What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money - Introvert Whisperer What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money? Salary sacrificing is a common term you might have come across during your employment. Also known as salary packaging, it’s a popular method of saving money by making purchases from your salary before it’s taxed. Sacrificing your salary isn’t a new concept for employees, but many people are misguided in believing it’s too hard or not worth organising. While there are many myths about salary sacrifice, lowering your taxes and arranging clever payment plans are just some of the benefits employees can profit from. What is Salary Sacrifice? Salary sacrifice is an arrangement between you and your employer, where you can reduce your salary in exchange for the same value in a variety of purchases, known as ‘benefits’. Employers may offer the option of a salary sacrifice to attract new employees or as an incentive to increase productivity. The advantage of salary sacrificing is that it lets you reduce your income before it’s assessed for taxation, allowing you to purchase goods or services that you would normally buy, while reducing your tax bill. Products like cars and computers, as well as services such as childcare or voluntary superannuation contributions can all be salary sacrificed, although they each come with different conditions. How Does It Work? When organising a salary sacrifice with your employer, it’s best to draft a written agreement as it will clearly establish the terms and conditions for both parties. Once agreed upon, your employer will deduct a nominated portion of your income before each pay cycle, which will then be spent on the arranged benefits. The remaining amount of your pay will then be taxed and deposited into your account as usual. Salary sacrificing must be arranged before you begin earning your salary for that payment period and cannot be retrospective. Salary sacrifice normally benefits the employee more than the employer, as the employer will be charged with administrative and other fees. In Australia, your employer must pay Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on certain types of benefits. The value of these benefits will be recorded and will contribute to assessing your Medicare levy surcharge, tax offsets and eligibility for Government benefits. What Can You Salary Sacrifice? Depending on your employer, almost any product, service or purchase can be paid for with a salary sacrifice. Benefits will fall into one of three main categories. Fringe Benefits: This category is for benefits that will appear on your tax summary and which your employer must pay FBT on. It is the broadest category and includes options such as: Salary sacrifice cars Car loans Health Insurance School fees Childcare fees Personal expenses Benefits that are a part of this category, but will not appear on your end of year payment summary are known as ‘non-reportable fringe benefits’ and can include entertainment and car parking. Exempt Benefits: These benefits are associated with providing a useful function to your work. Your employer will not have to pay FBT on these benefits and they will not be recorded on your yearly tax summary. They can include: Computer software Tools of the trade Briefcases Portable electronic devices, such as laptops or phones Protective clothing Superannuation: Salary sacrificed employee contributions to your superannuation will be taxed by your super fund at 15%, which can be much lower than your normal tax rate. Sacrificing into super can also benefit employers, as they do not have to pay FBT on this benefit. Employers are more likely to offer the option of salary sacrificing into superannuation than other benefits, as it is a relatively simple process with fewer fees. Make sure to check with your employer about what benefits they are willing to offer. Salary Sacrificing Your Car Salary sacrificing is one of the best ways to finance larger and delayed purchases such as a car. In what’s known as a novated lease, you can arrange to lease a car of your choice from a car company and have your employer manage payments from your pre-tax salary. A novated lease package on a car can also include running costs such as registration, fuel, maintenance and insurance. Not only does this make owning a new car much simpler and more affordable, deductions for the lease all take place before the final calculation of your tax, allowing you to save money at tax time with a lower salary. Contrary to popular belief, salary sacrificing is easy to set up and can be a great way for employees at almost any income level to save money. Consider talking to your employer today about the possibility of a salary sacrifice. Author’s Bio: This article was written by Daniel Defendi, who writes for Easifleet in Perth. You can catch him on Google+ to discuss this piece. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How to Sing Jazz Like a Pro in Five Steps

How to Sing Jazz Like a Pro in Five Steps Sign up successful 2. Remember to Breathe If a singer were a car, breath would be gasoline. The better you get at breathing like a singer, the longer you will be able to sing without taking a breath. To breathe like a singer, stand up straight but not stiff. Place your hands on your ribcage (above your waist) so that your four fingers are on the front of your ribcage and your thumbs are on the back. Take in a slow breath, trying to feel your ribcage expanding outward in every direction. This is how you should breathe when you sing. 3. Speak Easy Much of jazz singing occurs on the same pitches we use when we speak. Thinking of singing as projected singing makes it much easier. Using your “singer breath,” practice projecting words and phrases from a song as normal speech. Now, add the notes back in, maintaining the speech-like quality. Use a mirror to make sure your body and face stay relaxed as you sing. 4. Lift That Palate The soft palate is the squishy muscle right behind your hard palate in your mouth. This muscle moves up and down to seal your nasal tract off from the rest of your mouth and throat. Singers use the soft palate to keep air from escaping from the nose during singing, since singing out of the nose produces a nasal sound quality. To lift your soft palate, pretend you smell something awful but have shopping bags in both of your hands. Practice “plugging” your nose this way without actually touching it. Test whether your soft palate is up by singing a note, raising the palate, and plugging and unplugging your nose with your fingers. If the sound quality changes, your soft palate isn’t all the way up. 5. Exercise Your Weaknesses As you practice jazz songs, you might notice that some parts are harder than others. Study the parts that are hardest. Why are they hard? Are there fast-moving notes? Is there a large leap? Try practicing these parts slowly, taking the words out and using a single vowel (such as ‘E’ or ‘Ah’). Find vocal exercises that address that particular issue, and work them into your warm-up routine. All That Jazz With the right songs and some practice, you can quickly learn how to sing jazz well. Use your new skills to blow people’s minds at open mic night, or just to have fun while you sing along to Ella Fitzgerald in the car. No matter where you take your jazzy abilities, remember the number one rule for singing: have fun! Elaina R. teaches opera voice and singing in Ann Arbor, MI, as well as through online lessons. She is currently  working on a Master of Music at the University of Michigan, and she has a B.M. from the University of Southern California. Learn more about Elaina here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  ataelw

Using Adjectives as Nouns English Grammar Video and Exercise

Using Adjectives as Nouns English Grammar Video and Exercise In English we can talk about categories by turning an adjective into a noun. This can be especially helpful when writing and it should be studied by anyone taking the TOEFL, CAE, IELTS, or First Certificate tests. We take the adjective and add the definite article the in front of it, i.g. good-the good: The good always wins in movies.It makes it easier to talk about groups of people, specifically in social terms. For example, poor people = the poor. We dont often want to make generalizations of groups of people saying they all have similar qualities, however it is useful and efficient when discussing political and social policies. Watch the video and see if you can complete the exercise below:Transform the following sentences using adjectives as nouns. Example: Old people and young people need to come together on the issue of public transportation. The old and the young need to come together on the issue of public transportation.1. Educated people are running the country. 2. Rich pe ople have a lot of advantages over poor people. 3. Old people are encouraged to get the flu shot. 4. Homeless men, women, and children are advised to find shelter in churches or public shelters for the next few night. 5. Unemployed people should move to find work. 6. Living people must respect the wishes of the dead.Now fill in the gap with (a, the, or ) 1. My grandmother was ______ poor growing up. 2. The government doesnt help ______poor these days. 3. Mario is _____ right for this job. 4. I think Andrew is ______ right person for this job. 5. Her boyfriend is quite a bit older than her but he is _____nice. 6. ______good should triumph over _______bad in the end.

How to get into The Lady Eleanor Holles School

How to get into The Lady Eleanor Holles School The Lady Eleanor Holles School Type: Independent day school for girls, ages 7 - 18 Fees: Junior School: £5,231 Senior School: £6,315 Registration fee: £100 Deposit: £1,300 The Lady Eleanor Holles School fees include stationary and textbooks. Given sufficient notice, the deposit will also be refunded upon your daughter’s leave from the school. For more details, please contact LEH’s Director of Finance. Current Head: Heather Hanbury About The Lady Eleanor Holles School LEH was founded in the early eighteenth century under the will of its namesake, Lady Eleanor Holles. Thirteen miles from the London city centre, the 24 acre school site rests in the middle of Hampton, Middlesex, and boasts an indoor swimming pool, Learning Resources Centre, Boat House, and a new Arts Centre. LEH aims to encourage each of its 860 pupils to “develop her values, individuality, strength of character and purpose, and her particular talents, so that she may not only gain personal fulfillment, but be a responsible member of society.” Why is it so popular? In 2015, 80% of LEH A Level candidates and 96% of GCSE candidates received A or A* at their respective examinations. In addition to their high academic achievements, LEH maintains their reputation for excellence in sports and music, and offers opportunities for girls to grow in co-educational spaces with the Hampton School for boys right next door. How do I know if The Lady Eleanor Holles School is right for me? LEH’s Open Events provide you and your daughter with the opportunity to tour the school site, meet students and pupils, and chat with senior staff before deciding whether you would like to apply to the school. The next Open Mornings for Junior School (7+) will be on the 8th and 15th November. The  Senior School (11+) Open Morning will be on 1st, 6th, 17th and 22nd November.  Contact the Registrar to book your place for the Senior School and Sixth Form events and entrance exams. Admissions Policy Girls looking to get into The Lady Eleanor Holles School at 7+ or 11+ must complete and return their registration form, registration fee, and two identical passport sized photographs to the Registrar before 1st December the year prior to entry. Likewise, girls entering Sixth Form must also complete and return their registration form, registration fee, and two identical passport sized photographs to the Registrar before 10th October the year prior to entry. What are The Lady Eleanor Holles School interviews and examinations like, and how can I do well? If your daughter is entering at 7+, she will first sit two tests in English and Mathematics. LEH will base her academic potential on these results and, if she does well, will invite her to participate in a group activity day with other candidates to assess her social skills and attitude. If your daughter is entering at 11+, she will also sit tests in English and Mathematics, as well as in Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. If LEH thinks your daughter will thrive at their school academically, she will be invited back for an interview. Finally, girls entering at 16+ will write a general Data Analysis paper and four subject specific papers in their nominated A Levels. If your daughter chooses an A Level she has not studied before, she will instead write a entrance examination paper for that subject, the aim of which is to measure her potential, rather than rote knowledge of the subject. As in the lower entry levels, if you daughter does well on her exams, she will be invited to interview with senior members of LEH’s staff. Although LEH does not specify any particular way girls might prepare for their admissions exams and interviews, your daughter may benefit from revising her current school work or writing timed practice tests at home. For an extra boost, consider checking out the number of resource centres available online, or booking a tutor below. Good luck! If you would like more advice on The Lady Eleanor Holles School Admissions: Please note:  Tutorfair is not in anyway affiliated with Lady Elenor Holles School. Tutors who help with school admissions are those who consider they have experience with the admissions process and are completely independent from the school. 1. Search for  11 plus tutors  or Admissions tutors  and your postcode. Tutorfair will show you the top tutors who have the most experience preparing students for entrance exams and interview practice. 2. Contact tutors, view and compare tutor profiles, and send your chosen tutors messages before you buy your lessons. 3. Book and pay for lessons. Pay securely through the website, stress-free: your first hour will be covered by the Tutorfair Satisfaction Guarantee. 4. Make a difference. For every student who pays, we give free tutoring to a child who can't.

Spike in Sexual Harassment Claims What it Means for Society

Spike in Sexual Harassment Claims What it Means for Society Photo Via: http://www.mightynurse.com It feels as if lately the news is plagued with claims of sexual harassment, from FOX to Hollywood and everywhere in between. Disturbing, heartbreaking, and disgusting though this might be, this is a positive thing for society as a whole. I know, that sounds crazy, but it’s true. In recent history, sexual harassment claims have been swept under the rug, and in part, they still are, though their amplification is changing this as well. Can you think of a time before where sexual harassment claims made such high profile news? There haven’t been many cases. Sure, there have been issues of scandal with the likes of Bill Clinton, JFK, Tiger Woods (that list could go on far too long), but in terms of true, legitimate claims of sexual harassment, there haven’t been many. Not until then presidential candidate Donald Trump stirred up some controversy when tapes were released from his past, in which he made derogatory and disturbing comments regarding his actions towards women. And he went on to become the president of the United States. Billy Bush, the other party present during this controversial tape, received a whirlwind of backlash costing him professionally, while a presidential candidate went on to win the election. As disturbing and utterly wrong as this was, it has done some good, as it has turned on a light in similar cases, and we’ve decided almost unanimously that this is no longer something we’re going to stand for as a country. And while it’s slow going, progress is definitely being made. Think of the most recent reports surrounding FOX, where Bill O’Reilly and many others have lost their jobs due to claims made by the women they worked with. Sure, they received massive payouts from FOX, but at least something was done. I’m not saying it was enough, but it was something and that’s a start. And don’t get me wrong, we have miles and miles and miles left to go. But now, advocates against sexual harassment are popping up left and right, male and female victims are gaining the courage necessary to stand up against such harassment, and the media is plastering these cases front page so they aren’t going unnoticed. Even celebrities are being held to a higher scrutiny, if not legally or professionally, then by their colleagues. Think of the recent claims against Casey Affleck his accusers settled out of court and he went on to win an Academy Award for his performance that year, but his colleagues weren’t unanimously in support of his win. Brie Larson, an active advocate for victims of such crimes, silently protested his win, as did some other faces in the theater and across the country that night, and while that may not feel like enough (because it isn’t), again, it’s a start. The more people that advocate for victims, the stronger they will become, and the more such cases will be forced into the  light to bring those responsible to justice. Again, this is not going to be an overnight fix it’s going to take work. It’ll take protests, rallies, legislation, and dedication. The sad truth is, it’ll likely get worse before it gets better, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel; dim as it may be right now, it’s shining brightly at the other end, and it’s only a matter of time before we reach it. So don’t let the news discourage you. Let it enrage you. Let it show you everything you don’t want this country to be. Let it drive you to force change, to stand up for those unable or too scared to stand up for themselves, to demonstrate exactly what’s wrong with our country now, and where that change needs to be implemented. We’re far too overwhelmed with sad news every day. Another shooting in a big city, another missing child, another bomb threat across the world â€" it’s time to start making changes where we can. It’s so easy to blame the victims, to judge them for not speaking up sooner, to blame our justice system for not taking notice, to blame our Congress for not getting ahead of such issues, but the truth is, the more you place blame on those around you, the less likely the problem is going to be resolved. Sure, we’re just college students, but that isn’t to say we can’t do anything  because we can. Look at the Women’s March and the more recent March for Science it’s possible to make moves effectively, non-violently and with purpose. And if we continue to act in that regard, we’ll be seeing the changes we fight for in the near future. So again, we might not be where we’d like to be at this point in time, but we’re making advances that look promising. So keep striving for better!

Irvine AP Tutor 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group

Irvine AP Tutor 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group Tips from a Private Irvine AP Tutor: 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group ASAP Tips from a Private Irvine AP Tutor: 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group ASAP Now that the second semester is in full swing students should be thinking about their AP test prep. Of course, students have been in their AP class the whole year, but now the actual exam is not that far away. Students should be prepared for a full day of testing and prepare themselves for the task at hand by working with their dedicated peers. Unfortunately, many students start their test prep way too late and end up having an anxiety attack over May testing. If students start soon, they can avoid a fair portion of their anxiety through preparation and perseverance dont wait another minute to book your Irvine AP test prep tutor. 1. You know your peers strengths and weaknesses At this point in the school year, it should be clear who is truly dedicated to their AP study and who has developed excellent study skills. Get together with your classmates and look at who can complement one another. For example, perhaps one student is great at analyzing obscure poetry while another has a knack for solving tough calculus problems. Whether youre all in the same course or taking multiple AP courses together, its important to play off each other’s strengths so you can all improve. Remember, the AP exam is graded on a straight scale so it’s possible for everybody to get a 5. 2. Study and review The AP test can cover anything from the entire year as well as from material provided by the College Board. It can be difficult to remember something you learned back in the fall, so its important to split up the tasks of study and review. Attempting to make 500 vocab flashcards is entirely overwhelming for one student but may be possible for a group of five to split. Remembering all of those advanced math formulas might be really tough but, again, when split up between five or six people it wont be that bad. Many students focus on only new material and forget to review. Thus, study groups are essential in this area (READ: Ask a Nerd! Taking the AP Exam). 3. Studying the test prep book AP students are strongly encouraged to get at least one test prep book to help them prepare for the exam. Remember, test prep in any area is its own subject and different from the course itself. Learning to fill in bubbles on an English exam is different from actually knowing English. Test prep will have to be conducted above and beyond content learning. When students work together and study the test prep book they can go through all of the tips and tricks together to figure out how to beat that standardized test. Additionally, many students get frustrated and skip over much of the commentary in their test prep book, much of which contains very useful information. When in a study group, these tasks can be allocated to different members in smaller portions making it easier to complete (READ: SAT and AP Exam Survival Guide). 4. Moral support High school students, especially seniors with other things on their mind, can find it easy to forgo AP study for more exciting activities. However, this can be detrimental to their overall GPA and their college admissions. When students meet once a week or so with their study group they will be holding themselves and each other accountable for any work that needed to get done. Also, when a member of the group is becoming overly stressed out the other members can help by providing moral support and by acting as cheerleaders. Each and every high school student in an AP class will become overwhelmed with the volume of study at some point. Having friends and classmates who are in the same position can be really helpful as a reminder to keep your eye on the prize and remember that an exciting college experience is just around the corner. Get a high score on your AP final with the help of one of our private Irvine AP tutors. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write. Irvine AP Tutor 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group Tips from a Private Irvine AP Tutor: 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group ASAP Tips from a Private Irvine AP Tutor: 4 Reasons You Should Form an AP Study Group ASAP Now that the second semester is in full swing students should be thinking about their AP test prep. Of course, students have been in their AP class the whole year, but now the actual exam is not that far away. Students should be prepared for a full day of testing and prepare themselves for the task at hand by working with their dedicated peers. Unfortunately, many students start their test prep way too late and end up having an anxiety attack over May testing. If students start soon, they can avoid a fair portion of their anxiety through preparation and perseverance dont wait another minute to book your Irvine AP test prep tutor. 1. You know your peers strengths and weaknesses At this point in the school year, it should be clear who is truly dedicated to their AP study and who has developed excellent study skills. Get together with your classmates and look at who can complement one another. For example, perhaps one student is great at analyzing obscure poetry while another has a knack for solving tough calculus problems. Whether youre all in the same course or taking multiple AP courses together, its important to play off each other’s strengths so you can all improve. Remember, the AP exam is graded on a straight scale so it’s possible for everybody to get a 5. 2. Study and review The AP test can cover anything from the entire year as well as from material provided by the College Board. It can be difficult to remember something you learned back in the fall, so its important to split up the tasks of study and review. Attempting to make 500 vocab flashcards is entirely overwhelming for one student but may be possible for a group of five to split. Remembering all of those advanced math formulas might be really tough but, again, when split up between five or six people it wont be that bad. Many students focus on only new material and forget to review. Thus, study groups are essential in this area (READ: Ask a Nerd! Taking the AP Exam). 3. Studying the test prep book AP students are strongly encouraged to get at least one test prep book to help them prepare for the exam. Remember, test prep in any area is its own subject and different from the course itself. Learning to fill in bubbles on an English exam is different from actually knowing English. Test prep will have to be conducted above and beyond content learning. When students work together and study the test prep book they can go through all of the tips and tricks together to figure out how to beat that standardized test. Additionally, many students get frustrated and skip over much of the commentary in their test prep book, much of which contains very useful information. When in a study group, these tasks can be allocated to different members in smaller portions making it easier to complete (READ: SAT and AP Exam Survival Guide). 4. Moral support High school students, especially seniors with other things on their mind, can find it easy to forgo AP study for more exciting activities. However, this can be detrimental to their overall GPA and their college admissions. When students meet once a week or so with their study group they will be holding themselves and each other accountable for any work that needed to get done. Also, when a member of the group is becoming overly stressed out the other members can help by providing moral support and by acting as cheerleaders. Each and every high school student in an AP class will become overwhelmed with the volume of study at some point. Having friends and classmates who are in the same position can be really helpful as a reminder to keep your eye on the prize and remember that an exciting college experience is just around the corner. Get a high score on your AP final with the help of one of our private Irvine AP tutors. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

The Paradise Valley Private School

The Paradise Valley Private School The Paradise Valley Private School The new IB School aspires to be an Inclusive School of the highest educational standards that encourages learners to actualize their potential and become exemplary practitioners of inquiry, rigour, compassion, reflection and creativity. All students will be nurtured to achieve their best regardless of their background or levels of ability. It is an independent, co-educational and inclusive day school governed by an elite Board of Directors. The School serves the needs of local Omani community as well as the demands of an expanding international population for a quality education system and facilities. The school lays emphasis on promoting local language and culture. It will also offer Arabic Language Studies as a part of the Language Acquisition Programme. Islamic Studies Programme and the Social Studies will be taught in Arabic for the native Arabic speakers and for others who may want to opt for it. The school will follow the International Baccalaureate programme under the guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Government of Oman. It will provide holistic education focusing on all Areas of Development based on the philosophy of Pallavan Learning Systems and as governed by the Ministry of Education, Omans guidelines. Starting with Primary Years Programme in September 2019, the school will grow into a full-fledged school offering Middle Years and Diploma Programmes