Investigation into US, UK Surveillance Laws to be conducted by UN CT Official

 

Ben Emmerson, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism announced that he and a team will launch an investigation into the surveillance activities and laws of the National Security Agency of the United States and the UK’s GCHQ. According to Emmerson, the UN has many questions it needs answered and these were “too important to ignore”.

According to Emmerson, the United Nations wants to know if Edward Snowden, who revealed everything regarding the operations of the NSA and the GCHQ, is deserving of the legal protection given to whistleblowers or his efforts only weakened the US/ UK counterterrorism defense systems. Another question will be if there was parliamentary oversight regarding surveillance. The investigation will also include a series of recommendations to the UN General Assembly in 2014.

Edward Snowden’s revelation of the US and UK surveillance operations had left the world debating and had become one of the biggest controversies in modern times. The American Civil Liberties Union had called on the US administration to pipe down the surveillance activities of the country’s intelligence-gathering bodies.

Meanwhile, eight technology companies have sent an open letter to the US president Barack Obama regarding the need for sweeping reforms in surveillance laws as it will affect the trust developed by people towards new technology.

Details that Increase the Amount of PPI Refunds You Could Get

PPI or payment protection insurance is the biggest financial scandal in the United Kingdom today. You could claim your PPI refund for about £3000-3500 on average, but it is highly possible that your lender owes you more money. Here are a few things you need to know about increasing your PPI refunds.

1.    Compound Interests

Some insurance policies, including MBNA payment protection, could be registered as a packaged item along with your loan in your billing statements. This means your insurance policy repayment amounts move higher as your interest rate or monthly payment amounts go higher. Compound interests can be very complicated and you might need expert help in reclaiming complete PPI refunds from these insurances.

2.    Multiple Credit Cards

Owning a compound interest on more than three credit cards will get you back more than £10,000 in total refunds. Increases in your credit limits will also increase your insurance premium rates. If your interest rate also increases, so does your insurance repayments.

3.    Years Owned

If your lender does not have a policy regarding keeping six years of consumer financial information, you could be owed more than £3000 for PPI.

Remember, you might need legal help especially in untangling compound interest rates. You could count on claims management companies to help you in finding out the total PPI refunds you are due.

Traffic Accident Compensation Claims and Whiplash

Regardless of the news about whiplash becoming the “injury of choice” for many UK citizens filing traffic accident compensation claims, the likelihood of whiplash in a car accident is very high. But with the stricter measures enforced by the UK government, if you have a valid whiplash injury, then you could earn the compensation you deserve.

Whiplash injuries are caused by an abrupt collision between two vehicles while wearing a tight seatbelt. The head and the neck creates a “whipping” action, which damages the ligaments around the neck and head. These torn ligaments could cause nausea and disorientation, which might not be imminent in the first few hours from the accident but could be felt a few days after.

Because of these injury parameters and its non-physical manifestation, many victims easily gain compensation by acting as if injured from whiplash.

The UK government plans to have a specialist medical board that includes medical professionals who are authorities on the subject. Also, minor whiplash cases may be referred to the Small Claims Court for payouts lower than £5000.

With traffic accident compensation forwarded to the Small Claims Court, it would be wise to ensure that you get all details of your whiplash claim right. Be sure to consult with a claims management company to guarantee your success.

Getting Your Warranties Honoured Effectively

You just bought a new laptop, appliance or car and after the first week, you found some factory defects that affect the performance of the product completely. Warranties protect you from malfunctioning products as companies give you free service or complete replace of the product with their guarantee. However, some try to play you down. Here are a few ways to get your warranties honoured by companies effectively.

1.    Read Your Fine Print

Read through your warranty provisions and understand its provisions. There are some exclusions in some warranties that you need to know. Knowing your rights to obtain a guarantee from the company itself is highly important.

2.    Record of Repairs

This effectively works especially for vehicles. If the manufacturer gave specific instructions for car maintenance and care and this was not followed, the warranty might not be provided unless stated in its fine print. Have a record of maintenance procedures you do with the product and show this to the company.

3.    Paperwork

Always keep your sales receipts, warranty work and other documents. You will need them to receive a replacement part or an extended warranty for your product.

4.    Avoid DIY

Unless you are willing to compromise your warranty, never try to repair your product yourself. Once you open the product, sometimes, you destroy the warranty sticker, which guards the opening of the product. This voids your warranty completely.

Filing a Complaint Against A Business Establishment

If you have a complaint against a business establishment or you are pushing to file a case against the company for particular issues, here are a few things you need to know.

1.    The Companies Investigation Branch

The UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has a regulating branch called the Companies Investigation Branch. The CIB focuses on investigating companies that have stopped activity without going through formal insolvency proceedings. You’ll need to submit a CIB complaint form that will ask you about your relation to the company and how their activities have hampered you.

2.    Identity

It is possible to complain to the CIB anonymously if you fear you are facing a multinational company and your reputation is at risk. The CIB promises to treat your information and identity with strict confidence. However, you will not be able to provide further information to CIB or discuss any future concerns with CIB, which makes the investigation against the company in question less likely.

3.    Type of Upset

Most investigating bodies will ask you specifically how a company upset you as a customer or as an investor. This could range from physical problems, deficits, product consequence or the lack of transparency. You will need to provide evidence or an investigation reference for investigators to begin.

UK Legal Tips: Resolving Travel Disputes

Holidays were meant for de-stressing, not added stress. When your planned holiday goes wrong, it becomes a big, complicated problem. The first problem you get is that a travel package could not be seen, touched, experienced or inspected before you use it. If something goes wrong with your travel holiday, here are a few things you could do to resolve your disputes.

1.    Travel Agents Code of Conduct

Travel agents are expected to tell you in full honesty the details of your travel package, including the itineraries, the hotel or hotels you’ll be staying in and the local food in the area. Travel agents are bound by law to tell everything a traveller needs to know about the package. If your travel agent withheld any information that lead to damages or misinterpretations, you could file a claim.

2.    First Few Steps

When you make a complaint, you must have the travel agent know about the complaint immediately. You must inform any representative of the travel agency in-location at once. If you make the complaint as soon as you get home from your vacation, you are technically in breach of contract not unless it is an accident. You could report your complaints to a local travel agency representative or the tour operator in-location.

3.    Evidences

Your photographs are very important to illustrate to the travel agency your complaints about their services. If you incur any unnecessary expenses, you should retain your receipts. For accidents, a medical report would suffice.

4.    Complaint Proper

Your formal complaint must be written and addressed to your tour operator or travel agent. You must send in your complaint within six to eight weeks from the date you arrive in the United Kingdom.

Why You Should Claim PPI Refunds Today

Observers estimate that PPI is the UK’s biggest insurance fraud to date. With over more than a million UK customers mis sold the insurance policy, the Financial Ombudsman’s 92% workload is allotted to the infamous financial product. Observers recommend that anybody who discovered they were mis sold PPI make a claim as soon as possible for the following reasons.

1.    Complaints Piling Up

With the economic malaise in the United Kingdom, more complaints are coming in every day. The Financial Ombudsman actually gets 2,000 PPI refund complaints on a daily basis and are hiring an extra 1,000 hands to help resolve the situation. If you don’t make a PPI claim today, you might find it more troublesome in the future.

2.    Compensation Package

Banks have set aside PPI compensation for the entire United Kingdom amounting to £25 billion in total. If this runs out before you make a PPI claim, banks become more stringent with PPI claims due to the lack of resources to recompense the consumer complaint. Banks can even reject your legitimate claim.

3.    PPI Claims Deadline

While UK consumer groups stalled the PPI claim deadline once again, the end of PPI claiming might come a bit earlier than expected. Around 1.3 million customers have reclaimed £17 from the compensation package and if the banks and lenders hit it properly this time, the total of £25 billion might be the last of the PPI compensation recompense.

Divorce With or Without a Lawyer?

In the United Kingdom, filing a divorce against your partner is possible even without the help of a lawyer. Lesser fees, lesser time and lesser stress with definite results is promised by a DIY divorce. However, what does a lawyer actually contribute to a divorce process? Here are a few things that divorcing with or without a lawyer gives you.

DIY Divorce

1.     Lesser Fees and Time

Filing a DIY divorce still means working with a law firm. However, they will only “springboard” your case to the proper avenues. Then, they will leave you a guide to follow for your DIY divorce. You usually pay 50% less without a lawyer present. The guide also ensures lesser fees and time.

2.     No Legal Support

The only problem with divorce cases is when complications and unexpected events arise. For example, an undefended divorce could escalate into a defended divorce at any time, especially if your spouse decides against the divorce. You will not have legal support in this case. Some terminologies in divorce forms might also appear confusing and without legal guidance, you might have trouble.

With-Lawyer Divorce

1.     Negotiations

A lawyer is a person who serves the interest of their client and negotiating with the lawyer of the spouse for the pension, properties, debts and other material-related aspects of the relationship is his or her specialty. If you cannot discuss the division of material aspects with your spouse properly, a legal representative could make it happen.

2.      Expensive

You could be paying higher fees due to the help of a legal expert. While you are guaranteed a flawless and protected passage with your divorce, you might pay an exorbitant fee for their miscellaneous services, particularly those that involve handling and processing special documents and other supplementary for your divorce.

Filing for A Court Appeal Without a Lawyer

It is possible to file a court appeal without a lawyer, but keep in mind that you should have appeared in court and received a proper court judgement. However, you cannot get assistance from any legal aid or court office if you make a court appeal without a lawyer. However, always keep these in mind.

1.     Dates

The stay of entry date is important and you could find this in your Notice of Entry of Judgement. Make sure that the date has not yet expired. If the date lands on a holiday or weekend, then its due date is postponed until the next business day. Determine if you’re to send mail forms or they are postmarked. Send mail forms require three days advance to get to their locations on time. Postmarked dates automatically deliver your form given that you submit them during the required date.

2.     Brief

Your case brief should be written with double-spaced type within one-inch margins on all sides and each page you must number. Courts prefer a brief with a Table of Contents to find the requirements, such as Affidavit of Good Faith and Affidavit of service easily, but they would also accept one without such items.

3.     Brief Cover

The brief’s cover must be white if you are a petitioner or an appellant. If you’re a respondent, the cover must be blue. All covers must be made of paper that is thicker than the one used in the brief. With your original copy, make three more copies of your Brief and its cover

4.     Fees

You will need to pay the filing fee and each petition has a separate cost. The Court of Appeals usually has specific costs for your appeal. You could ask for a waiver if you cannot afford the filing fee.

Identity Theft and What You Could Do to Prevent It

Identity theft is probably an adequately huge crime in the United Kingdom. Internet users who access their bank accounts or make payments with their credit cards online often get in trouble due to hackers trying to access their systems to hack into their financial accounts. You could end up being in debt if somebody tries to hack into your account. Here are a few things you should know about identity theft.

1.     Signs

If you see that your account have made unusual payments, debit withdrawals and your important mail from your online accounts missing, a hacker may have stolen your financial credentials.

If your inboxes and other areas of your mailbox appear tampered with, you could be in trouble. If there are new credit cards appearing on your credit record, someone else other than you is using your credit card.

2.     Protection

As much as possible, shred any receipt, billing statement or bank letter that contains your credit card bank number, signature, photo and other documents. Most hackers can randomly find your credentials and use it for their personal benefit if you don’t shred them.

Always transact with websites who offer a secure server. Most secure servers start with HTTPS:

3.     Legal Action

In case you have traced the hacker of your identity, authorities could file their actions as a violation of the Theft Act of 1968. The act indicates that any financial information, legal records or other personal identification owned by the victim and used by the suspect is considered stolen property, which is subject to legal action.

Tax Myths and Accounting

Accountants can do so many things for businesses, including basic bookkeeping to advanced tax adjustments and reductions. However, businesses have some misconceptions about how accountants actually do their work. Listed here are some of these myths I’ve encountered in my occupation.

1.     Accounting is All About Math

Accounting is based on math, but it is not completely about mathematics. Rather, accountants make use of math as an instrument to calculate the value of assets, liabilities, incomes, expenses and other business details. The pure soul of accounting is in its research and explanation. An accountant crunches up the numbers and analyses it to explain it quickly to a businessowner, a shareholder or a bank.

2.     Accountants Are Only Tax Preparers

Accountants are not tax preparers. Tax preparers are a separate employee who chains a business’ taxes. An accountant audits companies and this is not necessarily a tax audit. Accountants investigate the bookkeeping of companies and point out any inaccuracies in the accounting. They are also capable of detecting fraud.

3.     Accountants Can Instantly Lower Taxes

Again, like in the first myth, an accountant works with mathematics and uses analysis to help lower a business’s taxes. This means that when a business invests in new properties or branches, an accountant knows where to put the property so that it would incur less operating and property taxes thus saving the company money in owning and operating.

Inheritance Tax and How To Reduce It

A tax is imposed on a person who inherits assets from someone who is deceased. This tax is called inheritance tax (IHT). To put it simply, this is the tax on the money and/or possessions you leave behind in the event that you die. Sometimes, it is also payable on trusts or gifts made during your lifetime. The tax is payable at 40% on the amount over this threshold or 36% if the estate would qualify for a reduced rate. A certain amount may also be passed on tax-free which is also known as the 'nil rate band'.

An inheritance tax must be paid if the value of the deceased's estate exceeds the Inheritance Tax threshold of £325,000 in the 2013-14 tax year. It must also be paid within six months from the end of the month in which the deceased died. If the executor fails to pay, an interest will be charged on the amount outstanding. Also, you may pay in yearly installment of up to ten years if the value of the estate is tied up in property (ex. A house). If your estate amounts to £500,000, this would equate to a tax bill of £75,000.

If you are married, you can combine both your inheritance tax thresholds with your partner. Your thresholds will double and this may be left to beneficiaries tax-free.

There are ways to reduce your inheritance tax bill. One of the most common things to do is reducing the value of your estate before you death – or as you get older. Gifting is also one way of reducing your estate's value. You have to keep in mind though that any gift, whether it may be cash or asset, is free from inheritance tax if you live for at least seven years from the date of the gift. There are certain investments that are exempt from inheritance tax after just two years. These are relatively high risk and are not suited to everyone.