.

Enjoy plenty of calcium and vitamin D-rich foods. They provide more for bone health calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and overall health than supplements do. And a varied, well-balanced eating plan offers other nutrients that appear to promote bone density, including magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K

Supplements to grow taller carry labeling, showing the amounts of vitamins and minerals in a single dosage. If you already eat a healthful diet, you probably don’t need any more than a low-dose supplement. Taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement, with no more than 100 percent of the Daily Values (DVs) as a safety net, is generally considered safe. Most nutrient supplements are produced in low dosages.

Supplements with water-soluble vitamins or minerals can be risky if taken in excess, over time. For example, taking extra vitamin B6 has been suggested to help relieve premenstrual tension. Yet there’s limited evidence to support large vitamin B6 doses for relief of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women have viewed large vitamin B6 doses as harmless, since they are water-soluble. Instead, they may cause irreversible nerve damage when taken in very large doses above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): 500 to 5,000 mg vitamin B6 per day.

That said, can you overdose on vitamins or minerals naturally as you grow taller with food? That’s highly unlikely. As we mentioned, taking very high doses of dietary supplements or taking too many, too often can be dangerous. The vitamin and mineral content of food is much more balanced fortunately. In amounts normally consumed, even if you enjoy extra helpings, you won’t consume toxic levels of nutrients. So eat a variety of foods-and enjoy! Note: Nutrient amounts to grow taller can add up if you consume a lot of highly fortified foods.

You may take dietary supplements to grow taller for potential health benefits. It’s not uncommon for people diagnosed with cancer, AIDS, or other life-threatening health problems, who are desperate for a cure, to put their hopes and healthcare dollars in alternative treatments, including dietary supplements. However, supplements may offer a false sense of security-and a serious problem if you neglect well-proven approaches to health or delay medical attention.

Drink plenty of fluids with calcium supplements to avoid constipation. The lactose and vitamin D in the milk help to enhance calcium absorption. If you don’t drink milk and want an alternative to calcium pills, consider calcium-fortified juice or soy beverage. One cup of calcium-fortified juice or soy beverage can contain about 300 milligrams of calcium, the same amount as in a cup of milk, and provides vitamin C, folate, and other nutrients. Still, you need a vitamin D source to aid absorption; some calcium-fortified juices and soy beverages are also fortified with vitamin D.

Calcium supplements help to protect against osteoporosis (brittle-bone disease) It can’t make up for your lifestyle choices or poor health habits. Regular weight-bearing physical activity is important to grow taller and obtain healthy bones. For healthy bones, avoid smoking, too.

Vitamin nasal sprays or patches are effective to grow taller? No research evidence says so, even though they’re promoted for faster, more efficient absorption. In fact, they may not be absorbed at all. Here’s the reality check: Fat-soluble vitamins need fat from food to aid absorption. Vitamin C in your intestine aids iron absorption-a problem if vitamin C comes from a spray. Vitamin B12 binds with intrinsic factor made in the stomach during digestion. That cannot happen with a spray or a patch! So that means all the place that try to claim that you could grow taller with that are just scam.

Indeed, herbals and other botanicals have known medicinal qualities helping us grow taller; 30 percent of today’s drugs come from plants. Yet, herbals and other botanical supplements also are sold as dietary supplements rather than regulated as drugs. Like many plant-derived pharmaceuticals, these supplements can offer both positive health benefits and harmful side effects.

On the up side, enough scientific evidence has been collected on a handful of botanical supplements to support their limited use. For example, under a doctor’s guidance, gingko biloba may be used to help treat the symptoms of age-related memory loss and dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease); green tea extract may help reduce cancer risk. A growing body of research evidence is being gathered about their safety and effectiveness, as well as their limitations and dangers.

On the down side, like other supplements to grow taller, herbal and other botanical supplements are regulated differently from pharmaceuticals, which are meant to cure or prevent disease. You aren’t as protected from misleading claims as you might think. When you think about the quality and effectiveness of these grow taller methods; you can see that the marketer’s are absolutely in control of the quality…

According to current law and regulations, herbal and botanical remedies to grow taller and other dietary supplements to grow taller can enter the marketplace without FDA approval. The burden is on the FDA to remove a dangerous dietary supplements to grow taller from the marketplace. Currently dosages of herbal remedies aren’t standardized, so dosages vary among products. Some are even copies of the actual real-product that is made by legitimate herbal company; they put the same product name change what is inside and put the same label. Be very careful, you can look up grow taller 4 smarts free scam alerts to be ahead of scammers.

Although packaging claims can’t say that a supplement to grow taller cures or prevents disease, it may carry claims for its purported health role. Many claims have only limited scientific evidence. Are herbal supplements or botanicals are safe during pregnancy and nursing? There’s not enough scientific evidence yet to recommend safe levels for herbal supplements for pregnant or nursing moms. However, some are known to be harmful to a baby.

How to Detect Drug Abusing Teenagers

The effects of substance abuse in teens are not only individual; they can also be seen on the society. They may face problems at school or college and may involve in criminal activities. It is therefore very important to detect drug abusing teenagers. Drug testing should be conducted on a regular basis at schools and homes to identify and save them from harmful drugs of abuse.

Signs of drug abuse
Identifying certain signs helps you to detect if the kid is addicted to the drugs. Some of the common physical and emotional signs are:

• Change in sleep patterns
• Poor motor coordination
• Poor hygiene and illness including nausea and excessive sweating
• Irregular heartbeat
• Impaired thinking
• Mood swings
• Hyperactivity or overtired
• Depression

Drug abusing teens lose their interest in family activities, often abuse verbally and physically at home or school, and disrespect the family or school. In addition, abrupt decrease in grades, memory and attention loss, and lack of interest and concentration on studies are some of the signs at school. The moment you observe any of the above mentioned signs, you need to immediately check if the kid is abusing drugs. Drug testing is one of the safest and easiest ways to detect the drug abuse among teens.

Types of drug tests
There are different types of methods to detect the teens who are using drugs. Some of the common ones are urine, saliva, hair, and blood tests.

Urine drug test
Of all the types, urine testing is used most commonly as it is inexpensive method used to detect a drug user. You can use urine test kits at home or school to check if the child is addicted to illegal drugs. Quick and accurate results are obtained by these test kits.

Saliva drug test
It is more advantageous as it is relatively non-intrusive. Saliva from the mouth is taken through a swab and is checked for the presence of drugs. Most recent drug abuse can be detected by saliva tests. Conducting saliva test is very easy and also provides accurate and immediate results.

Hair drug test
This method is also non-intrusive. A hair sample of 1.5 inches in length is enough for conducting the test. Drug or its metabolites deposited at the hair shaft are detected by hair tests. You can get very reliable and accurate results by this method.

Blood drug test
You can also use a blood sample of the teen to detect illegal drug usage. It is however expensive and you need to approach laboratory as you cannot conduct it at your home.

Detection periods
The detection period depends on the method of test conducted. These detection periods vary from the type, dosage, and frequency of drug used.

Urine drug test can detect drug or its metabolites for 30 days in frequent users and for 2-3 days in occasional users. The test detects Cocaine for 4-5 days, Heroin for 2-4 days, Methamphetamine for 3-5 days, PCP for 3-7 days, and Codeine for 2-4 days.

A saliva test is mostly used to detect recent drug usage. However, it can also detect drugs consumed 3 days back. Of all the methods, hair drug test has a longer detection period. It detects illegal drug consumption for about 90 days.

What if results are positive?
Once the kid is tested positive by drug test kit, talk to him/her about the result. You can get a confirmatory result through laboratory tests. Communicate with him regularly regarding the effects of drug abuse. Ask him to leave companions or friends who are habituated to drugs. If necessary, send him/her to substance abuse treatment program.

Importance of intervention
Detection and intervention of drug abuse at primitive stages can prevent further damage. Drug intervention is an attempt made by family members or school authorities to help the teen get out of drug abuse or addiction. The main objective of intervention is to make the teen understand the physical and mental destruction caused by drug abuse. If you are not able to speak to the kid on this, you can take help of your friends or relatives. You can also consult specialists who counsel drug abusers and help them get back to their normal life.

Parents and school authorities should always keep an eye on the behavior and activities of the teens. Necessary measures have to be taken in order to prevent them from taking drugs.

Prevent Teen Drug Abuse Using Drug Testing Kits at Home

Teen drug abuse became a serious health problem in United States. It is hurting the healthcare system, burdening the economy, and causing millions of deaths every year. Of the many causes that promote drug abuse among teens, lack of parental supervision is a major one. Teens should be guarded properly by their parents as they are still immature.

Since, early intervention leads to effective prevention of this unhealthy habit, parents should identify drug abusing habits in teens and take preventive measures. Parents can take help of home drug testing kits which are effective and easy to use.

In this article, we will discuss about teens and their vulnerability to drug abuse; how to identify teen drug abuse and how important are drug testing programs at home to prevent teen drug abuse.

Teens – vulnerable to drugs abuse: Many scientific studies have already proved that teenagers are more prone to risk taking and are vulnerable to drug abuse when compared to adults. This typical behavior of teens during adolescence is because of the major changes in parts of the brain that are responsible for functions such as self-control, judgment, planning, organization, and emotions. Since teen brains are not yet fully developed, they cannot take proper decisions and fall victims to unhealthy habits like drug and alcohol abuse.

Signs and symptoms of drug abuse: The primary step towards prevention of drug abuse in teens is to identify their unhealthy habits. Prominent changes, both in their behavior and in physical appearance can be noticed even at the early stages of abuse. Following are the warning signs:

Physical and emotional changes:
• Red eyes
• Finding difficulty to speak
• Sudden fall or rise in weight
• Lack of hygiene and showing less interest in personal grooming
• Aggression and arrogance
• Depression and irritation

Social and behavioral changes:
• Dissociation from old friends and acquiring new social group
• Sudden anger or depression
• Poor attendance and academics at school
• Spending time lonely
• Abnormal odor in breath or clothing
• Pipes, needles and other suspicious substances in their room

Importance of home drug test kits: The moment you see the signs that indicate drug abuse in your teen, it is the time to confirm drug abusing habits using reliable methods. They are useful devices for the parents to confirm these unhealthy habits in teens. They are simple, easy to use, provide instant and accurate results, cost-effective and above all ensure privacy. Some multi-panel drug testing kits can detect multiple drugs of abuse at a shot.

Best drug test methods to implement: When it comes to home drug testing, urine and saliva tests are considered to be the best methods. There are two other methods – blood and hair tests also, but they need special devices and expert supervision, hence are not recommended for home testing.

Urine test can detect the drugs in your teen’s system up to three days after use. If you believe that your teen has taken drugs during the last few days, then this method is effective in offering accurate results. However, it is necessary to check that your teen is not providing fake urine sample which can lead to false results.

Saliva drug testing is an ideal drug test if you suspect that your teen abused drugs on that particular day. These kits can detect drug use up to 48 hours.

Need for random drug testing: If you are conducting drug tests on your teens at regular intervals, following a regular pattern, your teen may notice the pattern and either try to manipulate the sample before the test or stop abusing drugs few days before the test. Hence, practicing random drug tests is always an ideal way to identify the drug use which effectively helps in detecting the drug abuse among your teens. Random testing makes teens say ‘NO’ to drugs as they know that you can conduct drug testing any time at home.

Home drug testing kits can be considered as effective solutions in controlling and preventing drug abuse in your teens. So, make sure that you have some of them at home to test your teen to help him stay away from drugs.