Archive for May, 2010

Sarkozy whistles ending support purchasing power

May 11, 2010 - 5:17 am Comments Off

At the opening of the Social Summit to be held Monday, May 10th at the Elysee Palace, Nicolas Sarkozy, has declared Monday, May 10 against the renewal of exceptional measures to support the purchasing power of households decided in 2009. "These extraordinary measures have completely fulfilled their duty as French consumption has increased despite the crisis" and "household demand continues to be resilient today," observed the head of state before the social partners.

"I know some of you would like these measures should be renewed," he said, "but you know that France can not remain isolated in this way, it would be disastrous for our competitiveness.""After considerable effort we have provided during the crisis, we must engage now initiate the recovery of our public finances," insisted the head of state.

Nicolas Sarkozy has however decided to extend aid to companies resorting to partial unemployment or recruiting young alternately. Saying that he must "not let down our guard," the president assured commitment to continue to spend on employment policies all means necessary ".

Referring to measures to support the partial unemployment (more than 400,000 beneficiaries in 2009) and conversion of retrenched (CRP CTP), the Head of State said that "we must maintain." It sought to reinforce "still" training employees partial unemployment, whose record was mixed. Mr.Sarkozy has also expressed support for experimentation on several employment areas of the enhanced support of employment transition agreement (SOC) for former interim or ex-CSD. A measure sought by the unions and raised by the government in 2009 but never implemented.

He also briefed the sides met in the Elysee why it was "conducive to the extension of aid to the alternation, ie the State aid paid by employers who recruit a young apprenticeship or contract professionalization. According to the President of the Republic, these aids provide "fragile but encouraging results.We can not risk putting them at risk.

Regarding the measure "zero load" given to very small businesses (fewer than 10 employees) since late 2008, it nevertheless considered that "it has served its purpose at the height of the crisis and is less necessary with the start of the recovery since the fourth quarter of 2009. Such assistance already extended for six months, must be interrupted on June 30 Launched in December 2008, the "Zero charges" is equivalent to one year in aid of 185 euros per month for an employer hiring a worker at minimum wage. Approximately one million workers were recruited under this scheme, which recognizes employers that generates windfall because the company receives assistance even in cases where it would have hired anyway.

Mr.Sarkozy, however, wanted to build this device exemptions from employer contributions to support the hiring "of specific audiences, especially older people, due to an unspecified. The Head of State has asked the Labour Minister Eric Woerth, in conjunction with those of the job (Christine Lagarde, Laurent Wauquiez), to make proposals, finding it interesting to develop tutoring seniors.

Increase CSG retirees bring in three billion euros per year

May 11, 2010 - 5:16 am Comments Off

Officially, the subject is not on the table. For its pension reform, Nicolas Sarkozy ruled out the possibility of reaching the level of pensions – and thus to contribute to today's retirees. However, the idea is more in tune with the times. The economist Patrick Artus and militates in favor of a form of redistribution from older to younger. As the founding Terra Nova, near the PS, it is about to publish a report on the mind-blowing subject. One of its main proposals: align the tax on retirement assets that, while it is now lower.

An idea supported by a growing number of experts. This is the case of Bruno Palier, a researcher at Cevipof and pension specialist: "The rate of the CSG paid by retirees is 6.6% against 7.5% for assets. Align the two already bring in three billion euros per year.The advantage of such a reform, according to the economist: it would spare the poorest pensioners, exempt from income tax, who do not pay either the CSG. "It is quite unfair to say they will tighten the rules only for those who will in the future, while the system is very generous to pensioners today," notes Francois Legendre, an economist at the center of Employment Studies and author of numerous works on pensions.

It must indeed distinguish reforms necessitated by the longer life expectancy than those imposed by the arrival at the age of retirement for many generations of post-war. "Baby boomers French have not taken the necessary measures to ensure the funding of their pensions. It is not normal that this weighs on active today.From this point of view, a transient increase in the CSG of retirees is defensible, "said Antoine Bozio co-signer, Thomas Piketty, of a proposed radical overhaul of the French pension system. According to this expert, the question does not arise if the baby boomers French had at the time they were active themselves, fed a pension reserve fund, as were the Swedes do, and even American …

See also: What you should know about pension reform

Tokyo stocks end down 1.14%

May 11, 2010 - 5:14 am Comments Off

Japanese stocks ended down Tuesday on profit-taking, the euphoria at the European level stabilization dissipating rapidly.

The Nikkei lost 1.14% or 119.60 points to 10,411.10 points and the broader TOPIX, yielded 1.33% or 12.54 points to 932.10 points.

Mizuho Financial has finished in fall of 4.68% to 163 yen on expectations of capital increase.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group lost 3.63% to 2,815 yen, its affiliate that specializes in consumer credit Promise tumbled 17.38% to 713 yen after providing it might be lost.

Toyota Motor ended down 0.7% to 3495 yen, before the publication of its results just after the closing.

The food group Ajinomoto forsaken 3.65% to 818 yen.The company said its operating profit to 57 billion yen this year, down 11% from the previous year and below the consensus of 66.4 billion yen Thomson Reuters I / B / IO

Fannie Mae loses $ 11.5 billion in first quarter

May 11, 2010 - 5:13 am Comments Off

The U.S. agency mortgage refinance Fannie Mae, which had a significant stake in the subprime crisis, said Monday in a loss of 11.5 billion dollars in the first quarter, and asked the federal Treasury to grant further 8.4 billion dollars by the end of June to offset its deficit. "Our first quarter results are due primarily to costs associated with credit, which remain high due to weaknesses in the economy and market américainde residential property," said Fannie Mae said in a statement.

The additional $ 8.4 billion requested to be added for an additional $ 15.3 billion already disbursed by the Treasury on March 31, intended to fill the deficit in December 31, 2009."Given the current trends in housing and financial markets, we continue to expect net deficits in the future, and therefore we will obtain additional funding from Treasury," the company said.

This aid, granted in exchange for preference shares held by U.S. taxpayers also costs for Fannie Mae, who had to pay first quarter dividend of $ 1.5 billion to the federal government, widening its quarterly loss Group share 13.1 billion.

The credit losses increased from the fourth quarter 2009 and first quarter 2010, from 4.1 to 5.1 billion, "reflecting the increased number of defaults, partially offset by a slight reduction in the magnitude of these losses, "the company said.

The rate of seizures has increased in the first quarter, Fannie Mae said: macroeconomic conditions and "the protracted decline in prices of residential property at the national level continue to lead to an increasing proportion of our loans go from being of default than before.

And given the minimum time for them to sell foreclosed properties (unfinished evictions, repairs, legal deadlines to allow property owners to eventually settle their debts to stay home ..), the body just to put on the market properties seizures, delaying the cash flow.

Last week, the other major parastatal mortgage refinancing, Freddie Mac, had published a quarterly loss of 7.980 billion and $ 10.6 billion requested additional assistance from Treasury.

In late March, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had estimated that the reform Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae should expect "a period of greater stability in financial markets." The Treasury had announced in late December that it would close until end 2012 loss of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

The two bodies were placed under the supervision of the U.S. government in September 2008, at the height of the crisis, when they threatened to collapse under the weight of their debt. Since then, the state has pumped hundreds of billions of dollars to keep them afloat.

Pensions: Sarkozy confirms an effort by high income and capital

May 11, 2010 - 5:12 am Comments Off

Nicolas Sarkozy has once again ruled out any increase in compulsory levies to finance the pension reform, but confirmed that efforts would be applied to high income and capital income, Monday, May 10 at the sides.

"There is (…) two solutions that do not seem desirable: touch the pensions of retirees and believe, as so often in the past that rising tax burden would be the answer to all our problems," said M . Sarkozy during his opening statement released by the presidency.

"It would in fact reduce the living standards of the French and penalize growth.I am deeply convinced that a demographic challenge must first demographic responses "such as delaying the age of retirement or increasing the contribution period, he added, referring the issue of pensions, though not the agenda of the Social Summit.

Labour Minister Eric Woerth had mentioned last week, one of the tracks government work, an increase in resources for Old Age Solidarity Fund (FSV), mainly fueled by a fraction of revenues from the CSG (Contribution Sociale generalized).

Nicolas Sarkozy has once again vowed on Monday to trade unions and employers that the planned reform would be "fair", confirming such an "additional financial effort high income and capital income.

The Head of State also confirmed that Eric Woerth made public next week a "guidance document which will indicate the principles set for the reform, which will be a new stage of comprehensive cooperation."

The rescue plan of the euro for Dummies

May 11, 2010 - 5:11 am Comments Off

How will the bailout work of the euro?

To stem the panic that erupted late last week, the states of the euro area have been working throughout the weekend and agreed on a massive rescue plan on several floors, as shown in this graphic.

The ECB breaks a taboo

It is an essential part of rescue plan devised this weekend in Brussels. While he did not hear of it, Jean-Claude Trichet has agreed that the European Central Bank buys government debt. All explanations in this article.