QROPS - Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were introduced in 2006 as part of a major overhaul of Britain\'s pension framework, aimed at simplifying pension transfers to another country. New legislation was passed by the UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), in order to comply with an EU directive that pensions be free to move across Europe\'s borders. This ruling means that individuals, wishing to retire to countries such as France, Spain and Portugal can effectively take their UK pension funds with them: http://www.axis-finance.com/what-are-qrops.php
Who can apply for a QROPS?
A QROPS is specifically designed to allow anyone, not intending to retire in the UK, to transfer existing and frozen UK pension plans into a more appropriate retirement vehicle.
Individuals who are, or have been members of a UK registered pension fund and are currently living outside of the UK, or intending to leave the UK on a permanent basis, can consider transferring their retirement fund into a QROPS: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-living-in-France
Transfers to QROPS
The UK Government allows transfers to QROPS to be made free of UK tax. Their aim is to simplify the affairs of individuals leaving the UK on a permanent basis and to encourage them to continue saving in order to provide an income when they retire. There is no official limit to the amount of funds that may be transferred to a QROPS: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-France-pension-transfers
QROPS - HMRC Rules
What makes a scheme a QROPS?
In order to transfer your UK pension into a QROPS, it is necessary for the overseas pension scheme to be accepted by HMRC. The criteria outlined by HMRC for an overseas scheme to qualify as a QROPS include:
- The pension scheme must be established outside of the UK
- It must be recognised for tax purposes in the country where it is located
- It must be regulated in the country in which it is established
Age that benefits can be taken from a QROPS
The QROPS regime mirrors that of a regulated pension scheme in the UK. Benefits, including lump sum payments, from the transferred funds may not be distributed earlier than the normal retirement age of 55, if an individual has been a non-UK resident for less than five complete tax years: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-living-in-France-HMRC-Rules
QROPS Reporting requirements
HMRC should be notified if a payment is made within the first five tax years of a member becoming non-UK tax resident. Any benefits paid before five complete tax years of non-UK residency and not in accordance with UK Pension rules will be deemed an unauthorised payment.
The scheme manager does not have to notify HMRC if the payment is made 10 or more years after the day of the transfer that created the QROPS fund for the \'relevant member\', provided that the person is non UK resident for the duration of this period. This 10 year \'bracket\' for reporting payments took effect as of 6 April 2012.
QROPS List
When transferring your UK pension to a scheme overseas, it is important to check that the scheme meets the conditions to be a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme (QROPS). Not all transfers to overseas or offshore schemes are QROPS transfers; it is therefore essential to verify that the scheme receiving your UK benefits is on the QROPS list published by HMRC, otherwise a transfer will be treated as a transfer to a non-qualifying overseas scheme and substantial penalties may be applied by HMRC at the time of transfer: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-list-living-in-France
How do I know if it is a legitimate QROPS scheme?
QROPS approved plans that agree to have their details published are listed on the HMRC website. A UK Pension administrator will confirm a QROPS listing before agreeing to a transfer. If not listed, the administrator will contact HMRC
Get the Viper Smart Start Remote Car Starter with optional Security System and remotely start your vehicle with your smart phone. This system will add on to almost any DEI remote car starter Avital, Viper, Python and Clifford models with D2D communication or can be installed on its own.
Thirteen out of 16 new booster seats for 2017 earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest rating of BEST BET, bringing the total number of boosters on the market with that designation to 118.
The BEST BET rating means a booster provides good safety belt fit for typical 4 to 8 year-olds in almost any car, minivan or SUV. Boosters that are rated GOOD BETs provide acceptable belt fit in almost any vehicle, while those rated Check Fit could work for some children in some vehicles. Seats designated "Not Recommended" don’t provide good belt fit and should be avoided.
Computers have become basic necessity today. However computer security is another important aspect. The general feeling towards the hard drive repair is much like that of the human body - unless there is a problem, we simply don't think about it. There are certain unwanted software's which are known as viruses prevalent in the cyber world. These computer worms or viruses could invade your computer with out any further notice.
October is National Seafood Month and a time to highlight the importance of fish and shellfish as part of a healthful diet. As with any food, safe handling of seafood is essential to reducing the risk of foodborne illness (often called food poisoning).
Learn more at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm077331.htm
Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving it Safely
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds you to follow these basic safety tips for buying, storing, and preparing fish and shellfish.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7594351-fda-seafood-safety/
Millennials have replaced Boomers as America’s most populous and most influential generation, with more than 75.4 million in the US alone. Ranging from 21-34, some of our country’s most important technological, creative, and economic advancements can be directly attributed to this age group. Yet the very people who are changing the face of the nation are ineligible to hold the nation’s highest political office.
Today, Captain Morgan announced a petition for Article II, Section I of the United States Constitution to be changed, which states that “neither shall any person be eligible to [the office of President] who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years.” True to its namesake’s pioneering and adventurous spirit, the Captain Morgan brand will unite everyone to bring a new voice to the election, in an attempt to pave a way for Under 35s to be President of the United States.
More than half (52%) of 21-34 year olds say lowering the presidential age requirement would be beneficial for the country, and a clear majority of those polled – 56% - say they would be willing to act on this idea by supporting an amendment to lower the age requirement.*
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7878051-captain-morgan-under-35s-potus-petition/
A new online resource is now available to help people recognize and find high quality care for alcohol use disorder, which affects more than 15 million adults in the United States. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator, designed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use tool to help individuals and their loved ones navigate the often-complicated process of choosing treatment for alcohol problems. With many treatment options available, the navigator makes the search easier by telling them what they need to know - and what they need to do – to find appropriate, quality care.
“We developed this tool to help address the alcohol ‘treatment gap,’” said NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D. “In any given year, less than 10 percent of individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorder receive treatment, and many of them do not receive the type of care that best fits their needs. A big reason for that, we believe, is that people with alcohol use disorder often don’t know where to turn for help. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator offers a comprehensive strategy to help people search for professionally-led, evidence-based alcohol treatment, which should improve their chances for success.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8179051-niaaa-alcohol-treatment-navigator/
Car-buying platform Edmunds.com today released an update to its acclaimed mobile app with a new feature that now makes it possible for shoppers to send text messages to car dealers with just a touch of a button. The innovation is the latest step in the growing trend of consumers drawn to “place messaging,” which offers a convenient way to interact with businesses via text in the same way that they do with friends and family.
Unlike other place messaging solutions that only work in concert with apps such as Snapchat and WhatsApp, Edmunds’ texting solution uses the phone’s native texting platform. That means all smartphones are capable of messaging dealers without relying on any other apps.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523651-edmunds-com-text-car-dealers-app/
Living Off the Grid - http://www.thriveoffthegrid.com/ - See how others are living offgrid using the advantages of wind and solar energy plus more for off grid power and ...
Living off the grid you must take advantage of renewable energy. This renewable resource originates from several sources, consisting of sun, wind and water, to start with ...
Researchers are constantly on the lookout for more ways of making green energy. Here are the 2 types you must understand now.
Living off the Grid: - Advantages of Solar Power
i. The energy that originates from simply one hour of sun suffices to supply energy for a year for the whole world
ii. A battery can be used to store off grid solar power for evenings and cloudy days
iii. Solar panels on a roof work when the sun's rays strike the cells in the panel and electrons are released, producing energy
iv. Using solar power will typically provide a saving of $100+ each month on utility costs for the property owners of off grid homes .
Living off the Grid: - Advantages of Wind Energy
i. When wind goes through the blades of a turbine that is connected to a generator, the energy produced by the spin is converted into electrical energy
ii. A single large wind turbine can provide electricity for around 500 off grid homes
iii. Last year, 42 % of the houses that were geared up with a source of off grid power used wind
iv. Unlike most other sources of energy, wind utilizes hardly any water; not only is wind energy carbon neutral, it helps water conservation also
v. There is around 10 times the amount of wind available in the U.S. than is needed to supply power for the whole country
vi. Wind energy is presently the fastest-growing source of renewable energy: - Around two wind farms are set up weekly in the U.S.
For living off the grid, the facts indicate that the advantages of solar power combined with the advantages of wind energy now exceed any advantages that fossil fuels may have had. However it is probably down to individuals to begin the shift to a larger scale adoption, so that we may all enjoy living off the grid.
2017 Renault Zoe
Renault has introduced a new Z.E. 40 battery for ZOE. At the same, ZOE owners can benefit from a range of new connected services and equipment upgrades. Order books for the new ZOE line-up are open. The new ZOEs fitted with the new Z.E. 40 battery are made at Renault's Flins plant in France and will be available for delivery before the end of 2016.
Double the range for even longer journeys
As the pioneer of all-electric mobility and Europe's number one seller of electric vehicles, Renault has stepped up its innovation programme and the deployment of its Zero Emissions strategy.
Fitted with the new Z.E. 40 battery, the Renault ZOE now delivers a record NEDC driving range of 400km, which is twice the distance delivered by the model at the time of its original launch.
The new Z.E. 40 battery has a real-world range of 300 kilometres in urban or suburban areas, for example.
The range permitted today by the ZOE is the longest of any mainstream all-electric vehicle and motorists can take advantage of this step forward now.
The ZOE is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe and provides a real alternative to internal combustion-engine cars, since average daily commuting distances are well within the ZOE's capabilities.
The new battery removes the final psychological barrier that stands in the way of buying an electric car since ZOE users can now travel further and enjoy a wider variety of driving situations without worry about charging. This makes weekend trips a real possibility.
The Z.E. 40 battery's charging rate is similar to that of the standard battery, so 'topping up' doesn't take long at all. For example, just 30 minutes are required on average to charge the battery for an extra 80 kilometres of driving range when plugged into one of the many public charging points in operation in Europe. The ZOE continues to be equipped with the Quick Charge function to take full advantage of the maximum capacity of fast charging points located predominantly along motorway corridors.
An innovation that doubles battery capacity with no increase in size
The ZOE's new Z.E. 40 battery boasts 41kWh of useful energy, equivalent to almost double the storage capacity of the ZOE's standard battery (22kWh of useful energy).
Developed in close partnership with LG Chem, the battery uses high-energy density lithium-ion technology.
Renault and LG engineers have succeeded in increasing storage capacity without making the battery any bigger or a lot heavier. It was optimised by working on the chemistry of the cells in order to increase their energy density, rather than stacking additional battery modules, a commonly used technique.
This major new technology has been developed while ensuring the battery's reliability or safety.
The battery's large storage capacity ensures longer range for the ZOE thanks to the meticulous work that went into integrating the battery in the vehicle. The electronic management system of the battery optimises the ZOE's energy use on the move, while the new air circulation system maintains the temperature of the ZOE's battery at a constant level, making the car economical to run in very hot or very cold weather.
Team In Training. Light The Night. Man & Woman of the Year. Student Series. Leukemia Cup Regatta. More than 13 million participants in these popular fundraising campaigns last year alone helped The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) invest more than $1 billion in research to advance lifesaving treatments and cures for blood cancer patients.
For Blood Cancer Awareness Month this September, LLS is reminding us that despite progress, much work still needs to be done to save more lives. More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with or in remission from a blood cancer. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children, adolescents and adults younger than 20 years. Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are expected to cause the deaths of an estimated 58,320 people in the U.S. in 2016.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7554853-lls-blood-cancer-awareness-month/
