Participatory Notes Issue in January 2008

Participatory notes issue in January 2008On October 16, 2007, SEBI (Securities & Exchange Board of India) proposed curbs on participatory notes which accounted for roughly 50% of FII investment in 2007. SEBI was not happy with P-notes because it was not possible to know who owned the underlying securities, and hedge funds acting through P-notes might therefore cause volatility in the Indian markets.

However the proposals of SEBI were not clear and this led to a knee-jerk crash when the markets opened on the following day (October 17, 2007). Within a minute of opening trade, the Sensex crashed by 1744 points or about 9% of its value - the biggest intra-day fall in Indian stock markets in absolute terms till then. This led to automatic suspension of trade for 1 hour. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram issued clarifications, in the meantime, that the government was not against FIIs and was not immediately banning PNs. After the market opened at 10:55 AM, the index staged a comeback and ended the day at 18715.82, down 336.04 from the last day's close.

This was, however not the end of the volatility. The next day (October 18, 2007), the Sensex tumbled by 717.43 points — 3.83 per cent — to 17998.39. The slide continued the next day when the Sensex fell 438.41 points to settle at 17559.98 at the end of the week, after touching the lowest level of that week at 17226.18 during the day.

After detailed clarifications from the SEBI chief M. Damodaran regarding the new rules, the market made a 879-point gain on October 23, thus signalling the end of the PN crisis.In anuary 2008In the third week of January 2008, the Sensex experienced huge falls along with other markets around the world. On 21 January 2008, the Sensex saw its highest ever loss of 1,408 points at the end of the session. The Sensex recovered to close at 17,605.40 after it tumbled to the day's low of 16,963.96, on high volatility as investors panicked following weak global cues amid fears of a recession in the US.

The next day, the BSE Sensex index went into a free fall. The index hit the lower circuit breaker in barely a minute after the markets opened at 10 AM. Trading was suspended for an hour. On reopening at 10.55 AM IST, the market saw its biggest intra-day fall when it hit a low of 15,332, down 2,273 points. However, after reassurance from the Finance Minister of India, the market bounced back to close at 16,730 with a loss of 875 points.

Over the course of two days, the BSE Sensex in India dropped from 19,013 on Monday morning to 16,730 by Tuesday evening or a two day fall of 13.9%.

BSE Sensex

The Bombay Stock ExchangeThe BSE Sensex or Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index is a value-weighted index composed of 30 stocks with the base April 1979 = 100. It consists of the 30 largest and most actively traded stocks, representative of various sectors, on the Bombay Stock Exchange. These companies account for around one-fifth of the market capitalization of the BSE.
The base value of the sensex is 100 on April 1, 1979, and the base year of BSE-SENSEX is 1978-79.
At irregular intervals, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) authorities review and modify its composition to make sure it reflects current market conditions.

The index has increased by over ten times from June 1990 to the present. Using information from April 1979 onwards, the long-run rate of return on the BSE Sensex works out to be 18.6% per annum, which translates to roughly 9% per annum after compensating for inflation.

Forex Scam

A forex scam is any trading scheme used to defraud individual traders by convincing them that they can expect to gain a high profit by trading in the foreign exchange market. Currency trading "has become the fraud du jour," according to Michael Dunn of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.But "the market has long been plagued by swindlers preying on the gullible," according to the New York Times."The average individual foreign-exchange-trading victim loses about $15,000, according to CFTC records" according to The Wall Street Journal.The North American Securities Administrators Association says that "off-exchange forex trading by retail investors is at best extremely risky, and at worst, outright fraud."
“In a typical case, investors may be promised tens of thousands of dollars in profits in just a few weeks or months, with an initial investment of only $5,000. Often, the investor’s money is never actually placed in the market through a legitimate dealer, but simply diverted – stolen – for the personal benefit of the con artists.

The forex market is a zero-sum game meaning that whatever one trader gains, another loses, except that brokerage commissions and other transaction costs are subtracted from the results of all traders, technically making forex a "negative-sum" game.

These scams might include churning of customer accounts for the purpose of generating commissions, selling software that is supposed to guide the customer to large profits,improperly managed "managed accounts",false advertising,Ponzi schemes and outright fraud. It also refers to any retail forex broker who indicates that trading foreign exchange is a low risk, high profit investment.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which loosely regulates the foreign exchange market in the United States, has noted an increase in the amount of unscrupulous activity in the non-bank foreign exchange industry.

An official of the National Futures Association was quoted as saying, "Retail forex trading has increased dramatically over the past few years. Unfortunately, the amount of forex fraud has also increased dramatically..." Between 2001 and 2006 the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has prosecuted more than 80 cases involving the defrauding of more than 23,000 customers who lost $350 million. From 2001 to 2007, about 26,000 people lost $460 million in forex frauds.CNN quoted Godfried De Vidts, President of the Financial Markets Association, a European body, as saying, "Banks have a duty to protect their customers and they should make sure customers understand what they are doing. Now if people go online, on non-bank portals, how is this control being done?"

Work @ Home

With several transcription companies setting up their base in India, medical transcription has become a lucrative and feasible option for those looking for home-based careers

Vatsala Bhatt, a nutritionist in a well-known health club in Bangalore, quit her job two years ago when she had a baby. Unable to move out, she started looking for a home-based career. She found the perfect option - medical transcription.

It worked out well for Vatsala, who now works for about six hours at home and makes Rs 10,000 per month or so. She also gets time to spend with her daughter.

Vatsala is one among the many who discovered the comfort of working from home and be independent. Until recently home-based medical transcription was popular only among US based home transcriptionists. Now it's slowly gaining a foothold in India. That's good news for people who are compelled to work from home, either for health or for family reasons, and also for people who are looking at a second job to supplement their income.

The system here works on two models. In some companies, which offer 'work-from-home' opportunities transcriptionists can opt to work out of home once they have reached the required level of proficiency.

What is medical transcription?

Medical transcription is the process where one accurately and swiftly transcribes medical records dictated by doctors and others, including history and physical reports, clinic notes, office notes, operative reports, consultation notes, discharge summaries, letters, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory reports, x-ray reports and pathology reports.

It involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file, and using earphones, a foot pedal for start-stop control and a word processing program. It sometimes includes the use of a printer and sometimes a modem. A variety of word-processing systems are used. It requires good listening and language skills, computer skills and knowledge of medical terms.

Read this FAQ for more information

It makes a lot of sense for companies to allow employees to work from home. According to Sreekumar, programme co-ordinator of Spryance, "Greater quality control is possible with home transcriptionists." Boston based Spryance set shop in India in 2000 with the prime intention of promoting home-based transcription.

Acusis is a Pittsburgh based medical transcription company and has recently opened three offices in Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai. They offer home-based transcription work and so far have hired more than 150 home transcriptionists (mostly women) in the three cities. According to the CEO of Acusis, David Iwenski, India was selected to set up their business because of the country's high literacy rate and excellent English language skills.

Acusis has their own software called Acusuite, which allows the candidate to access an encrypted platform to download the .wav files (audio files) and then upload Word files. The software also contains dictionary and glossary of medical terms along with an error-checking module.

Companies like Spryance (Mumbai) and iQ infotech (Chennai) also work in the same way. However, they have no company-specific software. Candidates are simply given user name and password that allows them to access files from the company site. A team of in-house transcriptionists monitors the work of home-based transcriptionists to weed out possible errors.

Home transcriptionists are allowed to retain files for a maximum of six hours from the time of download. The editing starts as soon as they upload the files. It is very important to stick to deadlines. In case of sudden problems, like power failure, most companies allow the transcriptionist to work from their offices.

Says Radha Sridhar, a medical transcriptionist in Bangalore, who opted to work from home after her marriage: "I download my files at about 7 am and start work at 8.30 am after my husband leaves for work. I upload the files by 3:00 pm."

Payment

Transcriptionists who work from home are paid on the basis of speed and accuracy. The pay ranges from 60 paisa to Rs.1.25 per line depending on the accuracy.

Radha says she now earns about Rs. 20,000 a month; more than what she used to earn earlier. "When I worked from office, I used to get a monthly salary. Now I am paid per line."

Once you have honed your listening skills to hit 99-100 per cent accuracy level, you can reach the editor stage, with higher pays and less tedious work. Companies like Spryance already employ home-based editors.

According to Nasscom, medical transcription is projected as the India's fourth largest foreign exchange earners in about five years. If the figures are to be believed, medical transcription will employ more than 50,000 people by 2008. Very good news for people looking out for flexible home-based careers.

Online Share Trading

What made Black Thursday, the catastrophic 1929 stock market crash; Legend has it that USA President Joseph Kennedy sold all the stock he owned the day before "Black Thursday," the start of the catastrophic 1929 stock market crash. Many investors suffered enormous losses in the crash, which became one of the hallmarks of the Great Depression. What made Kennedy sell? According to the story, he got a stock tip from a shoeshine boy. In the 1920s, the stock market was the realm of the rich and powerful. Kennedy thought that if a shoeshine boy could own stock, something must have gone terribly wrong.

Now, plenty of "common" people own stock. Online trading has given anyone who has a computer, enough money to open an account and a reasonably good financial history the ability to invest in the market. You don't have to have a personal broker or a disposable fortune to do it, and most analysts agree that average people trading stock is no longer a sign of impending doom.
The market has become more accessible, but that doesn't mean you should take online trading lightly. In this article, we'll look at the different types of online trading accounts, as well as how to choose an online brokerage, make trades and protect yourself from fraud.

Stocks & Markets Review
Quick look at the basics of the stock market.

A share of stock is basically a tiny piece of a corporation. Shareholders -- people who buy stock -- are investing in the future of a company for as long as they own their shares. The price of a share varies according to economic conditions, the performance of the company and investors' attitudes. The first time a company offers its stock for public sale is called an initial public offering (IPO), also known as "going public."

When a business makes a profit, it can share that money with its stockholders by issuing a dividend. A business can also save its profit or re-invest it by making improvements to the business or hiring new people. Stocks that issue frequent dividends are income stocks. Stocks in companies that re-invest their profits are growth stocks.

Brokers buy and sell stocks through an exchange, charging a commission to do so. A broker is simply a person who is licensed to trade stocks through the exchange. A broker can be on the trading floor or can make trades by phone or electronically.

An exchange is like a warehouse in which people buy and sell stocks. A person or computer must match each buy order to a sell order, and vice versa. Some exchanges work like auctions on an actual trading floor, and others match buyers to sellers electronically. Some examples of major stock exchanges are:

The New York Stock Exchange, which trades stocks auction-style on a trading floor

The NASDAQ, an electronic stock exchange

The Tokyo Stock Exchange, a Japanese stock exchange


Worldwide Stock Exchanges has a list of major exchanges. Over-the-counter (OTC) stocks are not listed on a major exchange, and you can look up information on them at the OTC Bulletin Board or PinkSheets.

When you buy and sell stocks online, you're using an online broker that largely takes the place of a human broker. You still use real money, but instead of talking to someone about investments, you decide which stocks to buy and sell, and you request your trades yourself. Some online brokerages offer advice from live brokers and broker-assisted trades as part of their service.

If you need a broker to help you with your trades, you'll need to choose a firm that offers that service.

Other Online Investments
In addition to buying and selling stocks, you can make a number of other investments online, depending on what your online brokerage offers. Several firms allow investors to participate in IPOs. Some also allow you to trade in:

Options - contracts granting the right to buy or sell stock at a specific price on or before a specific date

Mutual funds - companies that combine many people's money and invest it in a variety of companies

Bonds - loans to companies or businesses that are repaid with interest

Futures - agreements to buy or sell stock at a future date

Most investment analysts consider options and futures to be the territory of experienced investors.

Choosing a Broker and Opening an Account
Before you can trade stocks online, you have to select an online broker. Your online broker will execute your trades and store your money and stock in an account. The online trading industry has seen lots of mergers and acquisitions, but there are still many firms to choose from. Different firms also offer different levels of help, account types and other services. Here are some things you should keep in mind as you look for a broker.

How much money you plan to invest. Most firms require investors to have a certain amount of money to open an account. This is different from a minimum account balance -- although most brokerages have those, too.

How frequently you plan to make trades. Are you going to buy one stock and hold on to it? If so, you'll need to make sure the brokerage doesn't charge a fee for account inactivity. On the other hand, if you're going to make lots of trades, you'll want a lower fee per trade. Regardless of how much you plan to use your account, you should evaluate how much using the site will cost you.

Your level of trading experience and how much guidance you need. Some of the least expensive brokerages don't offer much in the way of research or broker-assisted trades. Others, while still moderately priced, offer market analysis, articles on successful trading and help from licensed brokers.

Any other services you may want. A few trading sites let you buy and sell stocks but not much else. Others are more like major banks, offering debit cards, mortgage loans and opportunities for other investments like bonds and futures.

Some sites, such as Keynote and Smartmoney, rate online brokerages based on success rates, customer service response time, trading tools and other factors. They can help you make a decision as you shop around for the best trading site for your needs, but keep in mind that there are no official standards for ranking or evaluating brokerages.

As with any site that requires your personal and financial information, you should make sure your online broker has good security measures, including automatic logouts and transmission encryption. You should also make sure your brokerage is reputable.

How to make money from e-business

Online business is most suited for producers and manufacturers. They can sell their products directly to their customers. Most important, online trading helps them eliminate middlemen to whom they shell out quite a few dollars in terms of commissions. They also save on delivery costs. The manufacturers can pass all these savings to their customers, who get to buy products at a price that is much less than the market price.

E-commerce sites not only increase business but also enhance visibility. They become an interaction point for
manufacturers to receive feedback from their customers. This is why most manufacturers like to have a web presence. They not only generate a useful stream of income, but also come closer to their customers.

Online business also suits those who sell services like legal consultancy, tutoring, travel services, etc. The revenue generation in this case may be limited because services are not products to be stored and shipped on demand; they are a relationship-based trade.

However, any service enjoys two big advantages on the net. The first is reach. You are able to reach more number of people, and if you have a team of people you can work 24/7. The second is costs. It is much more economical to run a website than a physical office. However, to be successful you need to initiate a contact, establish credibility and prove the value of your service.

You can also sell goods manufactured by others, very much like physical retailers but with greater reach and less overhead costs. Since your costs are low you can charge less or run schemes that make the purchase of goods more attractive from your online store.


You can even make money by directing customers to the manufacturer's site. This form of marketing which is known as affiliate marketing is especially popular on the web. It is a "no-risk" and no cost partnership and helps you make much needed dollars that you can then use to make your e-business grow.

If, however, you have slightly deep pockets you can start your own affiliate program. This means you encourage owners of other websites to route traffic to your website. In return, you pay them a small commission. You can even give them a percentage on sale of a product to encourage them more. As new affiliates join you and you train your existing affiliates your sales go up - and so too your profits.

Another indirect source of revenue that opens up for you is advertising. Once your website earns credibility and has a large target market, advertisers may like to buy space on your website. This is another useful source of revenue that you may reinvest in your core e-business which is selling products or services.

Hiring your first employee

Hiring the first employee is a big decision. Suddenly, you become responsible for another individual. However, you need not be emotional when hiring your first employee. Instead you should proceed methodically, making sure that you meet all the requirements laid down under different Laws.

Among other things, you need to check the background of the applicant regarding his previous employment claim(s), criminal record, drug test, credit history and driving record. In some cases an identity or a social security check may be essential.

While much of this information comes under public domain, certain personal records including education, military and
medical, are confidential and therefore requires applicant's consent before scrutinizing them. You should ask for original certificates since in this electronic age any fake document can be produced.

Regarding the applicant's criminal past, a criminal conviction report is permanent whereas arrest records, debts, civil suits and court judgments cannot be included in employment background check after seven years. In case you want to use a third party to verify the credentials of the potential employee, then as per federal law you have to alert the person under investigation in writing.

It is easier to verify use of illegal substances like cocaine since drug-abusing employees are six times more likely to file workers' compensation claims than other staff members. You can even consider random drug testing and pre-employment interviews. However, you must note that it is illegal to inquire about a candidate's prescribed drug for medication.

A job applicant should be screened for unwarranted behavior. Psychological tests, hand writing analysis, skill and aptitude tests and even lie detector tests are additional assessment tools available to business owners to help them select the best candidate for the job.

Some questions are unlawful like applicant's sexual orientation, religion or race. While interviewing the candidate, you should be aware of other federal laws as well. The best place to get such information is from government sites like the US Department of Labor or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.



Before making a final job offer, you must check references. Two references should be professional and one should be personal to help endorse the character of the applicant.

Federal laws provide clear guidelines regarding salary and classification of employees. You must check minimum wage and make sure that the salary offered is more than this. The part-time workers can work for 20 hours or less per week while full -time workers can log in 30 hours per week. According to the US Department of Labor there are 12 records an employer must maintain on each staff member during their employment.

You should handle the immigration issues carefully while sponsoring or employing a foreign national. Right insurance coverage like disability coverage is also necessary. There are two types of disability coverage viz. short and long term. There is a waiting period before benefits are paid. For short-term, the waiting period is generally 14 days and in case of long-term disability coverage it is 30 days to one year.

So, make sure you know all laws of the land before you hire your first employee.