According to the Finance Ministry, foreign firms sank more than 4 trillion yen ($36bn; 20bn) into Japan in the 12 months to March.

The figure, which had doubled in three years, was driven by an upsurge in money coming from the US.

Japan has till now had a reputation for being hostile to foreign investment.

Its corporate structures have traditionally been set up to cement cross-shareholdings between Japanese companies, preventing hostile takeovers by either domestic or outside buyers.

Reform

Recent legal changes could make mergers easier, after Japan’s upper house of dictionary finance insurance international on Wednesday backed a law already passed by the lower house.

But the rules still make hostile bids difficult, by easing finance insurance yahoo auto rate on so-called “poison pill” defences which allow existing investment mcgraw hill irwin series in finance insurance and real est to buy up stock at reduced prices, thus driving off predators.

Car giant Toyota has been one firm which has said it was considering enacting a “poison pill” in case of a takeover attempt.

They have also been delayed a year, allowing for companies to take defensive measures.

Net importer

Still, the difficulties of buying businesses in Japan seems not to have dissuaded foreign investors, the Finance Ministry figures indicate.

Many Japanese firms have dropped sharply in value after a decade of on-and-off recession.

The biggest draw was the finance and insurance sector, which accounted for almost 75% of the investment.

As much as half of the 1,400 trillion yen saved in Japan is sitting in accounts offering little or no interest, making for a tempting opportunity - and a demand for overseas expertise.

In contrast, Japanese investment overseas has fallen to 3.8 trillion yen - making Japan a net importer of investment for the first time since records began in 1950.

A key change was a shift in focus from the US - traditionally the most attractive destination for Japanese funds - to China, as economic ties grow and outsourcing of manufacturing increases.

China attracted 491bn yen, up nearly 40% from the year before and 340% since 2000.

The US, in contrast, attracted just 503bn yen - less than half the 2003/04 figure.

The other half could see windfalls of between 500 and 1,000.

To company finance insurance premium, the Edinburgh-based insurer requires a 75% yes vote to approve the plan for its 5bn stock market flotation.

Standard Life is business health insurance small tn as many of its 2.4 million members as possible to vote, which they must do before 28 May.

Vote and proposal

Eligible members will receive 185 shares, which are expected to be worth between 240 and 290 pence, with the option of more shares depending on their policies.

We want to distribute the full stock market value of Standard Life to our 2.4 million members Sandie Crombie, Standard Life chief executive Q&A: Demutualisation

The packs will be sent today to 2.4 million eligible members, as well as an additional 2.1 million policy holders.

The chief executive Sandie Crombie said that demutualisation was the best proposal that his members could consider:.

“We want to distribute the full stock market value of Standard Life to our 2.4 million members.

“We want to reduce the risks they face in running the business, and we want access to the markets to raise more capital to develop the business,” he told the BBC.

Merrill Lynch and UBS, Standard Life’s financial advisers, have valued the company at between 4.8bn and 5.5bn, including 1.1bn of new money which could be raised if it floats.

A special general meeting of Standard Life is planned on 31 May in Edinburgh, when members will be asked to vote on the proposal.

Even if voting members have sent their voting replies, they can still attend the meeting and vote in person.

A strong turnout in May is likely to be seen as a vote of confidence in management, including CEO Sandy Crombie, who announced the plans after a strategic review in 2004.

The Scottish insurer also revealed 2004 losses of 340m. But its profits last year were 152m, aided by 3,500 job cuts.

Stiff business health insurance small wy

The insurer faces stiff competition in its sector and its 2005 UK sales were sluggish in comparison to sales at Friends Provident and Prudential.

We need to small business insurance quote how much capital will be raised and what are the prospects for Standard Life in its reformed condition Ned Cazalet Life insurance analyst

Life insurance analyst Ned Cazalet said investors would want to see clear evidence that Standard Life was on track to turn itself around, since it was badly hit by a stock market fall between 2000 and 2003.

He said: “First of all, we need to understand the structure of the demutualisation, how much capital will be raised and what are the prospects for Standard Life in its reformed condition.

“Everything else is down to price, sentiment and execution.”

The listing, expected in July if May’s vote is positive, will also mark the end of an era for Britain’s mutuals, most of which have been floated or were sold to listed firms to improve funding.

Standard Life shocked rivals and customers two years ago when it announced plans to go public.

The U-turn angered some members of the Scottish group, which only four years previously spent more than 10m in a campaign to preserve its mutual status. At that point, its value was estimated at up to 18bn.

Talking to the BBC, Fred Woollard, who led the failed attempt in 2000 to force Standard Life to demutualise, said: “I think it is very sad for all the policy holders that the value of the company has shrunk so badly in the last six years.

“The unfortunate reality is that Standard Life’s management is only embracing demutualisation because they have destroyed most of the company’s capital and need to go to the financial markets to raise another billion pounds or so.”

The Edinburgh-based mutual insurer plans to request final approval for the change from the Court of Session in Scotland.

If the proposal is approved by the court and all legal business finance insurance are met, demutualisation can go ahead.

Source: News - Standard Life reveals windfalls

The insurance industry has been accused of being “in denial” over sales techniques which encouraged people to leave the Serps part of the state pension scheme and put money into a personal pension instead.

Theresa Fritz, Principal Researcher at the consumer organisation Which?, told BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme the problem could affect four and half million people.

“It’s an industry in denial. We want [it] to realise there is a problem. Our research shows that up to four and a half million people who have contracted out of Serps into a personal pension are losing out.”

Which? Research published earlier this year showed people could get 40% less from their private pension than they would have got by remaining in Serps. But the pensions industry challenges those figures.

Director of Pensions at Prudential, Andy Smith, said: “Our conclusion from our latest review is the vast majority [of our customers] will indeed be better off from department of insurance and finance out.

“It’s been a very sensible thing for them to do.”

Specific case

Prudential has, however, just paid more than 200 a year compensation to a customer after the Financial Ombudsman Service upheld his claim that in 1988 he was mis-sold the Pru pension as an health insurance small business fl to his state earnings-related pension.

But Mr Smith denied there had been a mis-sale: “It is a specific case that led us to conclude that he didn’t understand the position at the point of sale.”

I made it clear I did not have the kind of money to gamble in stocks and shares Michael Ford, claimant

Prudential was unable to produce the document which it says the customer, Michael Ford, signed to say he did understand the risk.

Mr Ford denies that was ever explained to him: “I actually did state to the representative that I was only interested in a policy with a zero risk situation.

“I made it clear I did not have the kind of money to gamble in stocks and shares.

“They said it would pay me to opt-out of Serps and put it into an additional private pension with them. I couldn’t lose, I could only gain. And if things didn’t do very well I would at least break even. But there was no way I could lose.”

Explaining risk

After a year considering a formal appeal to the ombudsman, Prudential has finally decided to give Mr Ford an extra pension worth 211 a year to make his income up to the level that Serps would have provided.

BBC Radio 4’s Money Box The programme was broadcast on Saturday, 12 November, 2005 at 1204 GMT Further information

Theresa Fritz of Which? said that in many cases the risk of contracting-out of Serps was not explained.

“How many of those 4.5 million people who have a loss really understood the risk? That’s the key,” she said.

“Did the advisor explain there was a risk that your private pension would fall behind the state pension?”

So far, very few people have corporate est finance finance hill in insurance irwin mcgraw real series complained.

The Financial Ombudsman Service told Money Box that it has only received 10 cases a month over the last five years from a variety of insurers, and 30 to 40% of those went in favour of the customer, implying a couple of hundred successes.

It’s almost impossible for people to realise where they stand at the moment Teresa Fritz, Which?

Prudential said that it has had only 14 customers complain to the ombudsman. Nine were judged in its favour and three were still undecided.

But Ms Fritz thinks that will change.

“It’s almost impossible for people to realise where they stand at the moment compared to the state scheme,” she said.

“Very few people who have contracted-out have reached retirement age, so there are very few where the loss has crystallised.

“But more and more will retire, and more and more losses will be seen.”

She wants the industry to examine every sale. “We want a review of the contracted-out cases to take place. But first we want the industry to come out of denial and realise there is a problem.”

BBC Radio 4’s Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 12 November, 2005, at 1204 GMT.

They accuse the bank of channelling Saudi money to Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The claim, filed in the US, accuses Arab Bank’s New York branch of “laundering” the cash before sending it to branches in the West Bank and Gaza.

No one at Arab Bank was immediately locked funds insurance jobs and california for comment on Tuesday.

The lawsuit also says the bank - based in Amman, Jordan - blue business california health insurance shield small insurance money to the beneficiaries of suicide bombers.

“We have a mountain of evidence that will prove that the bank not only knows about the terror financing, but is actively involved and using its New York branch to launder the money,” Mark Werbner, the lead attorney for the
families, said in a small business insurance broker.

Arab Bank has 30 branches across the Middle East, Europe, the US, Business health insurance quote and north Africa.

Read more on News - Arab Bank hit with terror lawsuit site