Friday, December 19, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Word of the Lord For 2015: You Will Overcome Your Battles By His Grace
Phyllis
Ford, Arlington,
TX
Dec 17 2014
Word of the
Lord For 2015: You Will Overcome Your Battles By His Grace
Are You Asking, "WHY?" Here Are Some Encouraging Prophetic Insights For YOU
As many of us enter into this New Year, we will find ourselves transitioning into the place God has called for us to be. So much ground has been covered, and what we perceived to be lost has truly been gained.
As the Lord has begun showing me glimpses into 2015, He released to me Biblical downloads with answers unveiling several types and shadows. These prophetic signposts indicate patterns that will help us proceed on our journey forward.
Let me greatly encourage you by saying you have not been waiting in vain. Nor are you standing still while in pursuit of all that God is preparing for you. But, it is time to be clear as to why things have occurred the way they have. Many have already moved into a new place in the Lord. However, while advancing, some didn't understand what was going on in the midst of heavy levels of warfare. For as they passed over from one phase to another, the intimidating demonic resistance tried to deceive them and get them to give up what they had already received.
Now is the time to stand; not in a place where what God said to us can be tossed about by uncertainty and outside influences, but we must stand in the knowing. The knowing is a place where the opinions of others and even ourselves has no power to affect our stance on the promises of God, because they are now knowledge and truth instead of theories and possibilities. It's time for us to know what God is saying and to remember the manner in which God is saying it. Observing with discerning eyes what is going on around us must be the order of the day. Proceed knowing that your very movements at this time carries a strength that you have not previously experienced.
While we were trying to conquer challenges during 2014, it came to our attention that there were issues that needed to be resolved. We needed to receive emotional healing, which included the need to forgive and release things that we could not even understand. But as we came to grips with our weaknesses, the Lord revealed to us hidden strengths. Working through those experiences caused us to come to the end of ourselves, and now He has turned our mourning into dancing!
As we cry out before the Lord with hearts of repentance, we will make great strides. As we embrace the truth of Jesus Christ, having passion for the things of God, we find the strength to dismantle feelings of complacency and battle weariness. The reality is that we shall be a people that the Lord is establishing now.
Those with the greatest passion will be on the front lines, but know that your position doesn't exempt you from going through more of the perfecting process of grace. Those will be led by the Spirit of God if they submit to the process to grow. These are major decisions that must be determined in the hearts of God's people. Those that say I am not a part of this because I am above this, or who say I don't need the Lord's help will find themselves in painful experiences until they submit willingly to God. We are approaching serious times, and the Lord is purifying His people.
For those who pressed into the things of God harder, stronger, and more determined, God pressed out of them things that were no longer needed and replaced them with spiritual strengths that will become a catalyst in the times ahead. We have become more aware of why our circumstances played out the way that they did. Things that we felt would have benefited us were sometimes withheld because if those things had been prematurely released it would have altered the course of our destiny. "Why?" Because we had no idea what was coming in 2015.
God's Words For Your Situation
"As you look out at what lies beyond this point, you will be greeted by the image of My glory. As you enter in, you will find that every process that you passed through has brought you to the place of My grace and My glory. Now you are on the brink of seeing great things fulfilled before you. Pick up from here, for there is much to be accomplished, and you will marvel as the Kingdom advances for it will touch and affect everything it passes over.
"New sweeps and changes are on the way. As I refine and purify My people, I will work in them, through them, and for them. Prepare yourselves, for all eyes will be upon you, and that which I have placed in you are the keys to overcoming and the wisdom to war."
1 Peter 5:8-11 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:8-11 The Message Translation: Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ – eternal and glorious plans they are! – will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.
One of my first downloads from the Lord on the new year was found in the Book of Esther. As we transition into 2015, we will find ourselves amongst some twists and turns. Esther best illustrates the narrative of an overcoming people who must deal with the enemies of their day. At a close glance it carries so many significant meanings and subplots involving the greatest achievements in its teaching. All of this is a backdrop of Kingdom building. The types and shadows revealed in the Book of Esther will uncover a brilliant wisdom that we must walk out in order to conquer the challenges ahead.
The Lord said to me there will be great victories we will experience as we deal with the enemy within us, the enemy within the Kingdom, and the enemy at the gate. For the sake of discussion, we will call these levels one, two, and three.
Dealing With the Enemy Within Us – Level 1
As individuals of the Kingdom we must go through the process of growth and maturity. In our realization we see that through necessary change we will come out of old mindsets and religious concepts. We will be challenged to remove old habits, attitudes, and behavior that we have allowed to remain which have kept us from progressing. We will see ourselves in how we deal with others and the adjustments we need to make. This will mark a time where we will deal with these issues, or else future consequences of those issues will begin to be more visible. The truth and the revelation that will be presented to us by the Lord will purge us. This is an Esther purification, and a true revival will be the result of it in the midst of true repentance.
There will be those who the Lord is raising up with words of resolve, healing, and deliverance that will ignite the hearts of the people to desire higher levels of teaching with greater levels of anointing. The old ways must be removed in order to grow and mature. The glory of the Lord moving forward at increased levels will sweep over our lives for good. This is another level of grace that will be strong in this hour.
More grace = more glory. The power to overcome will be real and tangible in worship, in prayer, and in times of crying out. A boldness will rise up in the truth of God's love and will birth forth those who are ready to move forward. This is where family and personal relationships will be restored. Many strongholds will be removed, with generational curses broken.
Dealing With the Enemy In the Kingdom – Level 2
Level two deals with the Kingdom. It is where we pick up our spiritual responsibility and our accountability in areas of leadership and servitude. It is the place where we offer our service to others while walking out God's plans and purposes according to His standard.
In the Book of Esther, Haman was an enemy to the people of God. Despite his position, he set off in his agenda to destroy God's people. Haman began manipulating his position to make God's chosen people appear to be the enemy, when in reality he was the actual enemy. He was an enemy to the kingdom, to the king, and to God's people. In 2015 we will see an "Esther people" come forth to uncover the Hamans of today including some who are within the Church.
There will emerge an apostolic strength with a prophetic anointing that will impact the future and bring the current reality into apostolic order with God's prophetic vision for the Church. More outreach efforts will be realized because the emphasis will focus on unity and compassion for the less fortunate. The need to touch those outside the walls of the Church will spread like a revival fire fanned by the moves of evangelism.
Angelic assistance will shift Church atmospheres. Watch for changes within leadership that will begin to happen in house groups, prayer groups, and within the local churches. The Lord said clearly that the move that we see will not be focused on individuals but corporately ushered in by those who are hungry and willing to be conduits of His life. There will be a strong corporate anointing with power amongst the team.
In 2015, there will be great mysteries that will unlock the significance of the Jewish heritage and within it provide specific strategies to overcome specific enemies of this day. The time from the feast of Purim to Passover will be remembered by many as the greatest time of 2015. In this New Year, history will be marked with highly significant events.
Dealing With the Enemy at the Gate – Level 3
Level three is concerning the gates. In Esther's time, at the city gates of the kingdom, the elders sat positioned. Business transactions were made, and various judicial rulings and public announcements were discussed and decreed. The gate was also where the two servants plotted to kill the king, but Mordecai overheard it and informed Esther of the plan (see Esther 2
At this level that which happens at the gate carries the power to impact the community from various levels in government. Social unrest and many other things can be traced back to the gate where key decisions were made and key events took place. As the people of God change (Level 1) and the Kingdom moves forward as one voice (Level 2), we will see it impact our communities (Level 3).
From the gates of the city to the gates of nations troubled by economic woes and violence, there are clear indications that many enemies have positioned themselves at gates – from the local and national gates. The Lord Himself will begin to shake these gates. The convergence of people declaring righteousness will conflict with the enemies of our day. We will have to deal with the gate enemies of poverty to the gate enemies of abortion. These things will be changed by a people transformed, by the Spirit of God, and a Kingdom empowered.
When we become changed at level one we will affect level two, and ultimately the effects of each level will affect each other. This is the time where the people of God will begin to understand that we must become an answer to these pressing issues and not a part of the problem. Prayer, worship, and evangelism will affect the gates as well, but it will be by His grace and glory that regions will be shifted.
The Company of One – Operating Out of a Divine Synergy For a Greater Effect
The Lord began to talk to me about the rising up of a company of leaders who would share revelation knowledge and release strategies in various methods and modes for the training and preparation of an end-time army. This end-time army will consist of various tribes gathered together carrying various expertise, giftings, and anointings with the power to destroy evil principalities that have not yet been conquered.
Those who are of one heart, one spirit, and of one mind will come forth to battle in heavenly realms in 2015. I asked the Lord what the one stood for; His answer was, "I am the One." And He is gathering one people who will walk in a divine synergy. Synergy means with the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual efforts. This company will move in levels of synergy with God and one another to accomplish impossible things, and the glory of God will be heavy in the midst of them.
Ephesians 4:4-8 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men."
Tarrant police officer delivers groceries to woman caught stealing eggs at Dollar General
Tarrant police officer delivers groceries to woman caught stealing eggs at Dollar General
By Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on December 10, 2014 at 4:26 PM, updated December 15, 2014 at 9:28 PM
TARRANT, Alabama - Helen Johnson stared in amazement at the piles of food accumulating in her small Tarrant apartment on Wednesday.
"The last time I saw my house this full, I was 12-years-old and staying with my grandmother,'' said the 47-year-old mother and grandmother. "I've been crying all day."
On Wednesday, Tarrant police delivered two truckloads of groceries to the woman, who on Saturday was caught stealing five eggs from the nearby Dollar General. Instead of arresting Johnson, Tarrant Police Officer William Stacy bought her a carton of eggs and sent her home with the promise to never shoplift again.
That in itself, Johnson said, was a blessing. But those blessings now seem to have taken on a life of their own. Tarrant police said they've received calls from across the United States and world since hearing of Johnson's plight. People have offered food, money and clothing.
It's been so overwhelming, said Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno, he had to bring in a second police dispatcher to handle the volume of calls. Police officials today also set up a fund at People's First Federal Credit Union on Ford Avenue in Tarrant to benefit the Johnson family.
"It's growing and growing and growing,'' Reno said. " A guy called me from New York and just broke down. He said for two months he's been angry with police, and he said this has totally changed his mind."
A food bank from Memphis is set to arrive in Tarrant this evening. "This woman's getting plenty of food,'' the chief said. "She shouldn't be hungry for a while."
What a difference a week makes. Johnson's two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren, ages 1 and 3, live with her in their Tarrant home. The kids' mother gets a welfare check - $120 a month - but that check was lost in the mail. Johnson herself gets a disability check, which is set to come this week.
By Saturday, the family had gone two days without food. Johnson went to Dollar General on Pinson Valley Parkway with $1.25 and thought that would be enough to buy a carton of eggs. When she realized she was 50 cents plus tax short, she stuffed five eggs in her pocket out of desperation.
She didn't get far. "Of course when I put them in my jacket pocket they broke,'' Johnson said in an earlier interview. "I'm not a good thief at all."
A store worker stopped Johnson and asked her if she had taken the eggs. She said she did, and they said they had already called the police.
By the time she got to the door, Tarrant police Officer William Stacy was there, and told her to stay put. The officer said he'd already talked to Dollar General officials and they said they weren't going to press charges.
Johnson didn't know that, and said she was waiting for him to bring out the handcuffs. Instead, he went into the store and came back out with a carton of eggs. "She started crying, she got very emotional and was very apologetic,'' Stacy said. "She tried to give me the money she had on her, $1.25."
Johnson said she was stunned. "I was like, 'Oh my God, thank you Jesus for this man,''' she said. "He is my hero."
Stacy said he can remember times growing up when his mother had trouble finding ways to feed him and his sister. He had been on a call to Johnson's house once before, and had gotten a glimpse of the living conditions. The furnishings are sparse, and the family sleeps on mattresses on the floor.
"The story she told me Saturday matched up with what I had seen when I was there,'' he said. "I felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to pass judgment on her."
She asked how she could repay him, and he told her to not shoplift again. "Sometimes the best route is to not arrest,'' Stacy said. "I hope she won't do it again. I pray she doesn't, and I don't think she will."
Johnson asked Stacy if she could hug him, and he said yes. Unbeknownst to both of them, a man named Robert "Dollar" Tripp filmed the scene on his cell phone and later posted it on his Facebook with the hashtag "feelgoodstoryoftheday."
The story went viral. On Tuesday, Tarrant police showed up at her home. "I was shook and so scared," she said. "I thought it was about the eggs. My grandbaby said, 'Are you going to jail?' and I said I hoped not."
Instead, Tarrant police took Johnson to headquarters, where they signed her up for the annual Tarrant Toy Drive, and also are helping to coordinate the offers of food and clothing also pouring in, said Tarrant police Sgt. Larry Rice.
On Wednesday, Stacy and Officer Jay Jenkins took two loads of food to Johnson's apartment. She couldn't stop crying, and she couldn't stop hugging Stacy. "I just busted out and started hollering,'' Johnson said of all the food delivered to her home. "I was yelling so loud. I would have been a good cheerleader."
With help from a nearby church, Johnson spent much of Wednesday reorganizing her kitchen cabinets to make room for all the food. The family, who by Tuesday was down to one slice of bread, had their pick of what to eat.
So what did they eat? "Cereal,'' she said. "That's our favorite."
Her grandchildren were also happy to see the officers at their apartment. "You back?" said 3-year-old Tamarose, as she grabbed various cans of food to show the family.
Asked what she would do if someone else in need asked her for a slice of bread, she said, "I would give them the whole loaf. And then I would give them Officer Stacy's number."
Johnson said her life is forever changed because of the actions of Stacy and the Tarrant Police Department. "My heart,'' she said, "is wide open right now."
Anyone who wants to make a donation to Johnson can do so at People's First Federal Credit Union. Checks should be made payable to the Tarrant Police Charity Fund c/o the Johnson Family. Checks can be mailed to the bank at 1140 Ford Avenue, Tarrant, Alabama 35217.
"The last time I saw my house this full, I was 12-years-old and staying with my grandmother,'' said the 47-year-old mother and grandmother. "I've been crying all day."
On Wednesday, Tarrant police delivered two truckloads of groceries to the woman, who on Saturday was caught stealing five eggs from the nearby Dollar General. Instead of arresting Johnson, Tarrant Police Officer William Stacy bought her a carton of eggs and sent her home with the promise to never shoplift again.
That in itself, Johnson said, was a blessing. But those blessings now seem to have taken on a life of their own. Tarrant police said they've received calls from across the United States and world since hearing of Johnson's plight. People have offered food, money and clothing.
It's been so overwhelming, said Tarrant Police Chief Dennis Reno, he had to bring in a second police dispatcher to handle the volume of calls. Police officials today also set up a fund at People's First Federal Credit Union on Ford Avenue in Tarrant to benefit the Johnson family.
"It's growing and growing and growing,'' Reno said. " A guy called me from New York and just broke down. He said for two months he's been angry with police, and he said this has totally changed his mind."
A food bank from Memphis is set to arrive in Tarrant this evening. "This woman's getting plenty of food,'' the chief said. "She shouldn't be hungry for a while."
What a difference a week makes. Johnson's two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren, ages 1 and 3, live with her in their Tarrant home. The kids' mother gets a welfare check - $120 a month - but that check was lost in the mail. Johnson herself gets a disability check, which is set to come this week.
By Saturday, the family had gone two days without food. Johnson went to Dollar General on Pinson Valley Parkway with $1.25 and thought that would be enough to buy a carton of eggs. When she realized she was 50 cents plus tax short, she stuffed five eggs in her pocket out of desperation.
She didn't get far. "Of course when I put them in my jacket pocket they broke,'' Johnson said in an earlier interview. "I'm not a good thief at all."
A store worker stopped Johnson and asked her if she had taken the eggs. She said she did, and they said they had already called the police.
By the time she got to the door, Tarrant police Officer William Stacy was there, and told her to stay put. The officer said he'd already talked to Dollar General officials and they said they weren't going to press charges.
Johnson didn't know that, and said she was waiting for him to bring out the handcuffs. Instead, he went into the store and came back out with a carton of eggs. "She started crying, she got very emotional and was very apologetic,'' Stacy said. "She tried to give me the money she had on her, $1.25."
Johnson said she was stunned. "I was like, 'Oh my God, thank you Jesus for this man,''' she said. "He is my hero."
Stacy said he can remember times growing up when his mother had trouble finding ways to feed him and his sister. He had been on a call to Johnson's house once before, and had gotten a glimpse of the living conditions. The furnishings are sparse, and the family sleeps on mattresses on the floor.
"The story she told me Saturday matched up with what I had seen when I was there,'' he said. "I felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to pass judgment on her."
She asked how she could repay him, and he told her to not shoplift again. "Sometimes the best route is to not arrest,'' Stacy said. "I hope she won't do it again. I pray she doesn't, and I don't think she will."
Johnson asked Stacy if she could hug him, and he said yes. Unbeknownst to both of them, a man named Robert "Dollar" Tripp filmed the scene on his cell phone and later posted it on his Facebook with the hashtag "feelgoodstoryoftheday."
The story went viral. On Tuesday, Tarrant police showed up at her home. "I was shook and so scared," she said. "I thought it was about the eggs. My grandbaby said, 'Are you going to jail?' and I said I hoped not."
Instead, Tarrant police took Johnson to headquarters, where they signed her up for the annual Tarrant Toy Drive, and also are helping to coordinate the offers of food and clothing also pouring in, said Tarrant police Sgt. Larry Rice.
On Wednesday, Stacy and Officer Jay Jenkins took two loads of food to Johnson's apartment. She couldn't stop crying, and she couldn't stop hugging Stacy. "I just busted out and started hollering,'' Johnson said of all the food delivered to her home. "I was yelling so loud. I would have been a good cheerleader."
With help from a nearby church, Johnson spent much of Wednesday reorganizing her kitchen cabinets to make room for all the food. The family, who by Tuesday was down to one slice of bread, had their pick of what to eat.
So what did they eat? "Cereal,'' she said. "That's our favorite."
Her grandchildren were also happy to see the officers at their apartment. "You back?" said 3-year-old Tamarose, as she grabbed various cans of food to show the family.
Asked what she would do if someone else in need asked her for a slice of bread, she said, "I would give them the whole loaf. And then I would give them Officer Stacy's number."
Johnson said her life is forever changed because of the actions of Stacy and the Tarrant Police Department. "My heart,'' she said, "is wide open right now."
Anyone who wants to make a donation to Johnson can do so at People's First Federal Credit Union. Checks should be made payable to the Tarrant Police Charity Fund c/o the Johnson Family. Checks can be mailed to the bank at 1140 Ford Avenue, Tarrant, Alabama 35217.
Hong Kong Banks Shut Down US Accounts Rather Than Deal with FATCA
Subj: HONG KONG BANKS SHUT DOWN US ACCOUNTS RATHER THAT DEAL WITH
FATCA
HI,
Hong Kong Banks Shut Down US Accounts Rather Than Deal with FATCA
Posted on December 18, 2014 by China Briefing By Benedict Lynn
Due to its geographical proximity to the mainland, modern and (until now) friendly banking system and transparent legal regime, Hong Kong has long served as a popular gateway into China for foreign businesses. Americans in particular have favored the former British colony, which retains its widespread use of the English language and Western business ideals, as a launching pad for their operations into mainland China.
However, since the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) came into effect in early July, many Hong Kong based banks have been refusing to open new accounts for, and even shutting down the existing accounts of, American individuals and corporations.
Dezan Shira & Associates have been advising several of our American clients who have found themselves in this frustrating and potentially catastrophic situation. In this article, we examine the effects of FATCA on American businesses and taxpayers operating out of Hong Kong, as well as the implications for Hong Kong’s future as a means of penetrating the Chinese market.
What is FATCA?
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is an American law approved in 2010 that has only slowly been implemented, primarily because of its complexity and because of the necessity to negotiate the cooperation of numerous foreign countries to secure its desired global reach.
The basic idea is that banks and other financial institutions (broadly defined in the law) would be compelled to assist the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in collecting taxes from US taxpayers abroad by reporting the details of their overseas financial accounts, including naming and identifying the account holder. Failure to comply will result in a 30 percent withholding tax on all U.S. income.
Individual Americans and corporations are also required to report the details of their overseas accounts, and the IRS will then reconcile the information received in an effort to identify unreported, taxable income.
Headache for HK financial institutions
Hong Kong authorities only signed an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with Washington in May of this year. Widespread confusion surrounding the law meant that come the first deadline for tax reporting on July 1, which incidentally kicked in as pro-democracy protesters blocked up the city’s business district, only a couple of thousand Hong Kong financial institutions, a mere fraction of the tens of thousands operating there, had registered themselves.
Now that the IGA has been signed, FATCA is as much Hong Kong law as it is American. This means that on top of the U.S. 30 percent withholding tax, these institutions are subject to further penalties from the Hong Kong authorities. The costs do not stop there. Hong Kong banks are now scrambling to find any trace of American presence in their accounts and are having to make significant process and technological changes.
One major Hong Kong bank revealed to DSA that the costs of locating, monitoring and reporting on a U.S. held or controlled account costs at least US$ 7000 a month. Our source indicated that once the costs and benefits of serving the client have been weighed up, only accounts containing some US$ three million are worth the bank’s time. In short, it is often easier and more cost efficient for Hong Kong institutions to simply shut down the accounts of, or reject applications from, American clients, rather than shouldering the costs of complying with FATCA or the penalties for not doing so.
What this means for our American clients:
Key to using a Hong Kong corporation to establish a Chinese subsidiary is the ability open and maintain a corporate bank account in Hong Kong, since a Chinese subsidiary may only receive a capital injection from a bank account held in the name of the parent company.
This has left many American businesses stranded. In some cases, the subsidiary has already been established, but cannot be funded or controlled, as applications for a Hong Kong bank account are rejected. In others, long-running operations are paralyzed, as already existing accounts are shut down.
There are some 50 000 US citizens living in Hong Kong, not including US green card holders who are also required to file US tax returns. Law firms specializing in the area have been reporting record numbers of inquiries about relinquishing US citizenship or green card status.
What this means for Hong Kong:
This has implications for Hong Kong’s future as the preferred gateway into China. Singapore has already replaced Mauritius as the leading source of FDI into India, and investors have long been weighing up the advantages of the city state – its independence from China’s laws and political stability – against Hong Kong’s proximity to, and strong trade links with, the mainland. FATCA may prove to be the final straw.
- See more at: http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2014/12/18/hong-kong-banks-shut-us-accounts-rather-deal-fatca.html#sthash.f40QDBVB.dpuf
**********
walkingstick » December 18th, 2014, 3:01 pm
FOR, EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE/S..
Justice Department Probes Currency Exchange Site That Vanished With Cash
By David Evans and Willem Marx Dec 18, 2014 12:01 AM ET
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal investigation into the foreign exchange trading website Secureinvestment.com, which vanished last May 1 with as much as $1 billion from investors around the world.
The Financial and Capital Market Commission in Latvia is also probing the involvement of Latvian banks used by Secure Investment, says agency spokeswoman Elina Avotina.
An investigator with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York has interviewed Secure investors in the U.S. and Canada, according to the people who were contacted. Two of those people were quoted in “Anything But Secure” in the December issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine. Bloomberg had interviewed customers in 11 countries on five continents who said they saw their money evaporate with Secure Investment when its website disappeared.
“They’re not going to be able to hide forever,” says Ted Liming, a worker in a fast food restaurant in Watford City, North Dakota. Liming invested his savings of $21,725 with Secure Investment. “One day their partying with our money will be over.”
Liming says he has provided copies of his wire transfers to Secure Investment’s bank accounts to a federal investigator.
David Kane, a Houston oil industry technical support manager, also says he spoke to the Justice Department.
‘Feels Good’
“I think the guys behind this could be tracked down if people put an effort into it,” says Kane, who lost $2,000 to Secure. “It feels good that someone in law enforcement is taking an interest in it.”
Nellin McIntosh, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, declined to comment. No one at Secure Investment has responded to calls or e-mails since May 1.
Secure had claimed on its website that it traded more than $4.8 billion daily for at least 100,000 investors in 140 countries. The site said its customers averaged net gains of 1 percent each trading day for five years.
By using banks around the world and small related company names for accounts, Secure Investment obscured the paper trail of investor funds it took in, Markets reported. Some of those banks were in Latvia, in the Baltic region of northern Europe.
Latvia’s Financial and Capital Market Commission is investigating the role those banks played with Secure Investment, says agency spokeswoman Avotina. “Upon receipt of information from credit institutions, the FCMC will assess whether the credit institutions had acted in accordance with the provisions of regulatory requirements,” she says.
Never Revealed
Secure Investment, which investors found only on the Internet, never revealed its true location. It listed its call centers’ toll-free phone numbers in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the U.K. and the U.S. Secure instructed investors to wire their cash to banks in Australia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Seychelles.
Secure Investment lured customers by creating its own good reputation and by publishing a seemingly successful trading record on its elaborate website. It was all a lie, Bloomberg Markets reported. The company’s claims to have offices and a large staff were false. At least some of its so-called customer testimonials were actually delivered by actors who said they knew nothing about Secure Investment.
The deception worked -- for a while. In March, Secure’s website was more popular than Forex.com, the second-largest U.S.-based, over-the-counter forex trading firm, according to Alexa.com, a unit of Amazon.com Inc.
North Dakota restaurant worker Liming says he was among those who followed the Secure Investment website postings before he invested. He says he can’t forget the cold shivers he felt as his e-mails to the customer service department came back undeliverable in May, and he couldn’t reach the company by phone.
“It was like someone had drained the blood out of my body,” he says. “I felt very sick. It was like the flu and hangover had a baby together.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/justice-department-probes-forex-site-that-vanished-with-cash.html
Hong Kong Banks Shut Down US Accounts Rather Than Deal with FATCA
Posted on December 18, 2014 by China Briefing By Benedict Lynn
Due to its geographical proximity to the mainland, modern and (until now) friendly banking system and transparent legal regime, Hong Kong has long served as a popular gateway into China for foreign businesses. Americans in particular have favored the former British colony, which retains its widespread use of the English language and Western business ideals, as a launching pad for their operations into mainland China.
However, since the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) came into effect in early July, many Hong Kong based banks have been refusing to open new accounts for, and even shutting down the existing accounts of, American individuals and corporations.
Dezan Shira & Associates have been advising several of our American clients who have found themselves in this frustrating and potentially catastrophic situation. In this article, we examine the effects of FATCA on American businesses and taxpayers operating out of Hong Kong, as well as the implications for Hong Kong’s future as a means of penetrating the Chinese market.
What is FATCA?
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is an American law approved in 2010 that has only slowly been implemented, primarily because of its complexity and because of the necessity to negotiate the cooperation of numerous foreign countries to secure its desired global reach.
The basic idea is that banks and other financial institutions (broadly defined in the law) would be compelled to assist the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in collecting taxes from US taxpayers abroad by reporting the details of their overseas financial accounts, including naming and identifying the account holder. Failure to comply will result in a 30 percent withholding tax on all U.S. income.
Individual Americans and corporations are also required to report the details of their overseas accounts, and the IRS will then reconcile the information received in an effort to identify unreported, taxable income.
Headache for HK financial institutions
Hong Kong authorities only signed an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with Washington in May of this year. Widespread confusion surrounding the law meant that come the first deadline for tax reporting on July 1, which incidentally kicked in as pro-democracy protesters blocked up the city’s business district, only a couple of thousand Hong Kong financial institutions, a mere fraction of the tens of thousands operating there, had registered themselves.
Now that the IGA has been signed, FATCA is as much Hong Kong law as it is American. This means that on top of the U.S. 30 percent withholding tax, these institutions are subject to further penalties from the Hong Kong authorities. The costs do not stop there. Hong Kong banks are now scrambling to find any trace of American presence in their accounts and are having to make significant process and technological changes.
One major Hong Kong bank revealed to DSA that the costs of locating, monitoring and reporting on a U.S. held or controlled account costs at least US$ 7000 a month. Our source indicated that once the costs and benefits of serving the client have been weighed up, only accounts containing some US$ three million are worth the bank’s time. In short, it is often easier and more cost efficient for Hong Kong institutions to simply shut down the accounts of, or reject applications from, American clients, rather than shouldering the costs of complying with FATCA or the penalties for not doing so.
What this means for our American clients:
Key to using a Hong Kong corporation to establish a Chinese subsidiary is the ability open and maintain a corporate bank account in Hong Kong, since a Chinese subsidiary may only receive a capital injection from a bank account held in the name of the parent company.
This has left many American businesses stranded. In some cases, the subsidiary has already been established, but cannot be funded or controlled, as applications for a Hong Kong bank account are rejected. In others, long-running operations are paralyzed, as already existing accounts are shut down.
There are some 50 000 US citizens living in Hong Kong, not including US green card holders who are also required to file US tax returns. Law firms specializing in the area have been reporting record numbers of inquiries about relinquishing US citizenship or green card status.
What this means for Hong Kong:
This has implications for Hong Kong’s future as the preferred gateway into China. Singapore has already replaced Mauritius as the leading source of FDI into India, and investors have long been weighing up the advantages of the city state – its independence from China’s laws and political stability – against Hong Kong’s proximity to, and strong trade links with, the mainland. FATCA may prove to be the final straw.
- See more at: http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2014/12/18/hong-kong-banks-shut-us-accounts-rather-deal-fatca.html#sthash.f40QDBVB.dpuf
**********
walkingstick » December 18th, 2014, 3:01 pm
FOR, EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE/S..
Justice Department Probes Currency Exchange Site That Vanished With Cash
By David Evans and Willem Marx Dec 18, 2014 12:01 AM ET
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal investigation into the foreign exchange trading website Secureinvestment.com, which vanished last May 1 with as much as $1 billion from investors around the world.
The Financial and Capital Market Commission in Latvia is also probing the involvement of Latvian banks used by Secure Investment, says agency spokeswoman Elina Avotina.
An investigator with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York has interviewed Secure investors in the U.S. and Canada, according to the people who were contacted. Two of those people were quoted in “Anything But Secure” in the December issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine. Bloomberg had interviewed customers in 11 countries on five continents who said they saw their money evaporate with Secure Investment when its website disappeared.
“They’re not going to be able to hide forever,” says Ted Liming, a worker in a fast food restaurant in Watford City, North Dakota. Liming invested his savings of $21,725 with Secure Investment. “One day their partying with our money will be over.”
Liming says he has provided copies of his wire transfers to Secure Investment’s bank accounts to a federal investigator.
David Kane, a Houston oil industry technical support manager, also says he spoke to the Justice Department.
‘Feels Good’
“I think the guys behind this could be tracked down if people put an effort into it,” says Kane, who lost $2,000 to Secure. “It feels good that someone in law enforcement is taking an interest in it.”
Nellin McIntosh, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, declined to comment. No one at Secure Investment has responded to calls or e-mails since May 1.
Secure had claimed on its website that it traded more than $4.8 billion daily for at least 100,000 investors in 140 countries. The site said its customers averaged net gains of 1 percent each trading day for five years.
By using banks around the world and small related company names for accounts, Secure Investment obscured the paper trail of investor funds it took in, Markets reported. Some of those banks were in Latvia, in the Baltic region of northern Europe.
Latvia’s Financial and Capital Market Commission is investigating the role those banks played with Secure Investment, says agency spokeswoman Avotina. “Upon receipt of information from credit institutions, the FCMC will assess whether the credit institutions had acted in accordance with the provisions of regulatory requirements,” she says.
Never Revealed
Secure Investment, which investors found only on the Internet, never revealed its true location. It listed its call centers’ toll-free phone numbers in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the U.K. and the U.S. Secure instructed investors to wire their cash to banks in Australia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Seychelles.
Secure Investment lured customers by creating its own good reputation and by publishing a seemingly successful trading record on its elaborate website. It was all a lie, Bloomberg Markets reported. The company’s claims to have offices and a large staff were false. At least some of its so-called customer testimonials were actually delivered by actors who said they knew nothing about Secure Investment.
The deception worked -- for a while. In March, Secure’s website was more popular than Forex.com, the second-largest U.S.-based, over-the-counter forex trading firm, according to Alexa.com, a unit of Amazon.com Inc.
North Dakota restaurant worker Liming says he was among those who followed the Secure Investment website postings before he invested. He says he can’t forget the cold shivers he felt as his e-mails to the customer service department came back undeliverable in May, and he couldn’t reach the company by phone.
“It was like someone had drained the blood out of my body,” he says. “I felt very sick. It was like the flu and hangover had a baby together.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/justice-department-probes-forex-site-that-vanished-with-cash.html
NAZI-Communist Bitch George Soros Has Now Crossed the Line
TOM
HENEGHAN INTELLIGENCE BRIEFINGS
ALL Patriot Americans MUST know with sources inside
American/European intelligence agencies and INTERPOL
reporting what is really going on behind the scenes of the
corporate-controlled, fascist, extortion-friendly
propaganda U.S. media's massive deceptions
Protect
and defend YOUR Constitution Bill of Rights,
the Supreme Law of the United States
http://www.tomheneghanbriefings.com/
https://twitter.com/Tom_Heneghan
Thursday December 18, 2014
NAZI-Communist Bitch George Soros Has Now Crossed the Line
source
UNITED States of
America - It can now be reported that
North Korea has been the headquarters for the privately owned U.S.
Federal Reserve and the Central Bank of Japan (BoJ) ponzi scheme with
NAZI-Communist Jew George Soros' hedge fund as the major enabler.
Hungarian
NAZI Jew Soros has conspired with the BoJ, U.S. Citibank and the Saudi
Royal Family to attack the Russian ruble as to create
cross-collateralized, undermargined foreign currency derivatives to
support U.S. and Japanese equity crisis.
Soros has no cash now given his losses in the gold market but uses
crooked offshore entities that allow him to use liabilities aka bank
I.O.U.s as assets.
Soros directly conspired with the Obama Administration and the Saudi
Royal Family aka closet Zionists to attack the price of oil and
overnight futures markets as to further depreciate the Russian ruble on
behalf of the privately owned U.S. Federal Reserve and the Central Bank
of Japan's ponzi scheme.
The
criminal Obama Administration and the current compromised and
blackmailed Japanese government has allowed Soros, on behalf of
Ukrainian NAZIS, to use the pension funds of both American and Japanese
citizens as collateral in this latest financial looting operation.
At this hour, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has had enough!
P.S.
It is important to remember that NAZI-Communist Jew Soros, along with
the Bush-Clinton Crime Family Syndicate, helped financed, along with the
Japanese mafia Yakuza, the North Korean nuclear facilities that were
then used as a cover to disguise the financial criminality that took
place on behalf of the Japanese mafia, the Central Bank of Japan and the
Bush-Clinton Crime Family Syndicate.
In
closing, as we approach WWIII, it is important to note that Russian
Federation President Vladimir Putin has and always will be a devout
Orthodox Christian who opposes abortion and homosexuality and tyranny.
Putin knows very well that current alleged fraudulent pResident (the
False One) Barack Hussein Obama is a note homosexual and bisexual who
received oral sex while doing cocaine in a limousine from Larry Sinclair
of Chicago, Illinois.
Vladimir Putin also know through his Intelligence sources, including
French Intelligence, that former U.S. illegal White House occupant
George W. BushFRAUD was also a rabid homosexual and bisexual who
continues sex on a regular basis with his former college roommate and
'Skull and Bones' member Victor Ashe and had at least 38 visits in the
White House from body builder and his homosexual lover Jeff Gannon.
And last but not least, is former First Lady and New York Senator
Hillary Rodenhurst Clinton (elected twice without opposition and
conspired in the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr. who would have
beaten her hands down in 2000 Senatorial race) remains a Satanic, 5th
degree lesbian witch, who is actually related to 5th degree NAZI bitch
Barbara Bush.
George
Soros may be appointed head of National Bank of Ukraine
http://en.apa.az/-_220617.html
http://en.apa.az/-_220617.html
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