Ireland and Massachusetts (USA): Compare and Contrast of Jobseeker’s Allowance

Unemployment is a stressful time of one’s life. The fear of not knowing where your next paycheck is going to come from, and if you are going to have enough to put food on your table, is very real for many people. I will examine the different government allowances in Ireland and the United States to see how these countries compare and contrast when helping out their unemployed when they are finding their next jobs.

In Ireland, Jobseeker’s Allowance is a type of payment that Ireland government pays the unemployed. The allowance payment is a means-tested payment, meaning an unemployed individual would have to fall lower than the average of specific income qualifications. This allowance payment is paid out by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). To qualify, one must:

Be Between 18 and 66 Be Unemployed Actively be seeking work (with proof) Satisfy the means-test Be a proven habitual resident (living in Ireland with some permanence)

In order to satisfy the means-test, the DEASP observes your personal cash income, savings and other assets. However, the DEASP …

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50 Reasons Ireland Should Consider Tall Buildings

Here are 50 reasons why Ireland should consider tall buildings for residential and commercial purposes:

1. Saves Space – In a world with a growing population, developing buildings vertically allows for more space and more people. The land available for buildings is finite, and while tall buildings have a height limit, cities and towns can better utilize this space by building more tall, vertical buildings.  

Source: Wray, Sarah. “’Mini Cities’: The Rise of Tall Buildings.” Smart Cities World, www.smartcitiesworld.net/opinions/opinions/mini-cities-the-rise-of-tall-buildings

2. Creates More Homes – There is a correlation between density of a city with the number and height of tall buildings. High-rises allow for more homes by building vertically rather than building wide or horizontally. 

Source: “The Pros and Cons of the Skyscraper.” RG Group, 17 Apr. 2018, rg-group.co.uk/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-skyscraper/#

3. Creates More Office Space – Tall buildings or skyscrapers are able to satisfy the needs and desires for companies to be in proximity together in dense, urban areas. Building up answers vast company demand for city office space. 

Source: Barr, Jason. “The Economics of Skyscraper Height (Part IV): …

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Tax Situation For Irish Abroad

Citizens of Ireland who are deciding to move abroad and live in another country should be aware of their upcoming tax situation. When you decide to leave Ireland, you are still considered an Irish resident and you will have to pay taxes on your income and gains. It is only after you have been out of Ireland for more than one tax year that you become exempt. Due to the fact that Ireland taxes income from other countries for the first year, you may be concerned about your income being taxed by two countries. To alleviate the harm of your income being taxed twice for an entire year, Ireland has double taxation agreement with many countries. Some of the countries Ireland has a double taxation agreement with are: 

Australia  China France Germany  Greece Italy  Japan  Mexico Russia South Africa Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States of America + 60 other countries that can be found here: https://www.companyformations.ie/blog/irelands-extensive-list-of-double-taxation-treaties-with-71-countries/

 

While you are not taxed twice in these seventy-four countries that Ireland has established a double taxation agreement, your Irish income …

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Financial Plan Factors to Consider

A financial plan is an instrument everyone with money should create. A financial plan is any drawn out concept in which showcases some direction of where you would like your finances to go. Whether you are taking your financial situation into your own hands or seeking advice from a professional, with both options, individuals should have a written plan of expectations. However, when crafting these expectations, there are many factors one should consider in order to account for life. Here are some factors that one should consider while planning their life’s financial plan:

 

Employment – What is your employment status? Do you feel stable in your current position? Are you happy at your current job? If you are unhappy, are you considering switching to a new company? These are important questions regarding one’s employment that should be considered. The most ideal position someone could be in is one in which an individual is happy and feels stable within the company. However, if you are unhappy with your job and you are considering moving position, consider how the job change …

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Housing Update and the Coronavirus

At the beginning of the year, Glenveagh Property, an Irish home building company, had shares increase by over 2%. The shares rose due to an increase in house sales and company revenue in 2019. The company achieved these increases because they had significant sales of homes for first-time buyers, where there still remains a high demand. Glenveagh Property reports the company generated revenues of €284 million, which presents an 240% increase from 2019 to 2020. In addition, the company had a 200% increase in homes built from 2019 to 2020, stating the company built 844 new homes. Finally, the company reports that they have reduced its risk in its 2020 construction targets. 

While Glenveagh Property’s positive report for the year of 2019 and hopeful outlook for 2020 are optimistic signs, the housing market may continue to grow with an improvement of the Coronavirus. On Tuesday, 11 February 2020, Zhong Nanshan, the head of China’s National Health Commission team investigating the Coronavirus, stated in an interview that the infectious virus may be over in April of 2020. Nanshan said the disease …

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The Derivatives That Sunk Banks In The Global Crisis

Mortgage-backed securities played a significant role in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. These securities had attractive interest rates and were given next to perfect ratings by credit rating agencies such as Moodys and Standard and Poor. Large amounts of funding were put into the housing market through the mortgage backed securities and this funding became a cycle. People were looking to buy homes so mortgage companies sold mortgages to banks, which led to banks packaging the mortgages with other investments, and the mortgage-backed securities were sold to investors. The investors’ money created more money for mortgage lenders to offer. 

Since lenders were contributing funds to subprime mortgages, people who have lower credit scores, many of these homeowners began to default on their mortgage payments. In April of 2007, New Century, a U.S. Financial Mortgage Corporation, filed for bankruptcy because of poor mortgage lending decisions. Soon after, Countrywide, the largest U.S. subprime mortgage lender, filed for bankruptcy. Following these two mortgage lenders filing for bankruptcy, U.S. banks’ balance sheets decreased.

While subprime mortgages and mortgage back securities were instruments that …

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Demand Outweighs Supply: Significant Interest in 500 New Affordable Houses

The Irish Times reports that the County Council of south Dublin has a plan to build 500 new affordable homes. This is the first time a plan has been put in place to build affordable housing in south Dublin for well over a decade. The houses are planned to cost roughly €300,000. Therefore, for first time buyers, in order to purchase, the home buyers would have to place a down payment of €30,000. However, the home buyers could also benefit from the Help to Buy Scheme. Since the home buyers are purchasing affordable housing that is less than 500,000 euro, the first time buyers could receive a tax rebate of 5% of the 300k if the home buyers take out a mortgage of at least 70% of the home’s price. This €15,000 rebate could be very beneficial to most first time home buyers. In addition, the Irish Times predicted that the affordable homes will be 40% less than market price, a significant savings.  

As reported by the Irish times, the homes will be available in three locations. The first time …

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Help To Buy For First Time Buyers

The name provides a definition for itself. First time home buyers are people in the market buying a home for the first time. Compared to other home buyers, such as trader-up borrowers and mortgage switchers, first time buyers have different benefits and restrictions when borrowing than other borrowers. The Central Bank of Ireland requires a 10% down payment for first time buyers. Now, for first time buyers, a 45,000 euro down payment for a 450,000 euro home may be somewhat daunting. However, the Central Bank has offered assistance for their first time buyers to keep them in the market. The Central Bank offers a help to buy program. This benefit allows for first time buyers of new houses and apartments to take a 5% tax rebate off of properties less than 500,000 euros. In a recent case at Irish Mortgage Brokers, a married couple came looking for a mortgage on their first home. The couple did not have a home in mind at the time, but based on their income, the couple had roughly below 500k to spend. Both individuals …

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Mortgage Backed Securities: United States and Ireland

The United States government wants mortgages readily available for people in the market for a new home. In order for mortgages to be available, banks would have to have enough capital to make such loans. In effort to support banks, the United States Congress has federal mortgage organizations to monitor and support the mortgage market. Three federal mortgage organizations that exist are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae. While these may sound like foolish nicknames for government-created organizations, these organizations are vital for monitoring mortgage banks in the United States. If too much capital is readily available from banks to the public, these government organizations buy mortgages from banks. Upon the organizations’ purchase from the bank, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), for example, can hold these mortgages until a time of need or sell securities, backed by several of these mortgages, to investors willing to invest in real estate. The capital from the investors’ mortgage-backed securities purchase allows for more loans for new homebuyers, while the investors await return through the new homebuyers’ mortgage repayments. It is …

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The Coronavirus Brought Me To Dublin

As an American student from Boston, Massachusetts studying at Providence College in Rhode Island, I was offered an opportunity to continue my business studies in Shanghai, China. At the time I had to make a decision, the U.S. news reports were filled with articles about escalating trade tensions between the United States and China. Tariffs were followed by retaliation tariffs, back and forth, between both countries and I was nervous the tensions would affect China’s view towards Americans studying in their country. Despite the public tensions, I accepted the opportunity to learn and intern in a large financial hub with a rather booming economy.

As the February 2020 departure was soon approaching, I started to hear fewer and fewer stories about the Trade War, and more and more stories about a rampant epidemic, the Coronavirus. A virus that started in Wuhan had rapidly spread throughout China and even to six individuals in the United States. My concern about how Chinese people would view me altered to a concern of if I could even attend school in China. As the number …

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