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The report was released by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The other main cause was policy uncertainty in many countries, an issue that also reduced investment in fossil fuel generation in 2013. Last years investment was $214 billion which was the lowest since 2009. Investments dropped by 14% from $249.5 billion in 2012 to $214 in 2013.

As per Fiinovation, the key highlights from the report to be noted include:

Descended cost of the total investment by 14%

Improved cost-effectiveness of solar photovoltaic systems

Reduced solar PV outlays by 20%

Increased investment in renewable energy from China and Japan

Fiinovation is in favour of this being a good trend that is intended to improve over the years. Since non-renewable energy resources are being continuously depleted, the demand for investment in renewable energy is increasing. An interesting trajectory has been the significant investment by China in renewable energy which has been more than the contribution from Europe. However efforts need to be directed towards enhancing investments from developing nations and under developed nations.

Despite the decline in total investment due to specific reasons, it was not at all disappointing for the industry or people who wish to see the investors and financiers increasing their investments to decarbonisation of the energy system. The report highlighted the role of Japan which has increased investment to $29 billion which excludes research and development. It is believed that there is a need to recycle finance in this sector and mergers and acquisitions can be one method to do so.

Fiinovation is aware of the fact that policy support was not futuristic for renewables in countries such as US, Germany, India, the UK, France, Sweden, Romania and Poland which delayed the investment decisions. While in countries like Spain and Bulgaria, retroactive subsidy cuts for existing projects almost killed off investment entirely. Investments by India in renewable energy dropped by 15% from $7.2 billion in 2012 to $6.1 billion in 2013 due to policy paralysis. It is expected that the challenges will be tackled and investments in renewable energy will increase significantly in the years to come.

Rahul Choudhury

NFIB and WIA to Provide Better Protection for Wine Investors

Millions of Britons enjoy drinking it and many now see it as a long-term investment. Unfortunately, fine wine has also become a focus for fraudsters who trick investors into buying wines or vineyards that bear little resemblance to what they see in the prospectus, or may not even exist. The increasing number of such rorts in Britain has led to calls for action to be taken to protect investors and to increase consumer confidence in fine wines. In the upshot, the UKs National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is joining forces with the newly-formed Wine Investment Association (WIA) to tackle the problem.

On 14 February 2013, the NFIB and the WIA jointly announced the launch of the new self-regulatory body which will aim to transform the growing wine investment industry by providing better protection for investors in the UK. The WIA has been formed by leading figures from the fine wine investment industry and seeks to support the sector’s growth through voluntary regulation, establishing best practices and setting up processes to identify fraudulent activity.

Director of the NFIB, Det. Supt. Dave Clark, said: “Fraudsters will always follow the money, wine investment is just the latest in a long line of investment opportunities that are being exploited and corrupted to the detriment of the industry as a whole. He added that the NFIB sees the creation of an auditable framework of self-regulation as a step towards maintaining and increasing consumer confidence, while also identifying investment companies which do not operate in accordance with the required high standards.

New Code to Tackle Wine Investment Frauds

Following an extensive consultation period, the WIA has set out the standards and procedures with which its members must comply to remain in good standing. Under the new code of conduct to be drawn up, wine investment firms will undergo stringent audits by accountancy firm Mazars. These will include checks on systems such as stock rotation and to make sure that purchase orders and invoices tally. The director of the WIA, Peter Shakeshaft, revealed that companies which successfully complete the independent audit process commissioned by the newly-formed regulatory body will bear a WIA logo offering consumers a trustworthy safety kitemark. Shakeshaft added: Our industry has been held back far too long by unscrupulous practitioners and issues around fraud. The WIA will really hold the industry to account.

An ever-growing scheme of mutual funds India calls the necessity to choose the right scheme for oneself. Every scheme has a new strategy related to your investment.

Some people who blindly go ahead with the investment suffer in terms of money when they realize they have chosen a mutual fund investment scheme that did not work for them. It is always imperative to understand and know your scheme before you go ahead with your invest mutual funds. Make sure you research a lot on the company you are planning to invest with and check whether it aligns with your objectives or not.

There are a plenty of schemes in mutual funds India. The major schemes count in open ended schemes, close ended schemes, interval schemes, growth mutual funds, balanced schemes, money market or liquid schemes and tax saving schemes.

Open ended schemes and close ended schemes are the most heard of mutual fund schemes in India. Open ended schemes are for investment in stock market. They are referred to as open-ended schemes as there is no fixed period of maturity. Investors can withdraw anytime they want. If the investor wants to exist from the scheme before the six months, he would have to pay the rate of load.

Open ended mutual funds have their own share of benefits. The time for profit can be booked by the investor. He can ask for his invested money during any emergency. Many open ended schemes offer trigger facility that involves the investor to set a target amount. On the arrival of the target amount, the investor gets his investment redeemed.

The investor can benefit the rupee cost averaging by investing through systematic investment plans (SIPs). The benefits offered by Open Ended schemes make investors invest to create and secure their wealth.

On the other hand, close ended schemes of mutual funds come with a fixed maturity period. The investors here cannot withdraw before the specific time. Long term invest mutual funds of close ended schemes provide a good return on capital. Unlike open ended schemes, the investor cannot get his investment back during any emergency. Redemption cannot be made on the investors willingness, as he does not enjoy the trigger facility under this scheme.

If the period is same, both open ended and close ended mutual funds return the same on capital. Investors looking out for benefits on income tax aim the later. Under the open ended scheme, the investor can leave any time he wants after the expenses are met but the close ended scheme forces the investor to stay under the scheme until the period expires.

The investor, if wants to invest for a longer period, can go for close ended schemes as an instrument of return on investment considering the long-term nature of the scheme. If the investor wants quick returns, then open ended schemes would be a good option. Many companies dealing in mutual funds India now have their own websites through which investors can invest in mutual fund online too.

You’re the kind of person who prefers a hands-on approach to investments. You like to choose your own stocks, bonds and mutual funds. You like to do all of the record keeping yourself in the privacy of your own home.

For these reasons, you’ve chosen Intuit Quicken as your investment software.

But, oops! You’ve discovered Quicken can make you crazy once your investments go beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Here are some tips to make your life easier:

Derivatives Any security that derives its value from some underlying security is called a derivative. An option to buy stock is known as a “call,” whereas an option to sell stock is known as a “put,” and both of these are derivatives. Using Quicken, treat the purchase and later sale the same as you would the purchase or sale of a stock, noting the loss or gain. If you hold the option until it expires, you must record a Final Sale transaction, with the sales price as zero.

Exercising Puts and Calls Under normal circumstances, youd probably just sell the option back to the broker. However, if you end up exercising a “put” option, you must record the sale with a price of zero. To exercise a “call” option, you also record the price as zero.

Precious Metals and Commodities When dealing in precious metals, gold coins, agricultural items and other commodities, you first must determine the unit of measurement. For example, gold is measured by weight according to the “troy ounce.” Agricultural commodities may be measured by the bushel or the ton. Each unit of measurement is akin to a share of stock. So, whether buying or selling, you must record the amount or volume of the sale by noting that it is, for example, 26 troy ounces of gold or 17 bushels of wheat (just as you would record the sale or purchase of 150 shares of stock).

Selling Puts and Calls All you need to remember is that you record the purchase or sale as a regular transaction, regardless of whether the person to whom you sell the “put” then exercises the “put.”

Zero Coupon Bonds Most bonds pay periodic interest. However, zero coupon bonds pay all of the interest in a lump sum when the bond matures. To keep track of the accruing value of the zero coupon bond (for personal information and for reporting interest earned), you note the annual interest that appears on the statement from your broker. The key is to enter the return of capital as a negative value. So, if you accrue $50 in interest on a zero coupon bond, you need to record a return capital transaction of -$50. This is necessary to show the associated cash accounts correct cash balance and the bond’s correct cost basis.

With so many people handling their own investments, Video Professor offers a Quicken tutorial.

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