An Alternative (Sturdy) Investment

“Real estate is generally accepted as an alternative investment [by high-net-worth investors],” says Simon Jochlin, portfolio analytics associate at StennerZohny Investment Partners, part of Richardson GMP in Vancouver.

“It has the characteristics of an inflation hedge: yield, leverage and cap gains. It does well in upwardly trending markets, it pays you to wait during market corrections and typically it lags equities in market declines – it buys you time to assess the market.”

Is A More Logical Choice

“For example, if you own a rental condo, and the one across the hall goes on sale for 30 per cent less than you think it’s worth, you wouldn’t automatically put yours on the market and sell, too, because you think there is a problem. Indeed, you may actually buy the other condo,” said Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Raymond James Ltd. Darren Coleman.

“And yet when a stock drops on the market, instead of thinking of buying more, most people automatically become fearful and think they should sell.”

Gives More Leverage

Coleman added that “Banks love to lend against it. Over time, this lets you own a property with a much smaller investment than if you had to buy all of it at once.”

Unknown to many, banks mean to acquire as much property as they can. But to consider a millionaire a financial “pushover” of sorts when it comes to acquiring assets (because they can pay), would be blasphemy. But if indeed a millionaire slips up on a property, the bank is more than willing enough to buy, improve and re-sell the property at a higher rate relevant to its immediate environment.

According to analysts, Generation Y, Millenials and Generation Z have used technology and the Internet since their childhood. The need for open information and sharing of goods and information is present.

Commercial property demands may fall in Europe in the next 10 years. However, there may be an increase in smaller households, affordable housing and easy access of public buildings.

About 60 per cent of people wish to live in urban areas compared to the 30 per cent who wish to live in the cities in the 1950s. It is possible technology and the developing use of Internet and information-sharing.

Green buildings may also crop up as a result. Plenty of Generation Y, Millenials and Generation Z have a strong sense of sustaining the planet. They have been taught to value the reduction, reusing of items and recycling during their younger years.

According to the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

“There are no known specific threats for these events and these measures are precautionary.”

The Ministry said the agreement signified the “enduring ties and shared interests as members of the EU” for both UK and Malta.

What Is the Valletta Summit and CHOGM 2015?

The Valletta Summit

With an unexpected number of migrants persecuted or fleeing from war in Africa and the Middle East, the EU has chosen to confront the numbers and take in the refugees with an integrated and co-operative system.

The Valletta Summit on Migration to be held on November this year will address the migration flow challenges, urging governments of the world to collaborate and create efforts to overcome the challenges mass migration, religious persecution and even climate change brings.”

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Before the Paris Summit would be the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The CHOGM would discuss issues on democracy, human rights, good governance, free trade, global development and world peace. The CHOGM is held every two years.

UK and Malta Relations

Malta was once a British colony in history. In the 50s and 60s, Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom and occasionally, the two countries are not economically linked or collaborating.

With the upcoming international events to be held in Malta, the United Kingdom steps up its support for security for its own personnel.

The MP, married, said: “I don’t know anything about this. It’s nothing to do with me.” He added, “I have never registered for an account with Ashley Madison.”

“I don’t know who has used this account. I’ve had so many email accounts over the years. I may have had an aol address many years ago,” said Green.

Investigators found the birth date used in the Ashley Madison account is three years after the MP was born. However, the security question contradicted the earlier evidence as it uses Green’s mother’s maiden name Lyons as a security question.

The Impact Team, which breached Ashley Madison’s servers and website in July, had dumped the details of 36 million fling-seeker, where 1.2 million are British nationals. The database contains 100 people using .gov.uk and .police.uk addresses to sign up for Ashley Madison accounts. Some related to the US government and military had also signed up for the service.

Private sector addresses from IBM, HP, Cisco, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung and Qualcomm were also found in the hacking database.

He said Malta should have better rates should its quality improve.

“If we believe in our capability and maintain values in what we do, we will eventually and slowly improve,” he said.

Pisani said that Malta’s move to high-end tourism was possible if a change in enforcement and high-end establishments come to fruition.

Lewis said

“Many owners of entertainment establishments are now shifting to investments in accommodation and as such, cleaning up the area would be in their interest.”

He was also pretty confident that Malta had no troubles with its economy or development, but he sees that there is room to grow for tourism improvement. Lewis believes the country hasn’t reached its full potential during the summer months with just a 2% growth capacity.

Lewis also encouraged increasing the number of tourists outside Malta. Currently it only has 12% accounted for. He pointed out the government is trying to secure a direct flight deal with China. However, Malta President For Tourism Hospitality and Leisure Philip Fenech said culture must be improved else the quality of tourism in Malta, and tourists, can suffer.

It has performed well for many years as it has improved its banking system to international standards and offer very amicable tax arrangements for foreign companies.

Read more about Malta’s progress with this infographic!

The transfer of LE Aoife from the Irish Naval Service would also include personnel training. Maltese military personnel will be sent to Ireland to attend a joint training mission

Ireland Minister for Defence Simon Coveney and Malta Minister For Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela attended a meeting of EU defence ministers in Riga. They agreed to cooperate more closely with each other.

Coveney explained that Malta needed a new ship to assist in the patrolling of the Mediterranean Sea.

“Recent tragic events in that part of the Mediterranean have underlined the significant challenges which need to be addressed by the international community and Ireland is very keen to play an active part in this regard,” Mr Coveney said.

“The refugee crisis represents a significant challenge for the EU and that while Ireland was not in the front line of the response to the crisis we were pleased to be in a position to support the response in this manner,” he added.

The programme will also guarantee local Maltese businesses an estimated range between €50-70 million worth of credit capital investment to support SME competitiveness. This support package will be funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) using uncapped guarantees.

The Maltese Business Bureau gleamingly commends the Maltese authorities for heeding the European Council’s call to participate in the SME Initiative. The Initiative was developed by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to help member states during financial crises.

MRB President Mario Spiteri said “We are pleased with this development as it shows Government’s commitment towards private enterprise. With the backdrop of a declining investment by the private sector in the past years, particularly due to the uncertainty that surrounded and is still surrounding the euro area and the European economy, the allocation of €15 million for the SME Initiative will encourage and incentivize SMEs to reverse this trend.”

“In a report we published last year on the allocation of EU Structural and Investment Funds in aid of private enterprise, the MBB noted how boosting private investment when the economy is in distress is likely to have a significant and permanent positive impact on the country’s potential growth. For this reason, we have welcomed past initiatives such as JEREMIE, and encouraged Government to invest in similar financial instruments, with the SME Initiative being a case in point,” Mr Spiteri continued.

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Her second pregnancy impeding her Malta tour raised alarms when she announced her absence at a scheduled local UK event because of extreme morning sickness, having medical experts say that the Duchess of Cambridge may not be able to go on her first solo travel following possible health weaknesses during childbearing.

She cancelled her appearance at the opening ceremony of Invictus Games, headed by brother-in-law Prince Harry.

An official statement from Kensington Palace confirmed her absence and also mentioned that her tour to Malta is still under review.

Meanwhile, the official baby announcement had the Royal Family of the United Kingdom delighted. Prince Charles had announced his joy for having a second grandchild and preferred that the child be a girl this time.

However, his preference had a self-proclaimed feminist and British journalist named Angela Neustatter condemn him for his preference, namely his choice of words in the announcement because his remarks are never taken lightly by the world.

Duchess Kate Middleton had been sufferering Hyperemesis Gravidarum with severe vomiting and headaches during the morning. She is currently attended by hospital staff inside the Kensington Palace.

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For many households, it was a matter of thawed out and spoiled food and shorted appliances and other electronic items.

Despite efforts by restaurants to make best of the situation by endorsing their services for a candle lit dinner, many consumers and tourists decided to wait it out by the sea with its cooler breeze. As summer hits Malta, air-conditioning units increase the power usage of households, which should overload the system. But this is not the case.

According to the local news, faulty cable had shorted a large circuit in the grid of Malta, which blew up the Marsa Distribution Centre, which then caused a chain reaction to other power generators. As power went down and was re-routed to other centres, it became clear to the government that Malta’s electricity production outlets were not diversified enough.

Analysts conclude that Malta crucially needs the interconnector link between Malta and Sicily to handle the overload carefully.

Despite the blackout, Maltese authorities ensure the public that the construction of their newest power plant is still on track.

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