Friday, July 10, 2009

Finance


FINANCE is not the only business that has tended to concentrate. Britain's manufacture of cotton textiles in the late 18th century was centred in Lancashire. Detroit has been shorthand for America's motor industry since the 1920s. Hollywood still dominates the world's film business. In many countries, iron and steel foundries are found together, usually near a coalfield and a plentiful water supply.
Yet finance has become more concentrated than almost any other area of commerce and industry, even though it is not affected by such centripetal forces as mineral supplies.Unlike a stock market, where all participants have access to the same prices, the foreign exchange market is divided into levels of access. At the top is the inter-bank market, which is made up of the largest investment banking firms. Within the inter-bank market, spreads, which are the difference between the bid and ask prices, are razor sharp and usually unavailable, and not known to players outside the inner circle. The difference between the bid and ask prices widens (from 0-1 pip to 1-2 pips for some currencies such as the EUR). This is due to volume. If a trader can guarantee large numbers of transactions for large amounts, they can demand a smaller difference between the bid and ask price, which is referred to as a better spread. The levels of access that make up the foreign exchange market are determined by the size of the “line” (the amount of money with which they are trading). The top-tier inter-bank market accounts for 53% of all transactions. After that there are usually smaller investment banks, followed by large multi-national corporations (which need to hedge risk and pay employees in different countries), large hedge funds, and even some of the retail FX-metal market makers. According to Galati and Melvin, “Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, and other institutional investors have played an increasingly important role in financial markets in general, and in FX markets in particular, since the early 2000s.” (2004) In addition, he notes, “Hedge funds have grown markedly over the 2001–2004 period in terms of both number and overall size” Central banks also participate in the foreign exchange market to align currencies to their economic needs.

Attraction of information technology


In the modern world a college degree is becoming an essential part of productivity. There was a time when this was not the case – experience was everything and you could succeed in life without needing much of an education. This is definitely not the case anymore. However, so many people still do not go to college for all sorts of reasons; although the most common reason is most certainly financial. In the 21st century, the advent of eLearning degrees is changing all that. A person who was never able to go to college before now has a chance – even after the business of everyday life has overtaken them.
The degrees available to the average person now are many, although some are better than others. One of the best online degrees available is the Information Technology degree
. The reason for this is all of the material is obviously readily online and in a format that is easier to absorb. More importantly, the eLearning format allows for people at different levels to work as fast as they want – within the paradigm of their own learning style.
These degrees are important for anyone who wishes to advance their career further and has any sort of love for computers at all. The job prospects have never been better than they are now, and you don’t have to be a ‘geek’ to do well I the field anymore (although it helps if you want to be an industrial programmer!)
The field of Information Technology and computer science is exploding at the moment. It is happening all over the world; people are using computers more and more and it is becoming important for a company to present a technologically advanced image. IT Management has become a part of everything such that skilled people with Information Technology Management degrees are needed in all areas of work – from office automation and administration, to web mastering to animation for Hollywood movies. Today the Information Technology degree job prospects are as varied as the students who take classes.
One of the most exciting job prospects available right now is the Media Center. At a media center, computer scientists integrate website design with video, audio, and the visual arts! It is one of the most creative things you could do with your degree and as an eLearner, you will learn first hand what does and does not work online.
Of course, if the True Geek in you just must come out, you can go into software design, software engineering, or software development. After all, very few people these days still enter DOS commands at the C: prompt or program in Binary. Software with a graphical user interface (GUI) was developed for the masses, but someone has to come up with the software idea and then make it work from the back end; just imagine having all of that power over a computer program!
And that is just the beginning. The jobs available in this field are far to many to even begin to touch. You could work as a database developer or educator or IT tech or network coordinator….the list just goes on.
So if you have any love of computers at all, then you should consider theInformation Technology degree, there is no limit to what you could learn and accomplish through a distance eLearning course. You want to know what a computer scientist looks like?

How to invrease your Financial status????


Understanding the basics of money and personal finance is critical to winning with money and creating wealth. Traditional school systems do not teach students the basics of personal finance or how to handle money. However, it’s never too late to learn, you can begin to increase your financial knowledge over time and change your financial future.



INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE. Purchase or check out books from your local library on personal finance. They will help you understand the damaging long term effects of debt, the power of compounding, and the importance of financial planning. Some of the best books for beginners include: 1) The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, 2) Girl, Make Your Money Grow by Glinda Bridgforth and Gail Perry-Mason, 3) Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, and 4) The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach.
Step 2
KEEP UP. Read about the latest economic and financial news by visiting financial web sites and blogs daily. Step 3
CONTINUING EDUCATION. Check with your local community college on continuing education courses on personal finance. Or, find a Financial Peace University (FPU) class in your area or take the online version. FPU is a 13 week class which has taught thousands of people how to manage their personal finances and win with money. For more information visit www.daveramsey.com.
Step 4
LISTEN UP. Listen to bestselling financial author, Dave Ramsey's national radio talk show or even call in with your own financial questions on weekdays. To find a radio station and broadcast times in your area or to download podcasts, visit www.daveramsey.com.
Step 5
TAKE ACTION. Now that you’ve increased your Financial IQ, stop using credit and begin to take small steps to improve your financial standing by creating a budget, stop using credit, reducing debt, building an emergency fund and saving for retirement.

Information Technology


Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."[1] IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.
When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.
The term information technology is sometimes said to have been coined by Jim Domsic of Michigan in November 1981.[citation needed] Domsic, who worked as a computer manager for an automotive related industry, is supposed to have created the term to modernize the outdated phrase "data processing". The Oxford English Dictionary, however, in defining information technology as "the branch of technology concerned with the dissemination, processing, and storage of information, esp. by means of computers" provides an illustrative quote from the year 1958 (Leavitt & Whisler in Harvard Business Rev. XXXVI. 41/1 "The new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology.") that predates the so-far unsubstantiated Domsic coinage.
In recent years ABET and the ACM have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study separate from both Computer Science and Information Systems. SIGITE is the ACM working group for defining these standards.

Finance and information technology


"Effective SOX programs enlist the entire organization to build and monitor a compliant control environment. However, even the best SOX programs are inefficient at best, ineffective at worst, if there is a lack of informed, competent finance and IT personnel to support the effort. This book provides these important professionals a needed resource for and road map toward successfully implementing their SOX initiative."—Scott Green Chief Administrative Officer, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and author, Sarbanes-Oxley and the Board of Directors
"As a former CFO and CIO, I found this book to be an excellent synopsis of SOX, with impressive implementation summaries and checklists."—Michael P. Cangemi CISA, Editor in Chief, Information Systems Control Journal and author, Managing the Audit Function
"An excellent introduction to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act from the perspective of the financial and IT professionals that are on the front lines of establishing compliance in their organizations. The author walks through many areas by asking 'what can go wrong' types of questions, and then outlines actions that should be taken as well as the consequences of noncompliance. This is a good book to add to one's professional library!"—Robert R. Moeller Author, Sarbanes-Oxley and the New Internal Auditing Rules
"Mr. Anand has compiled a solid overview of the control systems needed for not only accounting systems, but also the information technologies that support those systems. Among the Sarbanes books on the market, his coverage of both topics is unique."—Steven M. Bragg Author, Accounting Best Practices
"An excellent overview of the compliance process. A must-read for anyone who needs to get up to speed quickly with Sarbanes-Oxley."—Jack Martin Publisher, Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal