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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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I am in the desert but counting the days until 11 November when I fly back to my semi-tropical paradise in the Estuary of the Clyde. |
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Kipling
Joined: 13 Mar 2009 Posts: 371 Location: ...Ah Mrs K peel me a grape!!!....and have one yourself!!!!
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Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:18 am Post subject: Return of the Native |
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Wear a poppy!!!
Mr K |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:54 am Post subject: |
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I will leave the glorification of imperialist wars to others. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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Those looking at getting a tenancy in Scotland could start by googling
Housing Associations in Scotland
Last edited by scot47 on Thu Aug 22, 2013 4:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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Scot47,
Don't rely on Scotland remaining untouched re: social housing. On 7th October, Alex Neil, (Housing Minister) announced " The squeeze on public finances will impact on the delivery of social housing in Scotland".
Rents are to rise sharply for new tenants of council housing. The average rent for a 3 bedroomed social home is �85 a week, but under the plans that could triple to �250 a week or 80% of the market rate.
The UK's public debt interest repayments now total �120 million a day or �43 billion a year. The government says the cuts will allow it to reduce the public debts and trim debt interest payments by �5 billion a year by 2014. The alternative to cutting??....to raise taxes. |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home
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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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sidjameson, I appreciate you've not had happy times of late, but
sidjameson wrote: |
Of course the worry is that the Uk will ... have changed the system where the a pensioner with nothing can get decent housing and about 550 gbp to live. |
(apologies for selective quoting)
You know as well as I do, such miracles will never happen. The UK now has a deficit of over �100 billion, and just as the UK appears to be coming out of a recession, in come the austerity cuts. This isn�t totally the current government�s fault. The spending cuts were first thought of by Chancellor Gordon Brown back in 1997.
And just as you can�t blame the government(s) for everything, neither can you depend on them for anything. I�m not going to apologise at all for again using Scot47 as an example, but
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/196274-social-housing-will-suffer-because-of-westminster-cuts/
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Housing Minister Alex Neil said: "The trail of destruction left by the UK Government's planned �80bn a year spending cuts means that next year, Scotland's housing sector faces the stark prospect of a reduction in funding for low cost homes. |
The above quote makes for depressing reading. If the government decide to double or triple Scot47�s rent, he will have no choice but to pay up.
The advice of Scot47, someone already retired, sadly means little to those in their forties or younger. Look after number one (you and your family). Don�t put yourself in a position where you have no choice but to end up depending on others. Don�t lie to yourself that any government will be able to help. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 3:34 am Post subject: |
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As the UK disintegrates, I look on and marvel that we have a sensible government in Edinburgh while London has a gang of Old Etonians running the End of Empire.
I am also amazed at the touching faith some posters have in the International Finance System. Do you really believe after the recent and continuing banking crisis that putting your pennies away in a piggy bank will provide for you in old age ?
And reports of my retirement are somewhat premature. I am planning my retirement, and indeed planning on crossing the River Styx. Both events lie at some point in the future.
As I write I am planning tomorrow's scintillating lesson on the use of the Present Simple. This is the leading edge of pedagogy ! |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home
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Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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I am also amazed at the touching faith some posters have in the International Finance System. Do you really believe after the recent and continuing banking crisis that putting your pennies away in a piggy bank will provide for you in old age ? |
Incredible. How is the government able to pay pensions when so little has been paid in? How do the funds received manage to grow over the years? The government invested those funds in property, stocks and shares, currencies, commodities*, etc, and all those things which make up the International Finance System.
* Gold is a commodity. It currently trades at a massive high. Ten years ago, however, the British government sold their gold reserves when the price was at its lowest in twenty years, one quarter of its current worth. This decision cost the British taxpayer 7 billion pounds. I say 7 billion, but who knows? The government were so embarrassed by their howler, which included acting against advice from the Bank of England, that they weren�t too keen to divulge.
If you had a friend that daft with finances, you�d never lend him money, would you? But people trust the government(s) with their lives come pension time. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:30 am Post subject: |
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The UK National Insurance Fund which is the source of retirement pensions and other benefits is not an investment fund. The UK Govt does not use it as an investment tool. Pension Funds which pay occupational funds, whether private or in the poublic sector do invest their income.
Social Economics 101 |
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artemisia
Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:30 am Post subject: |
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Where I live there have been a large number of stories over the last few years of finance companies going bust. All these investors squirrelling away their money over years and years - doing the right thing & taking responsibility for themselves. And where's it got them? Just about nowhere and now financially crippled as they'll never get that money back. Yet these were all strong companies that seemed to be doing extremely well and had high ratings (Standard & Poor, I think). 'Poor' is sure the right word now.
People vote in governments and pay taxes for that Party to run the country and that includes providing for people in old age. If that provision is not there then that country lacks a proper welfare system. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of trusting any government but there will always be low-income people who'll require assistance no matter how well they try and save or those who fall ill and end up using savings on huge medical bills. How can anyone truly know what the future holds? We want to believe we can control our destinies but "security" is largely a state of mind. That's not to say we don't have responsibility to look after ourselves as best we can but so much relies on good health and not just simply money put away.
Assuming it's all up to the individual (who continues to pay taxes) is tantamount to agreeing that governments should be able to act in their own best interests, have no responsibility to those who voted them in and are essentially unaccountable for their actions.
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As I write I am planning tomorrow's scintillating lesson on the use of the Present Simple. This is the leading edge of pedagogy ! |
And where, I ask you, would we be without the Present Simple?
We would not be able to say: "I think, therefore I am".
(Descartes)
Perhaps on Dave's (and cyberspace in general) this should be changed to: "I post, therefore I am". |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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Artemisia,
You are so wise and witty. I think I am falling in love again. |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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scot47 wrote: |
The UK National Insurance Fund which is the source of retirement pensions and other benefits is not an investment fund. The UK Govt does not use it as an investment tool. |
No. The UK Government do invest National Insurance contributions.
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http://www.dmo.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=CRND/CRND_Portfolio/NIFIA
�.the National Insurance Fund (NIF) on 1 April 1975.
The NIF is intended to be the 'current account' of the National Insurance scheme, holding sufficient funds to even out fluctuations in the movement of contributions and benefits and to provide a source of finance to meet exceptional demands, for example in times of unemployment or a sickness epidemic. By virtue of section 161(3) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) transfers money to the Investment Account on days when it has a net inflow of cash and draws from the Investment Account on days when payments exceed receipts.
Following a review by HMRC, HM Treasury and CRND, a change to the NIF investment strategy was approved in December 2006; this change has resulted in lower administrative charges to the NIF. The change was effected in January 2007 when all the Investment Account�s gilt holdings were sold and the proceeds placed into the Debt Management Account Deposit Facility. In future, the Investment Account is expected to earn a rate of interest close to the Official Bank of England Rate (Base Rate). |
That last point makes for grim reading. The Bank of England Base Rate is currently 0.5%. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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They put the money in government securities. I would not term that "investment" !
At various time there has been some discussion about the possibility of using the NIF as a sort of "Sovereign Wealth Fund" like the Kuwaitis and Norwegians do with some of their spare cash.
I think that I would prefer the Chancellor just to put it all on a favourite at Cheltenham. |
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Teacher in Rome
Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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I think that I would prefer the Chancellor just to put it all on a favourite at Cheltenham. |
He has. It's called "The Great Private Sector Hope" and its odds are about the same as mine for winning the lottery.
This has to be the first time I say this, but old Etonian Boris Johnson (ok, admit I don't know he's an etonian, but he's certainly a toff) ticked off the government for their ludicrous housing policies, calling them "social cleansing". Let's hope the other toffs listen up and abandon their costly plans to make social housing market-led, which paradoxically, will cost even more in benefits. Scott, your social housing may yet be safe! |
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