Unsecured Loans
Another large garage bill makes you wonder if it`s really worth spending any more money on the car. It has reached the time in its life when it`s started to cost you in upkeep and a newer model might prove to be less bothersome. With no savings to speak of you might be considering one of the Unsecured Loans that a price comparison site has pinpointed for your needs. You looked at the Unsecured Loans a few months ago but haven`t done anything about it since. Using the website that searches for low cost loans is easy as you simply enter the loan amount that you are interested in, the time period that you need it for and the purpose of the loan. The company will also need your employment status and some information about you. An initial assessment will take place for the best quote available and once the loan comparison sitee has found the best quote, they`ll be in touch with you. Think about the type of car that you could get with one of the Unsecured Loans and how much cheaper it would be to run. You could even combine a few of your other smaller loans into the new one to cut down on your monthly outgoings.

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Many people in the UK, in fact as many as one in three UK taxpayers have paid too much tax! Greer & Taylor LLP a respected and trusted accountancy service provider has just launched a new website The Taxation People which can be found at www.thetaxationpeople.com the new online tax refund service is dedicated to getting the maximum legal tax refunds for indviduals whatever the circumstances on a `No Win No Fee` basis The Taxation People offer a online service, with a simple and easy to follow process that will guide you along the way as you get the refund you are entitled to. In the `my account` section of their site you can track the progress of your refund application and ask questions using a secure service. I would urge you to check out www.thetaxationpeople.com, where you can enlist the help of the The Taxation People who will get you the Tax Refund you are entitled to. Greer & Taylor LLP will be following up the success of their Tax Refund service The Taxation People by launching a cost effective Self Assesment Service, keep an eye on www.greer-taylor.com for more information.

What?s in store for 2006? Research organizations have made their predictions, but unstable oil prices can cause even the most positive projections to take a drastic turn.

According to Michael Maciekowich, National Director of Astron Solutions, organizations need to review 2006 salary budget projections with a cautious eye. "While inflation and unemployment levels have remained steady throughout 2005, this may change as we get closer to 2006. The price of a barrel of oil, now priced in the upper $60s, may ultimately have an impact on the nation`s unemployment rate. When consumers divert spendable cash away from non-durable goods, such as electronics, to the fuel pump, companies may end up with a surplus of goods, causing them to reduce production. These events can lead to layoffs and a higher unemployment rate. Higher unemployment often leads to reductions in salary raises, due to the increased supply of workers."

However, economists in the federal government are optimistic. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) believes that the economy is growing at a healthy pace. When considering the impact of inflation, the CBO believes that real gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total value of all goods and services produced by a country in a year, will grow by 3.7 percent in 2006, before slowing to a pace of 2.9 percent.

What then, according to recent economic projections, can we expect in the coming year in regard to compensation budget planning? The CBO forecasts a percentage change of 1.9% (down from 2.4% in 2005) in the Consumer Price Index and a 5.2% unemployment rate (no change from 2005).

According to the 2005-06 WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey, we should expect to see a slight drop in the use of variable pay programs in 2006. In 2005, the average budgeted incentive for exempt employees was 12.7%. The projections for the average budgeted incentive in 2006 reveal a possible decrease to 12.2%.

The following table is a summary of 2006 average preliminary base pay budget levels for twelve key industry groupings. These increase amounts include all base pay adjustments including merit, promotions, and market equity. Information for this table was compiled from recently published studies by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, The Conference Board, and WorldatWork.

Industry
2006 Base Pay Adjustments

Legal and Accounting Services
4.0%

Business and Information Services
3.9%

Computer Software Services
3.8%

Finance and Banking
3.7%

Hospitality
3.7%

Insurance
3.7%

Healthcare
3.6%

Manufacturing
3.6%

Retail
3.6%

Transportation
3.6%

Education
3.3%

Real Estate
3.3%

The following is a summary of projected formal salary range or structure adjustments by industry group at the exempt salaried level:

(Source: 2005-06 WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey)

Industry
2006 Salary Structure Budget Adjustments

Transportation
3.6%

Real Estate
3.1%

Hospitality
2.7%

Manufacturing
2.7%

Healthcare
2.5%

Retail
2.5%

Finance and Banking
2.4%

Insurance
2.4%

Construction
2.3%

Business and Information Services
2.2%

Education
2.2%

Curious as to how the United States compares to the rest of the world? The following statistics were taken from the Executive Resources Limited (ERL) 2005-06 Salary Increase Projections. If you start to get concerned about your own budget adjustments, just be grateful that you aren?t instituting employee salary increases in Zimbabwe!

Country
2006 Inflation Projected
2006 Increases Planned

Australia
2.5%
4.0%

Belgium
1.6%
3.0%

Brazil
7.4%
6.9%

Canada
2.3%
3.0%

China
3.6%
5.1%

Egypt
9.6%
9.8%

Finland
0.5%
2.0%

France
1.8%
3.8%

Greece
2.8%
4.5%

Irish Republic
2.6%
3.4%

Italy
2.0%
3.8%

Japan
0.1%
2.0%

Mexico
4.4%
6.0%

Nigeria
16.1%
16.2%

Norway
1.2%
3.5%

Puerto Rico
2.7%
4.0%

Russia
8.2%
10.0%

Spain
2.8%
5.1%

Sweden
0.8%
3.0%

United Kingdom
1.8%
3.2%

United States
2.6%
4.2%

Zimbabwe
120.0%
120.0%