Finance Reviews

Verona, 04/11/2010: Fermat Consulting SRL, an Italian company specialized in financial modeling delivers a strong-blow to the financial sector today with the release of its new software: Fairmat. Fairmat is a completely free software solution for managing different types of financial problems in a simple and straightforward way.

Post-recession news regarding the SECs pursuit of “programming language transparency on Wall Street”, coupled with the Obama administrations “commitment to enhance procedural transparency” in the financial sector, has set the stage for a new, Italian start-up ready to disrupt the system. Fermat Consulting, makers of the free, financial modeling software “Fairmat” are adding a whole new level of transparency and accessibility to financial contract valuations. The new product is set to revolutionize the valuation of financial contracts and investment projects by subverting the “various elements” which Fermat Consulting says currently characterize the financial engineering world: complexity, high costs and opacity in valuation procedures.

According to Matteo Tesser, Fairmats Product Manager, “The first challenge when considering a financial contract is complexity. Even those who already possess excel skills and/or programming experience find that they need additional technical resources and market data, and more importantly, financial resources and instruments to get the needed outputs. This is how financial engineering creates information and knowledge asymmetry. The lending institutions, which have these expensive resources, make their profits to the detriment of other players. In Italy, for example, many problems related to varied and often complex derivative contracts, which are held by regional governments and small business, have been denounced by consumer protection agencies.

We feel that the mismanagement of this complexity helped to cause, among other problems, the recent crisis in the derivative markets. Additionally, it is this lack-of transparency that continues to threaten the stability of the global financial and economic systems today.”

Simply put: Fairmat (http://www.fairmat.com/) is a software that enables users to model or replicate any kind of financial contract without having to actually write pricing routines. This is done using an intuitive graphic/algebraic language that simplifies and deconstructs a contract down to its basic elements. Then, several analyses -such as fair value calculation- are elaborated and then displayed by comprehensible charts and graphs. Given its modeling features and free access, Fairmat would be ideal for use in academia, say, for university students learning derivatives contracts.

The best part: Fairmat Academic is completely free. Fairmat is also multi-platform, with versions available for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. Commercial versions include extended functionality, such as data-provider integration and IAS accounting analysis at a cost that is much lower than with other solutions, making this software accessible to small businesses and financial consultants. To stimulate innovation, the company is willing to create revenue-share partnerships with people who contribute open-source plug-ins to the project. This will add value to the core product and bring the additional benefits of crowd-sourced innovation and best-practices to the commercial users.

A professional who provides financial services to customers is known as a financial adviser. The term financial adviser is comprehensive and includes different professionals related to the finance industry such as investment advisers, brokers, accountants, insurance agents and financial planners.

Depending upon the training they have had and the licenses they have secured, financial advisers provide different financial services to customers. A customer is also known as a client in financial services industry.

In the U.K, three main bodies award qualifications for financial advisers. Chartered Insurance Institute, the foremost of the three, offers professional financial services qualifications to all levels, from beginner to degree. The second is the IFS School of Finance, which offers alternative courses and qualifications in selected specialist areas including mortgages and equity release. The third is the Institute of Financial Planning, which offers the Certified Financial Planner qualification.

Financial advisers in the U.K were required to clear a series of examinations and receive a Certificate in Financial Planning (which was formerly known as the Financial Planning Certificate) or the Certificate for Financial Advisers. Furthermore, they were required to be authorized by the Financial Services Authority, before they would be allowed to practice. This was replaced recently with a new standard of qualification classed as Diploma. Usually a diploma holder or higher qualified adviser will have Dip FA or Dip PFS after their name.

In the United Kingdom, the most widely accepted highest standard qualification for financial advisers is the title Chartered Financial Planner.Tied advisers are allowed to recommend only the financial products marketed by the company they represent. They might be employed by that company or work for that company under a type of self-employment contract. Restricted advisers are similar to tied advisers, except that they represent a number of different companies. Also, they may choose not to recommend certain structures of investment or to not advise on the whole of the market, which makes them restricted. Also, the independent adviser must offer clients the choice of paying a fee for advice about products.

Financial advisers in the U.K typically provide financial services such as;

Investments
Pensions & Self-Invested Plans
Mortgage Advice
Inheritance Tax
Discretionary Investment
Life Assurance

Manchester being a popular city, a financial adviser Manchester offers is usually reliable and offers a proven track record. The financial adviser Manchester city can provide would typically be recognized and trusted. Similarly with Brighton, a financial adviser Brighton offers would be dependable. Any financial adviser Brighton can provide would typically have a proven track record and would be recognized from the authorities.

The new Association director is often thrust into the job with little idea of what his or her duties and responsibilities are, other than the conceptual knowledge that s/he is obligated to serve in the best interest of the Association. Unless s/he has been an active member of CAI (which is not likely if s/he is a first-time director), s/he is not even aware of the educational resources that are available for guidance in learning what a director’s responsibilities are. Further, many directors serve only a one-year term and therefore have little incentive to go through the effort of getting the education necessary for performing their job, since their term will be completed before they can even begin to learn everything they should know.

The purpose of this article is to attempt to provide guidance to the director on his or her financial responsibilities. The most important rule with respect to financial transactions is that they should be well-documented. While the Association may produce monthly financial statements and an annual budget, it is also important to document (preferably in the minutes of the Board of Directors) the following types of financial decisions:

Authorization for new bank accounts
Authorization of changes in signers of bank accounts
Approval of transfers of cash between accounts
Authorization for purchases of major equipment, or major expenditures
Approval of the annual budget
Acceptance of monthly treasurer’s report
Acceptance of monthly interim financial statements from the management company
Approval of the annual audit or review report and tax return
Authorization for an officer of the Association to sign the annual income tax returns
Documentation of board actions and responses with respect to the accountant’s management letter that accompanies the annual audit report
Collection actions (authorization to lien member property, authorization to foreclose on member property)
Documentation of board decisions regarding insurance coverage
Adoption of a conflict of interest policy
Authorization of contract for preparation of a reserve study
Authorization of reserve expenditures
Adoption of reserve policies
Adoption of Revenue Ruling 70-604 Election (This election should be made annually and should preferably be made at the annual membership meeting, then ratified at a Board of Directors meeting.)

Accounting is a complex, technical subject in which very few people have an active interest. However, the impact of financial transactions is something that permeates every aspect of our lives, and certainly that of a community association. While no individual can be given a complete accounting education in a short enough period of time to enable them to gain a complete understanding during their term of office, there are certain things that the director can and should do on a procedural basis that would allow him or her to adequately exercise the oversight of financial responsibilities of the members of the Board of Directors of an Association.

The director needs complete financial information in order to perform an adequate review of transactions. Accordingly, the monthly financial reporting package for a community Association should generally include the following documents:

Monthly financial statements

a. Balance Sheet on an accrual basis

b. Income Statement on an accrual basis with budget-to-actual comparisons ( The income statement should include both current month and year-to-date amounts.

General Ledger
Cash Disbursements Journal
Aged Assessments Receivable Listing
Copies of all bank reconciliations
Copies of all bank statements
Copies of paid invoices

While the above list may seem like overkill to some, these documents should be distributed to the board members prior to the Board meeting so that they have an adequate opportunity to review them and be ready at the time of the meeting to either approve the reports or ask the necessary questions. It is not reasonable to expect even a CPA to be given a set of financial statements during a Board meeting and on the spot, have to review, understand, and approve the financial statements and, by inference, the underlying transactions.

For the director to competently review this financial package, he must have a basic understanding of each of the documents.

The balance sheet is a statement that reflects the financial status of the Association at a specific point in time (generally month-end or year-end). Common components of a balance sheet are:

Assets

Cash – Petty cash on hand or in checking accounts, savings accounts, or other types of accounts with a financial institution

Assessments Receivable – Amounts owed by members to the Association as of the date of the financial report

Fixed Assets – Property acquired by the Association with a useful life greater than one year and of significant cost

Prepaid Expenses – Payments of expenses in the current period that will benefit more than one period, such as insurance, which is often paid in a single payment for an annual premium

Liabilities

Accounts Payable – Expenses incurred, but not yet paid

Prepaid Assessments – Dues/assessments paid in advance

Income Taxes Payable – Income taxes due for the current year and any prior years

Fund Balances

Operating Fund – Accumulated earnings or losses of the Association from the current and prior years.

Replacement Fund – Amount set aside for future repairs and replacements (this balance should have an equal amount of cash set aside to accumulate for major expenses).

The income statement reflects, for a period of time, the income and expense activities of the Association. A preferred format would reflect both the current month’s and year-to-date budgeted and actual activities. Revenues generally consist of member assessments, fines, vending machine, parking, or other income and interest income. Expenses would include operating maintenance costs, utilities, management company fees, and other administrative and operating fees. Amounts transferred to reserves are generally reflected as an expense of the operating budget, unless financial statements are prepared on a fund basis.

The general ledger is a document which underlies the financial statements and summarizes all activity by account. For instance, if three different checks during the month were written for repairs, they would be grouped into the repairs expense account (even though the checks were not in sequential order). The total of those three checks would represent the current month’s total repair expense, which should agree with the income statement. This document can be used by the director to research questions such as “what is in utility or repair expense this month?”, and “why is it so high compared to prior months or prior years?” The general ledger should provide sufficient detail for you to find the answer to that question.

The cash disbursements journal is simply a listing of checks in numerical order for the current month, listing the date, payee, and amount.

The other reports are self-explanatory.

The procedures that the director might employ in analyzing these documents should consist of:

Examine the balance sheet and compare it against prior periods to see that cash balances and assessments receivable balances appear reasonable. Note if there are any significant fluctuations between restricted reserves in the current period versus prior periods.

Examine the bank reconciliations and see that they agree to the amounts reflected as cash on the balance sheet. Investigate any differences. Also, make sure they agree with the bank statements. The bank reconciliation should begin with cash per bank and reconcile down to cash per financial statements and general ledger. The reconciling items will generally consist of deposits in transit and outstanding checks. Investigate and question any large or old outstanding checks.

Review the bank statements to ascertain that all interest income has been recorded in the financial statements.

Make sure that all bank accounts are recorded in the general ledger of the Association.

Examine the aged assessments receivable listing and compare it to the balance sheet. The total of assessments receivable should agree with the balance sheet.

Review the aged assessments receivable listing and question any assessments receivable that are more than 30 days old. The Association should adopt a strict collection policy that would consist of assessment of late charges, warning letters, filing of a lien, and ultimately foreclosing on member property for non-payment of assessments. There should be no exceptions to these rules, especially for directors of the Association.

Review the income statement comparison of budgeted to actual activity both for the current month and the year-to-date, and question any significant variations.

For any questioned income or expense items, trace the account to the general ledger and review the detail for that account.

Review the cash disbursements journal for the month and challenge the propriety of all expenses. For instance, if any checks are written to any director of the Association, find out why. If the management company is being paid more than their contractual fee, find out why.

It will take some time for the director to perform all of the above procedures, but it will provide you with insight as to the financial transactions of the Association, and a greater understanding of how your Association operates. While this may seem like too much work to be done on a monthly basis, you as a director have an obligation to the members of the Association to safeguard the assets of the Association. Only through diligence and a step-by-step procedural review of transactions can this be done.

Phoenix Financial Planner A financial planner typically prepares financial plans for his or her clients. The kinds of services financial planners offer can vary widely. Some financial planners assess every aspect of your financial life-including saving, investments, insurance, taxes, retirement, and estate planning-and help you develop a detailed strategy or financial plan for meeting all your financial goals. Other professionals call themselves financial planners, but they may only be able to recommend that you invest in a narrow range of products and sometimes products that are not securities.

When hiring a financial planner, you should know exactly what services you need, what services the planner can deliver, and any limitations on what he or she can recommend. In addition, you should understand what services you are paying for, how much those services cost, and how the planner gets paid. Financial planners charge for their services in different ways: some charge either a fixed fee or an hourly fee for the time it takes to develop a financial plan, but do not sell investment products; some are paid by commissions on the products they sell; and others use a combination of fees and commissions.

Financial planners may come from many different educational and professional backgrounds. If you are considering using a financial planner, be sure to ask about their background. If they have a credential, ask them what it means and what they had to do to earn it.

Some financial planners have credentials like CFP certification or CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). Find out what organization issued the credential, and then contact the organization to verify whether the professional you are considering did, in fact, earn the credential and whether the professional remains in good standing with the organization. For a helpful list of various financial industry credentials (including the name of the issuing organization and any education or experience required to attain the credential), please read FINRA Understanding Investment Professional Designations.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards also has brochures – What You Should Know About Financial Planning and Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Planner – that will help you identify a financial planner who is right for you.

Financial planners who give investment advice to their clients must register with the SEC or the appropriate state securities regulator. For more information about investment advisers, read the publication entitled Investment Advisers: What You Need to Know Before Choosing One.

Employees who are injured on the job will receive benefits from their employers as guaranteed by the workers compensation law. The purpose is to reduce the number of lawsuits that may result from injuries that occur in the workplace.

If you have been injured in the course of performing your work duties in a Portland-based company, it is best for you to hire a Portland workers compensation lawyer. This way, you can be guided professionally as to the process you need to undertake when filing a claim. This will also help you get the highest compensation amount. Hiring an attorney will, of course, entail costs but this need not be a complicated subject.

Education and Experience

Wherever across the state you reside in, the fees that you will pay will likely differ from one Portland workers comp lawyer to another. In fact, the numbers may substantially vary, depending on these legal experts educational background and experience. Their track record in the workers compensation department will also affect how much they will charge their clients. Even where their offices are located and their operating expenses will have a bearing on their professional fees.

An attorney whose office is within in a rural village, for example, will naturally charge lower than one who receives his clients in a modern office in a cosmopolitan area. Check with the different bar associations in Portland or better yet, ask your friends, relatives or colleagues about any workers compensation lawyers they may have worked with in the past.

The First Visit

On your first visit to a Portland workers compensation attorney, ask as many questions as you want. What amount in compensation can you probably expect, what will the strategy be to increase your chance of success, will a settlement be more beneficial, and how long the process will take are just a few essential questions you need to raise.

And then you can talk about costs. Make sure you do not leave the office without knowing how much the lawyers legal fees are, whats covered in the rate, what are the extra fees, if any, and what payment methods may be used.

Costing Mechanics

A workers compensation attorney in Oregon may be hired with a contingency fee. Having a contingency fee means the lawyer will not be paid unless you get the money as compensation for your injury. This also means that a lawyer who agrees to take your case on contingency must be very confident that you will win your case. If you lose, however, you will still have to spend some cash to pay for other related costs, like court reporter and expert witness fees. When you hire an attorney on contingency, you get more financial room to settle your medical and living costs while your case is being processed. Generally, compensation lawyers in Portland will get part of the amount that will be awarded to you.

However, note that by law, this cannot go beyond 25% of whatever benefits or settlement you end up with. Sometimes, your employer will be paying your fees, which will then be subtracted from your benefits.