Since April 2010 the process for making a road traffic accident claim has changed in order to streamline the process for lower value claims. The new process will come into play when the estimated compensation will be between 1000 and 10,000 and will differ primarily in the initial stages.

Prior to the change the process meant that the insurer had a 21 day period in which they acknowledge receipt of the letter of claim, then a period of three months in which to carry out investigative work, so they could decide whether they were liable or not. A frustrating length of time for the potential claimant.

In the new process, rather than a letter of claim, the claimant submits an online Claims Notification Form, using a new secure process. After this has been logged the insurer will then have 15 days to respond with their decision on liability, which will also be submitted online.

There is more detail necessary in the new Claims Notification Form, than in the old letter of claim and so the initial logging of a claim takes the claimant longer, as they will need to gather the appropriate information. However, once they have done this they will obviously receive a decision from the insurer much more quickly, making the overall process less time consuming.

The other big difference is the fact that it is the claimant who makes the initial offer of settlement, based on their medical evidence and financial losses, rather than the insurer making an opening offer, and whilst this may seem unfavourable to some claimants it will almost certainly speed up the process.

The other time saving measure employed by the new process is that if there is no discrepancy over liability, but the settlement figure can’t be agreed upon, then rather than the parties going to Court, the Court will decide in their absence, based on the ‘on paper’ information.

With the process being new, it is difficult to pass judgement on it’s success. However it certainly seems a more streamlined process for straightforward RTA cases, where the claimants will receive compensation in a much more timely fashion.

The International Uniform Certified Public Account Qualification Examination (IQEX) is the reciprocity exam which allows members in good standing of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) to become U.S.

In order to qualify for IQEX, candidates must have passed the Uniform Final Examination (UFE) in Canada and must currently be members in good standing with a Provincial CA Institute. Candidates who qualified as Canadian Chartered Accountants (CAs) on the basis of recognition of credentials earned in other countries are not eligible to apply. Candidates must have met all experience requirements by the application deadline in order to qualify.

Letter of Good Standing

Every candidate, including initial and re-examination, must submit a current Letter of Good Standing from their original institution each time an application is submitted for the IQEX. This letter should include the candidate’s current CICA membership status. The experience requirement for becoming a full member in good standing with CICA must be completed before the candidate is eligible for the IQEX.

The Letter of Good Standing must be received in our office before a Notice to Schedule will be released to the candidate.

The testing window for 2010 has not yet been determined.

Applications for the 2010 IQEX will be accepted approximately 4 months prior to the examination window.

To have the best chance of scheduling on your preferred date and at your preferred testing center, schedule your examination early. Notices to Schedule (NTS) will begin to be released in July. Your application and Letter of Good Standing must be received before your NTS will be released.

Note: Testing centers fill quickly. Do not expect to be able to test at the end of the testing window. Testing space at the end of the window fills more quickly than space at the beginning of the window. Failure to schedule your examination will result in all fees being forfeited. Fees are NOT refundable

www.certifiedtaxpro.com Canadian CAs and Australian CAs/CPAs (who originally qualified in Canada or Australia) qualify to write the annual 4.5 hour, single-subject, multiple-choice U.S. CPA IQEX (Reciprocity) exam, which tests only entry-level technical material. The IQEX exam syllabus tests the following topics: Following is the outline of the program: 1. Accounting and reporting for governmental entities and for nongovernmental not-for-profit organizations 2. Ethical and Professional and Legal responsibilities 3. Business law 4. Federal tax procedures and accounting issues 5. Federal taxation of property transactions 6. Federal taxation of individuals 7. Federal taxation of entities 8. Business structure 9. Recent Regulatory Issues Leah Tonti has been teaching CPA and IQEX seminars since 1998. She has 19 years full time experience in public speaking. Ms. Tonti also conducts CPE training for AICPA (American Institutes of CPAs) for CPAs across the United States. All study materials are provided with the IQEX live seminar. The fees qualify for the Bill 90 training education tax credit for employers of participants. Or a participant may claim the fees on their personal tax return. The IQEX exam is a four and one-half hour objective item examination prepared by AICPA. The examination is offered only in English and is administered as a Computer Based Test (CBT) once a year between Sept. 1 to Sept. 30. To learn more about the IQEX seminar.

To all, IQEX Eligibility * Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) o In order to qualify for IQEX, candidates must have passed the Uniform Final Examination (UFE) in Canada and must currently be members in good standing with a Provincial CA Institute. o Candidates who qualified as Canadian Chartered Accountants (CAs) on the basis of recognition of credentials earned in other countries are not eligible to apply. o Candidates must have met all experience requirements by the application deadline in order to qualify. How Do I Apply To Write The IQEX Initial Application * An initial application must be submitted by those candidates who have o Never applied for the IQEX or o Previously applied but were found ineligible. * The application is available to download from NASBA’s Web site at beginning in July of each year. Complete and submit the application form along with the examination fee to NASBA. Once your application has been evaluated, you will receive your Notice to Schedule. * Applications and fees should be mailed to: Regular postal delivery: Overnight delivery services: NASBA, Attn: IQEX Attn: IQEX PO Box 440555 150 4th Ave N, Ste 700 Nashville, TN 37244 Nashville, TN 37219 * The application deadline for initial candidates is September 1. All applications must be received in NASBA’s office by this date.

Letter of Good Standing * All initial candidates must request a Letter of Good Standing to be submitted directly from their professional credentialing institution to NASBA to document their qualifications. * The Letter of Good Standing must be received by NASBA by October 1. * The examination fee for initial candidates in 2006 was $845.00. We do not know what the 2007 fee will be. As details become available, they will be posted on this site.

Re-Examination Application * A re-examination application must be submitted by those candidates who have o Previously taken the IQEX examination or o Previously applied, found eligible but did not take the examination. o Applications and fees should be mailed to: Regular postal delivery: Overnight delivery services: NASBA NASBA Attn: IQEX Attn: IQEX PO Box 440555 150 4th Ave N, Ste 700 Nashville, TN 37244 Nashville, TN 37219 * NASBA will begin accepting applications on August 1 of each year * Applications must be received by NASBA by September 1 of each year Letter of Good Standing * All re-examination candidates must request a Letter of Good Standing to be submitted directly from their professional credentialing institution to NASBA to document their qualifications. * The Letter of Good Standing must be received by NASBA by October 1 of each year. * The re-examination fee for candidates in 2006 was $795.00. We do not know what the 2007 fee will be. As details become available, they will be posted on this site. Receive Your Notice to Schedule for both Initial Candidates and Re-Examination Candidates * Once your application has been processed, you will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS). * You must bring your NTS with you to the examination. You will NOT be admitted to the examination center without your NTS and proper identification. * Notices to Schedule’s will be issued 3-4 weeks prior to the examination window. Schedule Your Examination for both Initial Candidates and Re-Examination Candidates * The exam writing window in 2006 was November 15, 2006 through December 15, 2006. In previous years, the exam writing window was October 15 through November 15. We do not know what the exact 2007 exam writing window will be yet. As details become available, we will post them on this website. * You will be allowed to take the examination at any one of the authorized Prometric test centers in the 55 U.S. jurisdictions and Canada * The most current list of test centers may be found on the Prometric Web site. * IQEX results will generally be mailed to all candidates in late February 2008. NASBA is also developing an online results release system that is not fully operable yet. As details become available, we will post them on this website. A great IQEX prep course is offered by US CPA IQEX TRAINING. Their contact information is Phone:1-866-525-IQEX I am a fresh graduate with a Bachelors in Accounting living in Bahrain. I started studying using Becker. Is there a state to register with that has NO work experience requirements AND NO ethics exam requirement to be a licensed CPA?

If you will apply at California Board of Accountancy, you can apply for CPA exam without the work experience and ethics exam. And when you pass all the 4 sections, you only get the certification but not the license because you need work experience under a US CPA to be able to get that.

There are a lot of positive elements that come with the inclusion of travel insurance in most of the readily available travel packages being offered today. Unbeknownst to most people who travel, accidents and emergencies could happen quite often in any given trip at any given time and location. There are times when the best of travel arrangements end up not working in the way that the travelers expected.

Travel pitfalls do not end with personal emergencies and so people can easily encounter problems related to over booking for air lines, rental car arrangements, hotel accommodations, and even when travel companies suddenly close down. Travel consultants will always tell travelers that it is a good decision to avail of some form of travel insurance. It is not a matter of immediately buying a policy but people should keep an open mind when it comes to getting insurance because of possible personal emergencies or lost belongings.

Travelers who avail of a standard policy will receive settlements for medical emergencies leading to cancelled trips. People need to understand that insurance companies will not always pay for penalties and damages especially when people do not have good reasons for cancelling trips and this article will explain the matter further. When a traveler wants a form of insurance that will cover all expenses when trips do not go as planned then there are all encompassing policies that are available.

There are times when problems arise on trips and there is a company which offers insurance payments amounting to more than 20000 dollars consisting of settlements for cancellation penalties, medical expenses, as well as possible company bankruptcy. The traveler can easily gain a refund for lost bags, hotel accommodation mishaps, and extensive flight delays with such an insurance policy. Coverage similar to this one will always be an expensive buy.

Another travel insurance company charges 8 percent of the cost of the trip. Trip cancellation plans will reimburse five dollars and fifty cents per hundred dollars of coverage a traveler purchases. One reason the travel insurance business is currently booming is that tour operators have started adding travel insurance automatically to their tour packages.

The decision is still up to the travelers if they wish to avail of the added service. Even if insurance can be removed from a package more people tend to pay for it when it does not need to be availed of separately. How important is travel insurance for any given trip?

There is nothing to protect the traveler from travel accidents and problems without insurance and a policy will always have stipulations for claims. When a country is not safe to travel to companies do not hesitate to give travelers their money back. There will be no problems with refunds when it is the company which cancels the trips and also if a government travel advisory is released.

For example if unrest flares in a country and you’re uneasy about the trip you had planned there, you may end up paying penalties to back out. Cancellation of travel plans because a traveler is afraid is not a viable claim.

A lot of us need to go out for a well deserved vacation at this time of the year so that we can be able to break free from our usual routines and bask in enjoyment for a few days or weeks in our destination of choice during our fun trips. Other people use a nice vacation trip to award themselves. Whatever your reason for taking off, as you pack your swimsuit, walking shoes, toiletries and other personal belongings, it pays to take a few moments to consider your level of preparedness in case of a health or medical emergency in the course of your trip.

Health, medical emergencies and other forms could be rare but then again, there is a possibility of finding yourself in a rut that your health coverage won’t cover or travel as far as your passport can. The basic truth is that a lot of the international travelers do not have the suitable travel insurance protection in the event that an emergency happens when they reach their place of destination. Medicare and other similar government sponsored programs almost never cover medical attention received in other countries beyond where the person’s point of origin was. Since being ready for anything especially emergencies is a wise move, travel insurance is very important.

Even when you are on a business trip, you may still discover gaps in your insurance policy. Employer sponsored insurance are highly limited as these do not offer enough medical assistance when abroad and to make things more difficult, you will have to prove that you indeed got into an emergency. These medical emergency evacuations are almost never part of the coverage to begin with.

In certain parts of the world, it is quite difficult to obtain healthcare. Most hospitals abroad are governed by the same rule no assurance of a payment, no medical treatment or release after a confinement. These types of guarantees are normally administered by travel insurance firms with some support from other providers, but it is a very rare chance that this would come from managed care plan groups or other providers. To be precise, you might have to make an advance out of your own pocket or if you have a credit card that will be honored by the hospital and if the credit limit can accommodate all the costs, then you may do so.

But be careful in opting to get out of a foreign locale to move to a place with greater quality of medical treatment or simply flying back to your own country that will certainly honor your insurance as you may encounter a lot of problems. A lot of people, tourists especially, ought to know that there are some emergency medical evacuations given by air ambulance providers that they should avoid and must know the fact that any emergency evacuation is a tedious and difficult situation. Most local authorities have financial ties to some evacuation firms and this makes things worse.

A lot of the companies that give comprehensive travel insurance offer an advantage to their client in the form of an efficient 24 hour emergency medical assistance program as well as a year long access to a company that enables you to get hold of the services of a credible evacuation firm whenever you need an emergency evacuation. Their people in charge of medical emergencies are trained to reassure you that you are getting the suitable local treatments. It is also good to note that the firm that provides evacuation assistance will also assist you in other travel predicaments you might stumble on along the way such as legal dilemmas, lost or stolen passports or credit card and others.

I’m know you’re in tune to the worries of recession and the real estate crisis going on in the US. This has caused a flooding of foreclosures that is surpassing previous highs. Although you still see older foreclosed homes in run down areas, what’s different during this crisis is the quality of forclosed homes and neighborhoods they reside have drastically improved. Even some of the nice estates in wealthy neighborhoods can be found at government auctions for prices much lower than market value.

The timing for researching on a great deal for a new house couldn’t be better then it currently is, but first you should be aware on the pros and cons of purchasing homes through a government auctions as compared to the standard way using a realtor.

Some of the pros of purchasing a foreclosed/pre-foreclosed home are:

- The great prices available on foreclosed/pre-foreclosed homes is obviously the number one advantage.

- More often then not the properties are in very good condition relative to price.

- Variety and selection is better then it has ever been.

- No realtors or agencies fees to pay (consulting with a real estate savvy person is recommended).

- Insurance is optional. Results in additional monthly savings.

- Great investment opportunity (i.e. rent out or flip that house)

- Less risky than trading equities in the stock market.

Disadvantages:

- Mortgages may be harder to get (unless you have great credit with your bank).

- You need to be aware of any existing liens, judgements, or unpaid taxes still on the property.

The main caution is to properly check that the property is free and clear of any debt ahead of time. Also know in advance when the government auction expects payment for the house and have the loan details worked out with your bank. As with purchasing any house if you have enough cash handy (who does) that makes your profit potential much greater.

Government auctions happen everying held every week throughout North America. You can locate detailed information regarding auctions on the web. Some sites will even show you previews of the houses that will be available at the upcoming auctions. Buying an estate through a government auction could be very fulfilling, but as I already mentioned do your homework. You may want to watch the bidding only at first visit to a government auction. You should be acquainted with how government auctions work before finally deciding to buy your own home.

If you’re looking to move to a new state, Arizona real estate is definitely worth a look. This article will provide you with the basics of Arizona and the FSBO real estate market.

Phoenix is by far the largest city in Arizona and it is growing fast. Phoenix is already the 6th biggest metropolis in the country and it is Arizona’s state capital. In fact, Phoenix’s phenomenal growth, has actually overwhelmed Tempe and Scottsdale, it’s neighboring towns. There is often a criticism of Phoenix that it has no real culture or history since it has a very new atmosphere about it.

If you are a sports lover then Phoenix is a great place for you. Whether your favorite is basketball, baseball, or football, Phoenix has a professional team for you. There is even the Phoenix Coyotes, a professional ice hockey team. It is hard to believe that a NHL team can exist in a desert, but it can!

If you’re looking for warm weather, Phoenix is the place. You can expect temperatures of 100 or higher during Phoenix’s summer months, but humidity is generally nonexistent. In the winter, the average temperature during the day, typically hovers in the 70s, and when the sun goes down, you will find the nights to be quite cool.

If Phoenix is the modern metropolis, Flagstaff is the traditional western town. Flagstaff is a city right off of the renowned Route 66, and is home to Arizona State University. With 30,000 current students, “ASU”, as the University is known, commands the city of Flagstaff.

The real estate in Arizona, compared with other states, is priced to be affordable. The average home price in Phoenix is in the low $300,000s. Over the past year, though, the real estate market in Arizona has caught fire, and the state has seen a greater than 25% appreciation in home values.

Due to the heat index in Arizona, individuals either love it here, or hate it. Purchasing real estate in Arizona may be a prudent choice for you if hot days of bright sunshine appeal to you.

As a van owner implementing the highest security possible for your vehicle is always a must. Whatever the contents you may transport around are, there is nothing worse then having your goods stolen or vandalised due to a lack of security. One of the most obvious things to consider if you are trying to improve the security of your van is installing van locks.

With many different types of van locks to choose from you can find something to not only suit your budget but your vehicle type too. There are simple, rear door locks to more comprehensive and costly automatic bolts. Whichever lock seems best for you, remember that once purchased it will be acting as an investment for your business or personal contents as it ensures they are safe. It is well worth paying the right price for a van lock that will be just right for you.

If you need a simple and fast solution to your vehicle security then you should definitely consider a basic rear door lock. These cost from 20-40 and will do the job if un-tampered with. These locks are good for those who do not transport highly valuable goods within their van. But remember that a cheaper lock will be easier to remove than those that are of a higher price.

If you are looking for an extremely reliable lock for a van that carries more expensive contents then think about getting a full locking system installed. Systems can be specifically measured and fitted to your vehicle with locks on every door. These locking solutions usually cost from 100 upwards.

Although paying over 100 for a lock may initially seem excessive it doesn’t take much to realise the benefits of protecting your vehicle contents. When theft occurs on a commercial vehicle such as a van it’s not just the cost of the contents that must be paid for, but the cost of downtime and lost income as you cannot fulfil jobs without the equipment and materials you need.

Getting Car loans are usually not as strenuous as they had been some few years ago. You can get your arms on a nice automobile loan with the easiest means possible. But it’s good to be sure you get the most effective of all automotive loans that has a very good rate of interest to offer. There are various individuals who have doubts in regards to the details of the automobile loans. Particularly when it comes to obtaining a automobile mortgage even when you could have a horrible credit situation.

Effectively is it weak credit or another issue, you’ll be able to undoubtedly get a car mortgage because the automobile in turn acts as a security. The other option however is to go by buying a automobile from the personal seller. The non-public seller as such can ensure you not only a good deal but in addition at a really low cost as in comparison with the mortgage from every other institution.

There’s however few issues that you simply want to keep in mind whereas going in for a personal purchase. Firstly, verify up with your financial institution concerning the private automotive buy schemes. There are lots of banks that may assist you with the mortgage and interest rate which might be usually offered for the non-public celebration automobile loan.

Secondly, evaluate those rates of interest with the personal car companies, the difference in them, if occurs, would possibly allow you to make the right choice. The credit score firms even have many such associated schemes. They have a fully fledged detailed report on the amount that can be used to buy a car. As there are numerous individuals who use their cards for such purposes as such.

To consider it, you would possibly find lots of non-public sellers. To select from the many is just not a simple task as such, as it requires some type of research. You’ll want to ensure of the private seller, the small print should be crossed checked. There are many companies who’re involved in this sort of business but trusting all of them would not be a very good choice. Reliability is how you need to decide them by and based on it you need to make the proper call.

The stock market has become a very popular place that is supposed to help you grow your money. And just like anything else there are a lot of common misconceptions that emerge with it. Here are just a few to look out for.

1. Traders Need to be a Genus

It is actually a common misunderstanding in all areas of life. People seem to think that in order to be successful at anything that has a lot of potential you have to have an IQ of like 200. That isn’t true, the average person can accomplish a lot more then you think.

Anybody with a reasonable IQ can make money in the stock market. You do not have to be a genus, but rather you have to be determined to never give up until you accomplish your goals.

2. You Need to Watch the News and Find Out As Much As You Can First

One other misconception is that if you would like to be successful you will have to watch the news and learn as much as humanly possible about the specific company before getting into it. This is just not true. For starters it is not possible to know everything.

Second there are a lot of false rumors when it comes to trading. There have been a lot of very successful traders who have made money without watching the news. Many traders even avoid watching the news because it harms their trading.

Successful traders instead create their own system of rules and then follow it. This way they know that it works and do not have to analyses random data and rumors and try to make sense of it all.

3. Buy Stocks Low and Sell Them High

Buy low sell high doesn’t work because it does not clarify what is low and what is high. Is a stock low when it drops from $40 to $30? Is it low when it drops to $20 after that? Stocks can fall for a long time, so if all you have to go on is “buy low” you can easily get in during the middle of a storm and lose money.

On the other hand if you can still make money if you buy a stock that is overpriced, provided it keeps going up and you sell it for more then you bought it.

Everybody knows that saving money is a good thing. But what do you do with the money that you save? Well there are a few things that you can do with it.

1. Put it Some Place Safe

The first thing that you can do is to simply hold onto it. If you put your money into the bank then you know it is safe and it will be there if you ever need have an emergency and need the money to live. That is why most experts will recommend that you have at least 6 months of reserves in savings.

This way you are prepared for the worst case scenario.

2. Put it Into an Investment

Of course inflation happens. So if you are just saving your money it is going to lose value month after month, year after year as that money becomes worth less and less. If you want to keep up with inflation and actually have that money work for you, you are going to need to invest it.

By investing your money into things like top dividend paying stocks that have great fundamentals then you can grow your money over the long term and have it start working for you.

3. Start a Side Business

One other thing that you can do with your savings is to use it to start a business on the side. If you like the idea of being your own boss and creating something that will live on long after you have passed away then this is for you.

Sometimes the best investment is you. So think about what kind of a business you would like to start and get going. You can use your savings for advertisement or other business expenses. It may or may not take off, but you will likely learn something from the experience and it has the most potential to make you rich out of all of these.