2017 city Budget Drastically cuts Spending on Shelters Despite near record Levels of Homelessness

The 2017 city budget has cut spending for homeless shelters, despite high levels of homelessness that don’t appear to be dropping anytime soon, a new report from a fiscal monitor found.

The Independent Budget Office found that the city is budgeting $325 million for homeless adult shelters, and $452 million for family shelters in 2017 — $120 million and $72 million less than this year, respectively.

The administration is reducing spending on those shelters because it hopes that the homeless population — which is at near record levels — will drop after a slew of new programs kick in.

Budget had to Protect Growth, says Treasury- South Africa

THE Treasury has defended the 2016-17 budget against criticism that its fiscal consolidation measures do not go far enough, saying that delicate trade-offs are required.

 

The budget has been criticised for transferring too much of the pain of fiscal consolidation and tax hikes to the outer years of the medium-term framework. However, Treasury chief director of budget policy Ian Stuart yesterday defended its choices during public hearings on the budget held by Parliament’s two finance committees.

5 Easy Steps To Protect Your Money In Marriage — And Divorce

Budgeting, saving and investing, oh my. 

Where to start?

Start with your goals and objectives. Do you want to reduce debt, pay less taxes and save more for retirement, or simply understand your resources and debts?

If you are married, discuss your goals with your spouse and listen to their hopes and concerns. Once you have some ideas, then…

Step #1: Make a list of all your resources, debt and insurance, including their value and/or cost

FIRS sets N4.9tn Revenue Target to Fund Budget

 

The Federal Inland Revenue Service on Tuesday projected a revenue target of N4.95tn for the 2016 fiscal period to fund the Federal Government’s budget.

The Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, gave the figure in Abuja at the opening session of the organisation’s 2016 corporate strategy retreat.

The retreat with theme: ‘Optimising non-oil tax revenue collection through compliance and enforcement’, was attended by FIRS directors and other top government officials.

President Zuma’s policy left economic in likelihood funds.

If investors  needed reminding about the quandary facing South Africa’s central bank, they just got it from two credit-rating companies.
While statements on Friday from Standard & Poor’s (S&P) and Fitch Ratings left the country’s debt short of a downgrade to junk, both companies gave the same diagnosis for SA’s economic malaise: government policies that are denting business confidence and the likelihood of state funding or guarantees that will further strain the budget of President Jacob Zuma’s administration.

The assessments get to the heart of the dilemma facing Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago, who is struggling to keep the weakening rand from fuelling inflation at a time when interest rates at their highest level in five years have left gross domestic product growing at its slowest pace since 2009. Throw in the looming prospect of the US Federal Reserve’s first rate increase in almost a decade — an event likely to accelerate the capital exodus from Africa’s second-biggest economy — and the task becomes greater still.

Tax Changes will lead to Nationwide Budget lending of £6.8bn.

It said changes to banking taxes announced in July's Budget would cost the equivalent of the capital needed to support £10bn of lending.

The building society added that in the three months to 30 June, profits rose to £379m from £253m a year earlier.

 

Chief executive Graham Beale said the financial year had "started strongly".

Create Hassle-free Budget Plan to track your Expenses

Nearly every financial guru tells potential budgeters to start their financial management with a simple (but not easy) task: track every single penny.

For some individuals, this is a relatively easy task. It’s just a matter of building financial tracking into their routine. But for most people, tracking expenses is often very difficult.

Thankfully, between modern technology and creative budgeting solutions, there are options for tracking expenses that won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Here are three ways to keep you finances in check without driving stressing yourself out.

1. Use free budgeting software

Give your Spouse that Treat on a Checked Budget

Those in the know believe that aside the period of dating and actual marriage, another important moment in the life of any couple especially the bride is the period shared during the honeymoon.

 

It has also been observed that this period provides the new couple the needed opportunity to further advance their romantic relationship in a very a relaxed location away from the distraction of family member and relatives.

7 reasons your neighbours have more money than you

You look out the window of your home each night after dinner, staring across the street at your neighbours. You long for their fancy cars, their manicured lawns, and even the vacations they seem to take several times a year.

You’re not alone. I often look out my window, too — staring at the gorgeous homes and cars — wondering how they manage to pay for them. After all, we live in the same neighbourhood, our kids go to the same schools, and their salaries aren’t that much more than ours.

There are several reasons that our neighbours can afford so many of the things we would love to have, but could never fathom splurging on:

1. Perception is everything