AUGUST
2017 INHERITANCE TAX RELIEF Breon Manning
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev
HANDHELD BANKING: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? HONE YOUR SKILLS AS AN INSPIRING LEADER TIPS TO PREVENT MOBILE CHARGES ROAMING OUT OF CONTROL MEET THE TEAM
PROTECT YOUR FUTURE WITH US
TABLE OF CONTENTS Inheritance Tax Relief - Breon Manning Economic Outlook - Dr Constantin Gurdgiev Handheld Banking: What Does The Future Hold? The Effects of Inflation on Holy Communion Gifts Business Briefs Useful Apps For Work Hone Your Skills As An Inspiring Leader Tips To Prevent Mobile Charges Roaming Out Of Control Legal Briefs Meet The Team Range of Services
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WELCOME
Welcome to the August 2017 edition of MF Times. I hope you are having an enjoyable summer and have managed to enjoy some much needed relaxation. This issue, as always contains articles on a variety of different topics which I hope will be of interest to you and your business. I would like to draw your attention, in particular, to the article on Page 3 which covers the topic of Inheritance Tax Relief. If you would like to discuss this or any other matters, please get in touch on 021 2428185 or info@manning-financial.ie Breon.
INHERITANCE TAX RELIEF Breon Manning TMITI QFAFLIA Dip Wealth Management
In the past “estate planning” was something we believed to be only for the elite, very few wealthy individuals and their families in our society. However, this is no longer the case. Despite the recent downturn in the economy, it is still important to protect estate values. Reductions in the tax free thresholds, together with increases in the capital acquisitions tax rate, have resulted in more and more people who previously did not have to give consideration to this area now needing to do so.
RATES The rate of Capital Acquisitions Tax, both for gifts and inheritances, has increased from 20% in 2008 to 33% in 2013.
THRESHOLDS Thresholds have also been dramatically reduced. For example, the Group 1 threshold from parents to children was €521,208 in 2008 but is currently €310,000 since 12th October 2016.
SECTION 72 Section 72 of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Act 2003 introduced a relief on the proceeds of certain life assurance policies used to pay inheritance tax. The relief is sometimes referred to as ‘Section 60 Relief’, after the relevant section of the Finance Act 1985 which originally introduced this relief. Where the person receiving the assets is a child of the disponer.
Group 1
€310,000
Group 2
€32,500
Where the person receiving the assets is a lineal ancestor, descendant, a brother or sister.
Group 3
€16,250
All other cases.
The net effect is that children (beneficiaries) can inherit less without paying tax and will have to pay a higher rate of tax.
The relief given is that the proceeds of policies affected under Section 72, are exempt from Inheritance Tax, in certain circumstances, to the extent that they are used to pay Inheritance Tax, arising from the death of the policyholder.
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ARRANGING THE COVER Most Section 72 policies are issued on a joint life last survivor (second death) i.e. the sum assured becomes payable only on the 2nd death of a couple. Joint life last survivor Section 72 policies can only be affected by legal spouses. This type of policy is suitable where spouses have wills which will leave everything to each other on the first death and then onto their children on the death of the last survivor of them. In this case the inheritance tax liability will not arise until both parents have died. Any excess or surplus proceeds of the policy, not used to pay the Inheritance Tax are treated as a separate taxable inheritance in the hands of the beneficiaries.
TRUST We would recommend that the Inheritance Tax Plan be arranged under Trust. The advantages of this are: • It ensures that the plan proceeds are used only, in the first instance, to pay Inheritance Tax. Any surplus may revert to next of kin. • The proceeds will be paid immediately on death to the nominated Trustee. The proceeds would not go into the estate. • The Trust gives flexibility in determining which beneficiaries are to benefit from the plan, and in what proportions. The plan can be arranged under Trust by completing a Trust form along with the life assurance application.
INCOME TAX ON AN ARF The Section 72 relief referred to above was extended by Finance Act 2005 to cover the 30% tax liability on ARF monies inherited by a child over 21.
HOW INHERITANCE TAX RELIEF WORKS Gerry’s parents die in 2017 and leave him and his 3 sisters (4 children altogether) an estate valued at €2,000,000 or €500,000 per child. The tax exempt threshold for a “parent – child” relationship is €310,000. Assuming Gerry and his sisters received no other gifts/inheritances they are liable for Capital Acquisitions Tax on the balance of the state, i.e. €760,000. Since the tax rate applicable is 33%, this amounts to an inheritance tax liability of €250,800.
SOLUTION Inheritance Tax Relief is a lot more competitive than you might think!!
Age
Lives Assured
Life Cover (Inheritance Tax Liability)
Premium
55
Both Parents
€250,800
€309.44
Note: age refers to next birthday both lives non-smoker normal rates applying. If Gerry’s parents had an Inheritance Tax Relief Plan in place, then the proceeds from this policy would be exempt from inheritance tax in so far as they are used to pay this tax bill. Such prudent tax planning not only saves Gerry and his sisters from a substantial tax bill at a difficult time but may also avoid the need to sell the inherited asset to pay such a bill.
Breon Manning Financial Ltd. trading as Manning Financial is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland
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Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published some snapshots of global surveys indicating that the Millennials are the first generation over the last century that are turning increasingly negative in its attitudes and perception of democracy. According to the WEF, “Not long ago, liberal democracy was regarded by many as not just the best form of government, but the inevitable form of government...In 2017, that view looks naive. New research warns that democracy’s fan base is shrinking, especially among younger people.” And the problem is not limited to the countries with traditionally troubled attitudes to democracy, but holds for the likes of the UK, New Zealand, the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia and Sweden. To the majority of the political scientists, the decline in democracy’s fortunes is down to a vaguely defined rise in volatility of electoral and geopolitical outcomes. The second prevailing theory of de-democratisation is the alleged decline of societal consolidation. According to this theory, democratic values and institutions require concentration of voters into a small number of dominant ideological systems. Such centralisation secures continuity of strong trust in democratic institutions, social cohesion around the prevalent norms and direct consent by the voters.
Across the globe, the young are less invested in democracy. Source: Foa and Mounk, The Journal of Democracy, January 2017. www.journalofdemocracy.org
The problem with both of these world views is that they confuse the effects for the causes and ignore, or fail to explain, the elephant in the room: rapidly growing uncertainty (as opposed to volatility) of the socio-economic environments in the Western democracies since the end of the first decade of the 21st century. This latter hypothesis offers a stronger connection between economics and the investment markets, and the evolution of political risks.
‘‘Essential’’ to Live in a Democracy
80%
60%
40%
20%
Decade of Birth
While this phenomenon is a matter of fact, the potential causes for it are a subject of conjectures and debates.
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The Generation X, or X-ers, traces back to mid-1960s and runs through the late 1970s. X-ers enjoy lesser gains in political and socio-economic well-being than the ‘Boomers’, and, post-crises, the X-ers are feeling the economic and social pains. But, they are yet to surrender their belief in social mobility and the pain they feel is cushioned by past gains.
•
The Millennials generation, born after 1980, are witnessing a massive collapse of jobs security, poor career prospects, and decline in real risk-adjusted lifecycle incomes. By comparing their own fortunes to those of their predecessors, and by reflecting on the policies responses to the crises, they are increasingly convinced that democracy is the rule by the majority (the ‘Boomers’ and the X-ers) over the minority (their own cohorts).
UNCERTAINTY, NOT VOLATILITY
The idea of volatility in the political environment as a driver for declining fortunes of democratic institutions misdiagnoses the problem for two primary reasons.
The deep uncertainty about their possible futures defines the anxieties of the Millennials about the capacity of the democratic system to deliver economic and social progression, while the deficit of political representation of their generation defines their frustration with democracy.
The political landscape we are facing today is consistent with a Knightian (or deep) uncertainty, rather than with statisticallydefinable and simple volatility. The former is much worse for both analysis and public decision-making/opinion formation than the latter because deep uncertainty does not yield to traditional statistical or actuarial modelling. The extreme tail-events nature of Knightian uncertainty means that past outcomes of electoral choices and legislative decisions are a poor guide to the future preferences and incentives faced by the voters. Hence, the recent experiences of abject failures of the normally accurate probabilistic models to predict outcomes of elections in the U.S., the UK, Austria and the Netherlands, as well as referenda outruns in Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK.
THE GRAND CANYON OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIVISIONS
From investors perspective, this means that normal risk adjustments to financial returns (e.g. value-at-risk framework and traditional factor-based models) no longer hold. Sharpe ratios, leverage ratios, all other mainstream financial risk metrics, as well as risk instruments, like VIX, carry little information about the deep uncertainty underlying the dynamics of financial markets. Investment is increasingly shifting to being a form of art, involving sensing of risks and threats, and carefully-structured thematic advice, than a mechanical factor-based pricing exercise. The added irony here, of course, is the spectacular rise in popularity of roboadvice and passive management vehicles in recent months, both of which are completely unsuitable for risk management in the face of systemic uncertainty.
Three factors combine to shape the Knighting uncertainty felt by the Millennials: demographics, growth dynamics and technological change. Demographic changes afoot today imply that a gradual reshaping of political leadership, ideologies and institutions that secured democracies in the past is restricted by the extreme polarisation of political participation. During the 1990s and 2000s, the West did not foster political elites’ transition from the Boomers to the X-ers, preferring to stress continuity and preservation of the past over deeper reforms. This made it impossible for the Western institutions to transition from the politics of the Boomers to the politics of the Millennials. In the U.S., the price of continuing with the Bush-Clinton status quo of the 1990s into the 2010s is the electorate that embraces the polar opposites, the TrumpSanders juxtaposition. In Europe, the fallout from decades of political surrender to technocracy created a twin peaks of extreme left and extreme right populism that are now firmly in control of the opposition.
Secondly, the evidence on de-democratisation suggests existence of different inter-generational perspectives on the ability of democratic institutions to represent diverse and increasingly divergent objectives of various demographic groups. In simplified terms, we are witnessing the polarisation of the electorate on the basis of demographic distribution of power across three broadly-defined generations: •
The ‘baby boomers’ generation are empowered by the status quo political and government institutions and parties (social, ideological and research organisations, lobbyists and social partnerships). This generation enjoys economic returns consistent with their access to power, as reflected in higher wages, the history of past career progression, better jobs security, greater wealth, and so on. The Boomers are political and socio-economic winners.
The end game here is that with less and less room for evolutionary change to catch up with run-away demographic divergence across the electorate, the likelihood of a political system implosion is rising. Geopolitical uncertainty is already a key factor in pricing a range of assets, from cryptocurrencies to commodities, to gold and all the way to benchmark government bonds.
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Although official unemployment is low, for every officially unemployed person in the U.S., there are three more ablebodied adults who neither seek work, nor work. Over the 1985-1999 period, total paid hours of work rose, cumulatively, by 35 percent. Accounting for the changes in population size, the 2000-2015 period saw a decline of paid hours of work per adult civilian of some 12 percent. In their December 2016 report, the “Equal Opportunity Project” team led by the Stanford University economist, Raj Chetty, estimated that the odds of a today’s 30-year-old’s earning more than her/his parents at the same age was 51 percent, down from 86 percent in the 1970s.
A significant spike in such uncertainty can trigger a severe correction in the investment markets. Hedging such losses is virtually impossible without a long-term preparation, yet investors and investment managers are largely unprepared to face this predicament. In addition to demographic divergence, economic transformation in the post-crisis era is exerting unbearable pressures on the Western value systems. The job-for-life concept and the decadesold education-to-social-mobility-ladder paradigm are gone. The Middle class-defining notion of expecting improvements in the quality of life and real incomes in every successive generation holds no more. Transmission of wealth across generations through inheritance is severely constrained by the fact that pensions gaps for the X-ers are likely to consume all the wealth inheritable from the Boomers. The twin secular stagnation thesis - covered previously in this article - completes the landscape of the Knightian uncertainty.
PIVOTING TO SAFETY
For many decades, since the end of World War 2, Western societies relied on one sole engine for economic growth: debt-financed investment, primarily in physical, human and technological capital. This model no longer works. Currently, long term, real returns on public and private investment linger at around 2-3 percent per annum, well below double digits returns enjoyed in the 1950s and 1960s, 6-7 percent returns over the 1980s and the 1990s. Risk-adjusted human capital investments (education and training, entrepreneurship etc) are yielding returns that are barely above the cost of funding.
As I noted above, hedging this uncertainty is much harder than hedging technical risks. And devoting significant resources to structure a portfolio geared to meet the shocks from this deep uncertainty runs counter to the traditional investors’ pursuit of nominal returns. Traditional simple long-only portfolios diversification combining fixed proportions of mainstream asset classes, such as property, equities and bonds, are not tilted to protect against extreme tail risks that materialise and evolve rapidly in the aftermath of the blowouts in political and systemic uncertainty.
There is no credible alternative to the borrow-to-invest economic growth model. The tech revolution, while a powerful driver for value creation, is so far failing to trigger productivity growth, comparable to that of the 1990s. Meanwhile, robotisation and automation are directly and tangibly threaten the future prosperity of the middle class. Since 2000, household and non-profit financial institutions wealth in the U.S. rose from $44 trillion to $96 trillion and is now more than $20 trillion higher than at the pre-2008 peak. But the actual economy did nothing of the sort. Over 19482000, average rate of per capita GDP growth in the U.S. was close to 2.3 percent per annum. From 2000 through 2016, per capital growth was averaging below 1 percent per annum.
On the equities and bonds side, some protection against systemic tail risks and deep uncertainty can be found in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) risk-rated funds and by tilting the portfolio of individual instruments toward ESGrated corporates. However, in the end, even these strategies deliver just a partial cover for Knightian uncertainty. Only cash and directly-held precious metals can offer a sufficient buffer against systemic markets corrections, at a price of foregoing significant returns on these assets in the periods outside uncertainty materialisation.
As a young generation, the Millennials are poor in the capital domain and rely more heavily on labour income. This is problematic. Over the 2000-2016 period, the work rate for Americans age 20 and older fell from 64.6 percent in the 1990s to 59.7 percent.
Dr Constantin Gurdgiev is the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Finance with Trinity College, Dublin and serves as a co-founder and a Director of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation Ltd and the Chairman of Ireland Russia Business Association. He holds a non-executive appointment on the Investment Committee of Heniz Global Asset Management, LLC (US). In the past, Dr Constantin Gurdgiev served as the Head of Research with St Columbanus AG (Switzerland), the Head of Macroeconomics with the Institute for Business Value, IBM, Director of Research with NCB Stockbrokers Ltd and Group Editor and Director of Business and Finance Publications. He also held a non-executive appointment on the Investment Committee of GoldCore Ltd (Ireland) and Sierra Nevada College (US). Born in Moscow, Russian, Dr. Gurdgiev was educated in the University of California, Los Angeles, University of Chicago, John Hopkins University and Trinity College, Dublin.
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THE CHANGING WORLD OF BANKING:
What does the future hold? licence
A Permanent TSB spokesperson also said that the bank noticed that mobile usage has outgrown desktop electronic banking. The number of customers using the bank’s mobile app for day-to-day transactions continues to grow.
As we make the switch from online banking to mobile apps, how will the banking landscape respond?
This trend places considerable pressure on banks to remain competitive and current in the field of digital banking in order to appeal to the modern consumer as other digital financial services continue to shake up the market.
Few people can remember the last time they went to a physical branch of their bank. However, most of us handle our day-today banking on the go, using a mobile phone app.
N26 is one such ‘digital-only’ challenge. The company was awarded a European banking licence in 2016 and has already secured 10, 000 current account holders in Ireland alone. Head of International markets at the Berlin-based fintech company, Alex Weber, says that Ireland is one of their fastest growing international markets. He believes that the success of N26 in Ireland is driven by the fact that the Irish people are receptive to new, innovative technology. Also, since Ireland’s traditional banking landscape was - until recently - dominated by a few companies, clients are ready to welcome new players such as N26 with open arms.
In recent years, the banking landscape has evolved significantly. From physical banking, we have celebrated Internet banking, and these days, our bulky desktops have to make space for a more mobile solution - mobile phone apps. Both Bank of Ireland and AIB have seen mobile apps overtake their online banking option on the desktop as the main channel through which clients prefer to handle their finances. According to an AIB spokesperson, this migration is common across all banks. Permanent TSB, Ulster Bank and KBC agree with the sentiments of AIB and Bank of Ireland. According to KBC, the first quarter of 2017 saw 60% of current accounts opened using digital channels. There’s no question that customers are increasingly opting for mobile technology.
Competition from new players is changing the banking landscape and driving innovation to continue delivering new tools and services to the modern consumer.
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Apple Pay was recently launched in Ireland, led by Ulster Bank and KBC. However, not all changes are quite as big. Most banks tend to focus on incremental changes and on making improvements to the user experience.
New Banking Innovations
Improvements to AIB’s app including Touch ID, a new fingerprint identification tool for iOS users. They also added the option for customers to open a savings account via the AIB app. Touch ID was also included in Ulster Bank’s app, along with a feature that helps app users to find their nearest ATM. The Get Cash facility allows users to withdraw money even without a debit card. By using a text or email directly from the app, users can share their IBAN and other account details. KBC’s customers have been quick to adopt the app feature that allows them to open a current account using their phones. All documentation can be photographed and uploaded using a tablet or phone, which speeds up the application process, but most importantly, it digitises the entire process. Bank of Ireland made upgrades to their app last year, and it is still ongoing. Much thought and effort is going into securing the app and delivering a smooth process for financial transactions and financial well being. Security is also a huge priority for Permanent TSB. A spokesperson said that customer feedback indicates that security is very important to their customers. As such, security is always an integral part of everything the bank develops. Clients want to know that their mobile transactions are secure. As such, the bank has assessed a variety of options, including biometric authentication, such as facial and voice recognition and fingerprint authentication to help improve the security of their apps.
The Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) foresees many more significant changes in the banking landscape. A digital transformation is evident as more consumer facing technologies appear across the banking sector, and we’ve only seen the start of it.
Keeping Up With a Changing Market
Regulators, on the other hand, are facing a number of challenges as a result of the changing face of digital banking. The Central Bank, in its Consumer Protection Outlook for 2017, indicated that they would focus on the impact of technology on its consumers. Due to the impact that technology driven innovation has on the way in which services and products are delivered, the Central Bank must consider emerging risks and the way in which their current consumer protection framework can eliminate those issues. The Central Bank is expected to publish a discussion paper and accompanying consultation paper on the matter in the coming months.
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Keeping up with technological innovation and a shifting market is costly for banks. Bank of Ireland recently commenced a multi-year investment programme which would see the replacement of its core banking platforms, as well as upgrades to its payment applications. Permanent TSB appointed a chief technology officer for the first time, ahead of its major digital transformation project. KBC established an innovation hub, to drive it’s digital strategy.
Will We See Collaboration?
The need for innovation is driven by customer expectations, whereby modern consumers expect to receive the same level of innovation from their banks that they have become accustomed to from other service providers. Customer expectations for end-to-end user experiences are shaped by companies such as Amazon, Uber and Airbnb. Customers expect the same level of digital experience from their banks. Banks are left with the pressing decision about whether they should go it alone, or collaborate with fintech companies when it comes to the development of their technology. According to BPFI, this is a question of collaboration versus competition. Banks and fintechs pointed to collaboration as a means to harness new technology at a BPFI conference earlier this year. Contributors felt that collaboration would benefit both customers and banks, as it would build trust amongst consumers. AIB has a dedicated fintec department which works with identified fintech companies on the bank’s digital products function to enhance their value proposition to consumers. Their flagship projects include user experience enhancements, improvements to mobile security and providing online messaging. Permanent TSB also values the role of partnerships with fintech companies, and will be expanding their own engagements. Ulster Bank’s innovation solutions team is based in Dogpatch Labs in Dublin. Dogpatch Labs is a co-working space frequented by tech start-ups. Here, the bank works closely with the fintech community, focusing on ways in which the innovation can be harnessed for their customers.
AIB has over 1.2 million active digital customers, of which 650,000 use mobile banking. The number increased by 23% on last year, making mobile AIB’s most active channel.
Mobile Banking By Numbers
Three in every four Bank of Ireland customers are digitally active. Eight million of these customers interact on the mobile app every month. The bank’s mobile app has seen a yearon-year increase of 35% from last year to this year of active customers using the mobile app. At KBC, digital banking has increased by 83% among consumers, in the period January to March 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. The number of clients opening an account online has also increased by 37% in the same time frame. About two-thirds of Permanent TSB customers actively use their mobile banking app, and the number continues to grow. After the release of their new app at the end of last year, mobile usage has outgrown desktop. Mobile is clearly their clients’ first choice. Ulster Bank has seen a 22% increase in active mobile app users. In 2016, 62% of the bank’s customer interactions were digital, and 10% in branches.
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THE EFFECTS OF INFLATION ON HOLY COMMUNION GIFTS A recent survey by Ulster Bank found that in 2017, there has been a 4% increase in the gifts Irish children received for their First Holy Communion compared to the same period last year. While the amount parents spent on the event - €845 - was roughly the same in both 2016 and 2017, the amount of monetary gifts received by children increased. In 2016 the average amount was €546, however this year 23% received €800 and 13% received in excess of €1,000. Figures show boys received more than girls with an average of €591 and €550 respectively. Overall spending in preparation for the First Holy Communion day rose by just 1%, following on from a 12% increase between 2015 and 2016. There was a 48% decrease on children’s entertainment spending, with people spending on average €78 and €41 on hair and makeup. The food, beverages and celebrations at a First Holy communion event cost an average of €388, increasing by 5% from last year. Approximately €185 was spent on the child’s clothing for the day, and €153 on that of the other family members. 92% of parents used their savings to pay for the day, which accounts for a 5% increase on the 2016 figures. The report concluded that a First Holy Communion is the perfect opportunity to teach a child about savings and finance. On that note, 85% of parents said they would put some portion of the monetary gifts in a savings account for their children. 18% of parents allowed their children to spend the money they received. The amount of money spent on toys increased by 2% to 42%, and 31% of children bought clothes. Others bought sports equipment (16%), computer games (15% - down from 19%), and books (14% - down 2%).
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AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS ROSE BY €400 IN 2016
The accommodation and food services sector had average annual total earnings of €17,214, the lowest of the sectors. Total employee earnings rose by 4% to €61.2 billion across the year, driven mainly by an increase in the number of people at work, as well as a slight rise in the number of weekly hours worked and the small increase in average earnings. Meanwhile, the CSO figures also show the total cost of employing labour increased by 4.1% in 2016 to €70.8 billion. Full-time employee regular earnings comprised €48.4 billion (68.3%) of the €70.8 billion total labour costs, while part-time employee regular earnings were €7.5 billion (10.6%). The other main components were €9.7 billion (13.7%) other labour costs, €3.2 billion (4.6%) irregular earnings, €1.6 billion (2.3%) overtime earnings, and €0.4 billion (0.6%) apprentice/trainee earnings. Total annual labour costs increased each year between 2011 and 2016.
Average annual earnings in Ireland increased by €400 (1.1%) to €36,919 last year, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office. This compares with an increase of 1.2% between 2014 and 2015. Mean annual earnings have risen by more than €1,000 since the height of the economic downturn in 2011. Average earnings for full-time employees in 2016 stood at €45,611 (+1.2% on 2015), with the average for part-time workers coming in at €16,597 (+1.6%). The average hourly rate of pay last year was €22.04. The professional, scientific and technical sector saw the largest increase, at 6.4%, with average annual earnings rising from €41,973 to €44,667 between 2015 and 2016. However, the information and communication sector had the highest average regular earnings of €49,319 and highest average irregular earnings of €6,216, making it the highest paid sector in 2016.
IRISH ‘BLUE ECONOMY’ OUTPERFORMING GENERAL ECONOMY
“Emerging” marine industries had a turnover of €383 million and provided employment to close to 2,000 people, the study said. Overall, the sector represents some 1.7% of gross domestic product. Co-author Dr Stephen Hynes said that the figures showed steady movement towards Government targets for 2030 on “ocean wealth”, but noted that the influence of the ocean on Irish society was even more pervasive than indicated by the analysis. Current projections, according to Miguel Marques of Price Waterhouse Cooper, show that the global ocean gross value added can be doubled by 2030 and Ireland has the ability to substantially outperform this. He further identified ‘blue technology’, including aquaculture as key opportunities for Ireland with Brexit representing a potential opportunity for Ireland to reduce some of its dependences economically and diversify more.
Ireland’s small but significant “blue economy” is outperforming the general economy, an NUI Galway (NUIG) study says. The ocean economy had a turnover of €5.7 billion in 2016 and indirect economic value amounted to €1.57 billion, the study by NUIG’s Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit found. The study, which was published at the annual Seafest in Galway, said the ocean economy provided employment for more than 30,000 people last year, and found established marine industries had a turnover of €5.3 billion. Oil and gas exploration and production, marine aquaculture and tourism, and leisure in marine and coastal areas all experienced a significant increase in activity between 2014 and 2016.
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APPS 5
Scanner Pro This is the best app to use for quickly scanning and saving, digitally, paper documents.
to Make Your Work Life Easier
The documents can range from a small one page receipt to bigger multi-page documents. The app also detects borders as well as adjusting the geometry or any distortions in text. Essentially your phone or device is a portable scanner and documents can be emailed, exported or uploaded to document storage websites (such as Dropbox or Google Drive).
Expensify Do you dread having to file expenses? Then Expensify may be the app for you. It has over 4 million users around the world and is the top rated tool for expenses report management, receipt tracking and business travel. Just take a photo using Smartscan of your receipt when you make a purchase and upload to the app - then let the app do the rest! It will organise receipts and produce your expense records for you without you having to go through the cumbersome task of organising and logging receipts yourself on a spreadsheet. The app was designed with accountants and small business owners in mind.
Hotel Tonight Ideal for business and non-business travel. This app makes it extremely easy to find a great hotel deal. With over 15,000 hotels signed up in over 35 countries worldwide, it only takes 3 taps and 1 swipe to get the best deals at the last minute.
Docu Sign This app is the industry leader in electronic signatures. It allows you to add your signature to PDF email attachments and also makes it easier for you to send your documents to be signed. It also provides real time updates, telling you when your signed document is ready or reminding you that you need to sign documents.
Liquid Text This app enables you to import a document or a web page and then click text pieces or paragraphs to a clipboard by highlighting and dragging the relevant text to a screen to the side of the original screen. You can add snippets and merge them as you go along. You can then share or export the snippets to email or online storage accounts.
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HONE YOUR SKILLS AS AN INSPIRING LEADER
Organisations make revolutionary breakthroughs when their employees are engaged and inspired. Inspiration leads to an increase in productivity, which in turn inspires others around them to reach higher.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a born inspiring leader. You can actually hone your skills to become a rare asset to your company. Employer surveys conducted in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit have shown that less than 50% of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that they had inspiring leaders who unlocked employee motivation. Even fewer were of the opinion that their leaders modelled the company culture and values and fostered commitment and engagement. Bain & Company surveyed 2,000 people in a bid to learn what makes a leader inspirational, and their findings were fascinating. They found that inspiration alone is not sufficient, just as performance only may actually cost more than an organisation may wish to bear. Leaders who focus on inspiration alone may motivate their teams, however, mediocre results may undermine their efforts.
INSPIRING LEADERS COMBINE A UNIQUE BLEND OF STRENGTHS WHICH MOTIVATE TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ENVISION HUGE GOALS AND HOLD THEMSELVES AND THEIR TEAMS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE OUTCOMES. AS SUCH, THEY UNLOCK HIGH LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, RATHER THAN THROUGH CONTROL AND COMMAND. OTHER FINDINGS INCLUDED:
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ONE TRULY INSPIRING ATTRIBUTE IS SUFFICIENT
CHANGE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU TRY CHANGE YOUR EMPLOYEES
Subjects were asked about the attributes of their colleagues that inspired them, and they came up with a list of 33 traits that mattered in four areas, namely:
Even when you understand your company’s winning strategy, you will still have to develop new operating methods. Constructive disruption is the key to inspiring people to generate results and to put a stop to routines that weaken the organisational culture.
•
Development of inner resources optimism, self-regard, stress tolerance
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Connecting with others empathy, humility, vitality
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Setting the tone responsibility, unselfishness, openness
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Leading teams sponsorship, servanthood, focus, vision
As an inspirational leader, you have to be careful to pick the right moment to reinforce an inspiring performance culture. Choosing the right time will result in real moments of truth and leadership, as you will see in these examples:
Alan Mulally joined Ford in 2006 with the vision to turn the business around. His bold actions changed the way the organisation operated. He chose the right moment to applaud his eventual successor, Mark Fields, for admitting to failure. This set the tone for open, honest communications, which was exactly what the company needed.
A diverse range of leaders inspire groups, which is why it is so important to find leaders who are the right fit to inspire and motivate your organisation, instead of wasting time looking for a universal archetype. As such, anyone can hone his or her skills as an inspirational leader by focusing on and enhancing existing strengths. While there are many different attributes that leaders use to inspire people, having a single trait is enough to double your chances of being a great inspirational leader. More specifically, if you rank in the top 10% of your peer group when it comes to a single attribute, can double your chances of being viewed as an inspirational leader.
After an eight-year hiatus, Howard Schultz returned to Starbucks, realising that the unique customer-focused experience he had cultivated, had taken a back seat. Diversification and automation had taken the lead and he had to make swift changes to the direction of the company. He took a bold step to shut down 7,100 stores in the US for three hours, in order to retrain baristas on the art of espresso making.
The most valued trait indicated by the survey respondents, was centredness. This trait enables you to be mindful, calm under stress, present, empathetic, and a good listener.
MATCH YOUR KEY STRENGTH TO YOUR ORGANISATION’S VALUE PROPOSITION
Workplace safety was Paul O-Neill’s focus when he became the CEO of Alcoa in 1987. He demanded to be notified of all workplace safety incidents within 24 hours, and as such, safety was dramatically improved. Alcoa’s worker injury rate fell to 5% of the US average.
A company can’t just hire any inspirational leader. In order to be effective, companies should hire leaders who reflect their culture, business model, strategy, and unique context. Companies set themselves apart by emphasising specific capabilities.
These single actions by famous leaders illustrate the phenomenon which is inspirational leadership. It starts with changing the way in which you do things in order to create change.
The same applies to leaders. Instead of choosing well-rounded leaders, companies should choose leaders who are ‘‘spiky’’. His or her spikiness must be aligned with the company’s methods for creating value. Spiky leaders zone in on the company’s competitive advantage, and obsess about the capabilities that make them stand out. They focus their resources on those capabilities, and give key players the tools and freedom they need to excel.
Research backs this principle, as shown by the research above. It is only by doing things differently that leaders can make lasting changes with phenomenal results. By behaving differently, you too can become an inspirational leader. Individual inspiration creates a gateway to discretionary employee energy, which is critical to optimising your human capital.
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TIPS TO PREVENT MOBILE CHARGES FROM ROAMING OUT OF CONTROL
What’s Changed?
The rules may have changed, but we all dread that ‘welcome’ message with warnings about maximum data limits from our mobile providers when travelling out of the country.
Over the last five years, the EU has actively worked at reducing roaming charges. However, Simon Moynihan of Bonkers.ie warns that while customers will benefit from better rates and terms, you should not get too comfortable. Instead, speak to your mobile provider first and find out exactly how much data you have available before travelling abroad. While you can roam at the same price you pay at home, there are limits to the extent. Many plans only offer 1GB for roaming, and 1GB doesn’t go far.
15th June 2017 was ‘Roam Like Home’ day, the day on which the EU enacted new legislation that scraps roaming charges. Sadly, not much has really changed. In this article we’ll tell you what you need to know about Roam Like Home, and how you can save on roaming costs.
Will It Be Unlimited? No. Even normal data packages already have built-in fair use limits. They are typically generous and most people don’t use them up. According to Virgin, the average customer uses approximately 2.6GB per month. Most unlimited packages have a 5-30GB fair use limit, and if you exceed it, you will be charged for the additional data.
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Fair Use
How Much Is a GigaByte, Exactly?
The EU fair use limits are not always the same. Meteor’s €10 pre-pay plan has a 7.5GB fair use limit and 2.1GB for roaming. Their bigger bill pay SIM-only package offers 10GB locally and 7.4GB abroad.
You would be shocked to find that 1GB does not go very far well, depending on your preferred usage. For 1GB, you can:
In most cases, bill-pay plans have more restrictions than prepay plans.
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listen to about 160 songs on Spotify
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travel via Google Maps for 17 hours
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watch Youtube videos for 300 minutes
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or watch an hour of Netflix.
Many plans still allow only 2GB of roaming, so when you travel a lot, you could easily hit your limit.
What Is Free?
How to Save Data While Roaming?
Depending on your phone usage, you may be able to find a plan that offers services such as data, texts or calls free of charge. In most cases, a bill-pay plan that charges more than €30 a month will provide the most freedom. You will still receive the welcome message when you roam and you will get warning texts at certain intervals.
What Will They Charge? Although penalties are capped under new EU laws, you will be subject to penalty fees if you exceed your pre-determined data roaming limits while travelling abroad. Roaming charges for exceeding the limit, starts at €7.70/GB of data. These charges are set to decrease to €2.50/GB by 2022.
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Ask your provider for the exact data allowance on your specific plan.
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Switch off roaming and use Wifi whenever you can.
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WhatsApp is the cheapest option for messaging, as it uses much less data compared to Facebook and texting.
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Turn off auto-updates on apps, and disable Facebook’s auto-playing of videos. You can leave notifications on.
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Download shows from Netflix before you travel if you want to use that to keep small kids entertained and turn off data before giving them your phone.
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If you have not reached your data limit at home, you’re unlikely to exceed it while travelling. Relax, but be sensible and enjoy!
LEGAL BRIEFS
employers conducted by CareerBuilder, an online recruitment company. The regulators, who together form a group on data protection known as the Article 29 working party, do not themselves make EU law. But since they police the law’s implementation in the 28 member states - and seek a common interpretation with which to do so - their role is highly influential. Prospective employees must be told before they submit their job application if the company intends to conduct an audit of their social media profiles, and employers cannot force employees to accept their friend requests. The working party’s opinion is also likely to govern the interpretation of a new and stricter EU law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, which is due to come into force in May 2018.
EU REGULATORS CLAMP DOWN ON EMPLOYER SOCIAL MEDIA SEARCHES Employers who check a job candidate’s Facebook or Twitter profile before deciding whether to hire them may be in breach of European law, top regulators have said, as the EU tightens its data protection policies. According to guidelines published by EU data protection agencies, employers will from now on require a “legal ground” before checking the social media profiles of potential employees. The regulators add that data collected from a search must be necessary and “relevant to the performance of the job”. An estimated 60% of employers use social networking sites to screen potential candidates before making decisions, according to a survey of more than 2,000
bail to serious offenders including the extent to which the nature and frequency of previous offending indicate persistent offending and the danger to individuals or the community, which may be presented by release on bail. Courts will also have more options in imposing conditions on those who are granted bail, including prohibiting an accused from contacting victims, prohibiting him or her from driving when charged with a serious road traffic offence, and the imposition of a night-time curfew. Other features of the bill include electronically monitoring compliance with bail conditions when requested by the prosecutor, hearing victim evidence at bail proceedings and a requirement that the court give reasons for bail decisions.
NEW BAIL LAW APPROVED BY OIREACHTAS Legislation providing increased guidance for the courts and greater transparency in the bail process has been approved by the Oireachtas. The Criminal Justice Bill 2016 completed its final legislative stages in June. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said it would “strengthen the powers of the Courts, and of the Gardaí, in dealing with persistent serious offenders and persons on bail who pose an ongoing threat to the public”. Under the Bill, courts will be required to take additional factors into account when considering whether to refuse
BILL AIMS TO ENCOURAGE MORE TO SETTLE THROUGH PERSONAL INJURIES ASSESSMENT BOARD
would strengthen the operational powers of the Board and ensure greater compliance with the Board process. It will also provide for the Book of Quantum, an important benchmark for damages claims for practitioners, to be reviewed every three years. The Minister further commented that it is another step in the Government’s efforts to address the increasing cost of insurance, as the cost of settling personal injury claims is recognised as a major contributory factor to these costs.
The general scheme of a Bill to encourage more claims to be settled through the Personal Injuries Assessment Board has been published. Former Justice Minister, Frances Fitzgerald said that the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) Bill
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MEET THE TEAM Breon Manning
Mike Sheehy
Financial Advisor
Business Development
Breon has been in the financial services industry for 14 years. Throughout his career he has gained specialist knowledge in all areas of financial planning, investment monitoring, portfolio construction and management as well as annuities and protection planning.
Mike has worked in the Financial Services and Property industry for the past 9 years. He gained his Bachelor of Business Studies degree in Economics and Finance through the University of Limerick before completing a Certificate in Auctioneering and Real Estate through IPAV and the Cork Institute of Technology.
Breon is a Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) and a TMITI Registered Tax Consultant. He holds specialist Diplomas in Wealth Management (Institute of Bankers) and Pensions (LIA) and is a Fellow of the Life Insurance Association of Ireland (FLIA). Breon also holds the designation of Registered Stockbroker (not practising).
He enjoys 7-a- side soccer, running and the very occasional round of golf. Favourite movies include Training Day, The Usual Suspects and Goodfellas. When Mike isn’t chasing around after he is two little girls they are watching their favourite movies Toy Story, Frozen and The Little Mermaid.
When Breon isn’t hard at work he enjoys a round of golf, swims and goes spinning to keep fit. He is married to Katrina and is kept busy at home with 3 cats and mans’ best friend Red.
Jean Manning
Patricia Radley
Financial Administrator
Marketing Coordinator
Jean joined Manning Financial in 2013. She holds a BSc Honours Degree in Real Estate and a Certificate in Property Management and Valuations.
Patricia is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the company’s offline and online marketing strategies.
Jean intends to follow in her brother Breon’s footsteps and become a Qualifed Financial Advisor.
Patricia graduated with a PhD in Education from UC and also holds an MSc in Food Business, a BBs in Marketing and a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing. She is also a member of the Marketing Institute.
When Jean isn’t running the day to day office, she enjoys Spinning, TRX and Kettlebells. She also has a secret love of watching Darts.
Patricia is a volunteer adult literacy tutor and enjoys reading, travelling and supports Manchester United.
Molly O’Shea Marketing Intern Molly assists in all marketing activities in the company. A born and raised San Franciscan, Molly moved to Cork last January. She attended college in New York where he played NCAA Division 1 Volleyball for 5 years. Molly received a BBA in Marketing and an MBA in Management with a Sports and Entertainment Certificate. Molly loves to travel and experience new places as well as keeping fit.
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RANGE OF SERVICES PROTECTION
SAVINGS & INVESTMENT
Mortgage Protection Term Insurance Serious Illness Income Protection Life Cover with Tax Relief (Section 785) •• Group Income Protection •• Group Death in Service
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PENSIONS •• Personal Pensions •• •• •• •• ••
(for the Self Employed) PRSAs Executive Pensions (for company directors) Self-Administered Pensions Self-Directed Pensions Group Occupational Pension Schemes
Lump Sum Investments Bonds Structured Products Savings Plans
SPECIALIST ADVICE •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
Business Protection Partnership Insurance Inheritance Tax Relief and Estate Planning GMS Services for GPs Financial Services for Cohabiting Couples Pension Adjustment Orders Employee Benefit Schemes
MORTGAGES •• First Time Buyers, Investors and Trading Up •• Access To Best Rates in the Market
info@manning-financial.ie www.manning-financial.ie www.cpd.ie 74 South Mall, Cork 021 2428185 087 8315054 Breon Manning Financial Ltd. trading as Manning Financial is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland