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[ad_1] The U.S. government is laser-focused on uncloaking bad actors hiding behind shell companies to engage in money laundering and other illicit activities and is seeking to adopt new regulations to accomplish that goal — rules that will impact the housing industry. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will require companies to report beneficial-ownership information as part of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The goal of the regulatory push is to prevent criminals from abusing legal corporate entities, such as shell companies, to conceal proceeds from “corrupt and criminal acts,” including using shell companies to launder or conceal illicit funds through the purchase of real estate assets. “Current U.S. law allows those seeking to hide their financial activities to form companies anonymously — without disclosing who ultimately owns and profits from them,” explained Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo in prepared remarks. “That makes moving illicit funds into the U.S. financial system especially enticing for criminals and corrupt actors, and it makes it even more important that the federal government has the tools to prevent and combat it.” Adeyemo said the International Monetary Fund estimates that corruption costs governments around the world some $1 trillion annually in lost tax revenue. A recent White House report outlining the U.S. strategy for countering corruption indicates that in Africa alone, for example, nearly $89 billion — about 3.7% of Africa’s entire gross domestic product — “leaves the continent in the form of illicit capital flight” every year. The same report also states that “more than $2.3 billion was laundered through U.S. real estate between 2015 and 2020.” “Many real estate transactions involve the use of shell companies, all-cash purchases, purchases by international wire from countries with strict banking-secrecy regimes, processes that limit transparency, and the use of intermediaries without [anti-money laundering] obligations,” the White House report states. “These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by a perception that real estate can be a safe way to park value and obfuscate the source of illicit funds.” The effort to rein in criminal actors hiding behind shell companies has been ongoing for years. FinCEN, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has issued what are known as “geographic targeting orders” (GTOs) since 2016 to help address the issue, the White House report indicates. Those GTOs, the White House report states, were directed at title insurance companies, requiring them to identify the “natural persons behind legal entities [shell companies] used in all-cash purchases of residential real estate exceeding $300,000. …” The GTO dragnet ultimately encompassed a dozen U.S. metro areas. FinCEN spokesman Stephen Hudak said at the time the first GTOs were initially issued in January 2016 — targeting shell companies in Manhattan and Miami — that over a quarter of the transactions covered by the orders in those two metro areas involved “a beneficial owner or purchaser representative” that also was ‘the subject of a suspicious activity report.” In other words, a significant portion of transactions covered by the January 2016 GTOs were associated with possible criminal activity involving the beneficial owners of shell companies, he explained at the time. The suspicious activity, he added, included a beneficial owner who was linked to $16 million in suspect cash-withdrawal activity; a beneficial owner who was involved in passing possible counterfeit checks; and a beneficial owner who, through a network of shell companies, received about $7 million in suspicious wire transfers from businesses in South America. “FinCEN is taking aggressive aim at those who would exploit anonymous shell corporations, front companies and other loopholes to launder the proceeds of crimes, such as corruption, drug and arms trafficking, or terrorist financing,” said Acting FinCEN Director Himamauli Das.  The CTA, established as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, mandates beneficial-ownership information reporting requirements for certain types of businesses, including corporations, limited liability companies, “and other similar entities created in or registered to do business in the United States,” a FinCEN press release states. “The proposed rule [outlined in the NPRM] represents the culmination of years of bipartisan efforts by Congress, the Treasury, national security agencies, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to bolster the United States’ corporate transparency framework,” the FinCEN press release states. “FinCEN is committed to implementing these statutory obligations in a robust manner while minimizing burdens on reporting companies.” The comment period for the NPRM will be open until early February of next year. “The proposed rule for beneficial ownership reporting is a major step toward addressing the gaps in our corporate transparency framework that allow corruption to flourish and illicit funds to flow into the United States,” Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said in a prepared statement. “The beneficial ownership rule will help close the loopholes that undermine U.S. national security, bolster economic fairness, and protect the integrity of our financial system.” Along with the NPRM governing beneficial-ownership reporting, in early December FinCEN also announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that seeks public comment over the next 60 days on another potential set of regulations governing all-cash transactions. The ANPRM is focused on money-laundering risks in the U.S. real estate market and the need “to protect the sector from abuse by corrupt officials and other illicit actors,” a FinCEN press release announcing the rulemaking effort states. The ANPRM contemplates establishing general recordkeeping and reporting mandates — now authorized under the Bank Secrecy Act — for persons involved in all-cash real estate transactions and seeks public comment on the best approach to use across both the residential and commercial real estate sectors. “Today, certain all-cash real estate transactions are not subject to permanent anti-money laundering rules or requirements for beneficial ownership disclosure,” Treasury Deputy Secretary Adeyemo said. “As a result, our real estate markets are at risk of becoming a safe haven for criminals, kleptocrats, and others seeking to park corrupt profits.” Adeyemo added, for example, that the brother of former Democratic Republic of the Congo president Joseph Kabila allegedly looted government funds and stashed some of proceeds in U.S. real estate worth

[ad_1] The post Top 12 Ways to Get Paid to Sleep appeared first on Millennial Money. If you’ve ever spent restless nights worrying about money, this guide is for you. In it, we’ll disclose the best ways to get paid to sleep. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! So whether your dream job is professional napping or testing sleep products, read on! We’ll even include a few passive income ideas you can use to get paid while you sleep! How to Get Paid to Sleep on the Job Mystery shop at hotels with Coyle Apply for Sleep Standards Find sleep studies on Craigslist Find caretaking jobs on Care.com Take a sleep study with NASA Be a pro napper through EachNight Work as a mattress tester for Sleep Junkie Invest in stocks Dabble with crypto Publish a book through Amazon Kindle Direct Buy REITs through CrowdStreet Launch a YouTube channel 1. Mystery shop at hotels with Coyle Coyle is a market research company that provides consumer feedback to its hospitality clients. As a Coyle Mystery Shopping Evaluator, you can get paid to sleep by staying at hotels and reviewing them.  You’ll have to share detailed feedback about your experience such as how comfortable your mattress was and whether or not the staff was friendly. To work with Coyle, simply sign up and wait for opportunities in your area. The company will pay you for your time and reimburse your expenses. You can also get paid to be a mystery shopper at restaurants, cruises, spas, health care institutions, and luxury retail shops. 2. Apply for Sleep Standards  Sleep Standards studies how environmental factors cause sleepless nights. The company is currently searching for one lucky person who’ll receive up to $2,000 to participate in a five-night sleep study.  According to the company’s website, at least one of these nights will be in a 5-star resort. Each night, Sleep Standards will adjust the environment of your sleeping place (e.g., the temperature and the amount of light in the room). The company will then ask you to rate your environment on a scale of 1-10 and write a report about your sleep experience each night. Not a bad tradeoff, if you ask me. 3. Find sleep studies on Craigslist At first glance, Craigslist may not seem like a likely place to find paid sleep opportunities, but they definitely exist.  Local universities and sleep centers often post ads on Craigslist looking for people who want to take part in studies and clinical trials. You can make money taking naps, trying mattresses, and testing environmental conditions and products. Companies may also be willing to pay you simply to study your sleep habits. As an example, a research team may want to analyze your sleep patterns at various noise levels or different temperatures. And if you have a condition like sleep apnea, you may be able to increase your earning potential.  4. Find caretaking jobs on Care.com Care.com is the number one site for landing babysitting and pet care gigs. You can also find house-sitting gigs and opportunities to care for older folks.  Look for overnight gigs to maximize your paid sleep earnings with Care.com. For example, if a child’s parents are going on vacation, you can get paid to watch their kids at home, including when everyone is sleeping.  Many pet owners prefer to board their pets at home when they go on vacation rather than at a kennel. As such, you can get paid to sleep at these pet owners’ houses while their year-old pup sleeps in his crate.  Never forget that time is money. So even if the person or pet you’re caring for is sleeping, you should still be getting paid for those hours.  Whatever you do, just be ready to wake up quickly when your puppy, baby, or even Granny needs to use the bathroom.  Expired Sleep Studies That May Come Back Although these sleep studies have expired they may come back so keep them on your radar. 5. Take a sleep study with NASA NASA is continuously studying how the body adapts to weightlessness. This is important research for space flights and extraterrestrial exploration.  In the past, NASA was looking for candidates willing to participate in long-term bed-rest studies. This involves spending one or two months in bed.  Two months is an awfully long time to spend lying down. But if you’re willing to go full-blown Rip Van Winkle for some cash, then it’s worth looking into.  Do you speak German? If so, the German Space Agency (DLR) is launching a similar study. 6. Be a pro napper through EachNight  EachNight is a popular website that focuses on sleep research and mattress reviews.  Recently, the company hired five nap reviewers to participate in a variety of sleep experiments. This study’s goals included determining optimal nap durations, understanding the effects of napping on fatigue levels, and finding out how sleep affects memory, productivity, and motivation.  Participants were eligible to receive $1,500 at the end of the testing period. Unfortunately, the deadline for applications ended on June 30. Be sure to check in with the company for updates, because another study could pop up soon. 7. Work as a mattress tester for Sleep Junkie  Sleep Junkie is a leading online resource for people who love sleep. The company offers mattress guides, sleep product reviews, and occasional paid opportunities.  In June 2021, the company was searching for one lucky Sleeping Beauty to test and critique top-rated mattress companies.  Here’s how it worked: The company sent the lucky candidate three mattresses over a two-month period. Sleeping Beauty’s job was to test all three of them and provide insights about sleep quality and comfort level, among other things. At the end of the testing period, the Sleeping Beauty was able to keep one of the mattresses (a $1,500 value) and receive $3,000. Talk about a dream job.  If this opportunity sounds awesome, it might be worth proactively contacting Sleep Junkie to see if they

[ad_1] Calling all Amazon Prime Members! You can get select video channels for only $0.99 a month right now as a special deal! Prime Video Channels Black Friday Deal Through January 3, 2022, Prime members can get 2-Month Subscriptions of select Prime Video Channels for only $0.99 per month (regularly $3.99-$10.99)! There are many different premium channels to choose from, including PBC Masterpiece, Noggin, Paramount+, Discovery+, Up Faith & Family, Lifetime Movie Club, PBS Kids, BritBox, and PBS Documentaries. Limit two months at this price. Be sure to cancel before your two months are up, otherwise it will renew at the regular price per month. Not a Prime member? Sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime to take advantage of this deal + get free 2-day shipping on all purchases! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Oil prices ease, focus shifts to next OPEC+ move [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The need for health insurance has become more apparent with the rising hospitalisation and correlated medical expenditures, especially after the pandemic. It has affected the income, health and wellbeing of most families because of which people started opting for reliable health insurance plans to safeguard their health and savings. Vikul Goyal, Founder and CEO, Bimaplan, says, “A health insurance policy is sought after so that a sizable amount of medical expenses is taken care of. While it is important to buy a health plan that meets your and your family’s medical needs, it is equally important that it suits your budget.” Therefore choose an affordable plan with maximum benefits to ensure that you and your family members are covered. Here are some of the ways you can choose the best affordable plan; Check the sum insured: First, start with assessing your family’s health expenditure and estimate the requirement. It should be based on your experience, your friends/family’s experience and potential hospitalisation costs in the event of commonly occurring hospitalisations. These may include treatment and surgery costs during an accident, critical illness, seasonal infections and COVID-19. These factors will help you decide on the coverage or sum insured. Look for a plan with desired features: Based on your requirement, preference and affordability, experts say one should choose the features of the plan including room rent limit, maternity benefit, emergency ambulance, pre and post hospitalization duration, daycare procedures, complementary health checkups, home hospitalization etc. Check for value-added services: These could be additional coverage or benefits that will provide OPD/teleconsultations, hospital cash for fixed daily benefits. “These added benefits can help cover for loss of daily income or other incidental expenses such as travel, food and lodging. Opt for top-up plans for extra coverage at low costs,” adds Goyal.  Look at the hospital network and claims process: Finally, to use the insurance when you need it most, choose an insurer or an intermediary that will provide claims support for you to easily get the benefits and reimbursements at the time of need.  Goyal explains, “Look at the claims settlement rate of the insurer. This information is available on the insurer’s website or IRDA website. You can also ask your agent for the required information.” He further adds, “It is in uncertain times like these that life insurance acts like a ceiling providing shelter and protection from any untoward incident. Hence, it is vital to educate the family on and avail insurance as a necessity amid the pandemic.” [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Whoa! You can currently get a FREE one-month Paramount+ Trial, which is a super rare and HOT deal!! Yay!! This HOT Black Friday freebie deal is still available! Free Paramount+ One-Month Trial CBS All Access is now Paramount+, and you can get access to all kinds of new content! Plus, you can currently sign up to get a FREE one-month Paramount+ trial!! This is a rare deal as the free trial usually only lasts seven days! If you love Star Trek, this is an especially great deal because it gives you access to all the latest episodes of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek Picard! Note: After your free trial is up, you’ll be charged at the regular monthly rate. If you don’t wish to continue after your free trial, be sure to cancel before it renews! Valid for a limited time only. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Japan stocks lower at close of trade; Nikkei 225 unchanged [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Share Market News Today | Sensex, Nifty, Share Prices LIVE: Sensex and Nifty were moving between marginal gains and losses on Friday morning. S&P BSE Sensex opened above 57,500 but soon slipped and began trading flat. NSE Nifty 50 was trading between 17000-17150 range. Bank Nifty was in the red, falling 0.2%. Broader markets were trading mixed while India VIX was up 2.5%. HCL Tech was the top gainer, up 3.5% while Ultratech Cement was up 1%, followed by TCS, and Tech Mahindra. IndusInd Bank was the laggard, down 0.71%, accompanied by Sun Pharma, HDFC, and SBI. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Looking for Hello Bello coupons to help you save on these highly-rated premium diapers? Right now is a great time to try them with this new Hello Bello discount code! Hello Bello Discount Code If you’ve been interested in trying Hello Bello Diapers, this is a great opportunity to do so with this HOT coupon! This is even better than their Black Friday Deal and the BEST deal I’ve ever seen them run! Through December 28th only, you can get 40% off your first bundle of diapers & wipes when you use the coupon code WINTER40 at checkout. This makes your first bundle just $39.59 shipped for as many as 245 diapers and 240 wipes!!! That comes out to less than $.16 per premium diaper plus 240 FREE wipes. What’s in a Hello Bello Diaper Bundle? When you sign up for your first diaper bundle, you’ll get all of this: 7 packs of diapers in your choice of up to 7 different adorable prints (and the ability to mix sizes) 4 packs of 60-count wipes Occasional extra freebies thrown in Up to 5 additional items at an extra 15% discount If you just order the diapers and wipes without any add-ons, you’ll pay just $39.59 after coupon code WINTER40 at checkout. And shipping is FREE. You can reference their size chart to see how many diapers come in each pack. Newborn and Size 1 bundles will come with 245 diapers. What’s different about Hello Bello? The founders of Hello Bello — Kristen Bell and Dax Sheppard — wanted to create a high quality, premium diaper at an affordable price. Hello Bello Diapers are made with entirely plant-based, mostly organic ingredients and are designed to be ultra-soft and cloth-like so that they’re easier on your baby’s skin. And all ingredients are responsibly sourced. Also, you get to custom build each bundle. You can mix sizes in each bundle and choose up to seven different super cute prints for your diapers. There’s a lot of customizable options — especially if you have multiple children or a child on the cusp of going up in diaper size! If you’re on the fence, be sure to check out some of the rave reviews on their site. These diapers get incredible reviews from customers!! How to get this discount If you want to grab this deal, here’s what to do: Go HERE. Click on the “Start Bundling” or “Bundle Now” button. Select your size. You can even split your box into two sizes, if you’d like. Select up to 7 different adorable prints for your diapers. Pick one bonus FREEBIE item. (It should show $0.00) Optional: Add extra items at an additional 15% discount. (Or just click “next” to skip this step if you just want your diapers & wipes.) Review your bundle. Add it to your cart. Go to checkout. Fill out your information. Before hitting “continue,” add discount code WINTER40 where it says in purple writing, “Have discount code? Enter it here.” Click continue to enter your payment information. Note: The frequency of your shipments will automatically be set to every 5 weeks, but you can change that in settings after your first order. (Or even pause or cancel at any time!) That’s it!! You’ll pay $39.59 for your first bundle of diapers and wipes, plus any additional cost of extras you added on. Note: When you take advantage of this Hello Bello discount, you’re signing up for automatic shipments of diaper bundles every 5 weeks. But you can pause shipments, change the frequency, or cancel your account at any time after receiving your first shipment! Go here to get 40% off your first bundle of diapers and wipes! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Taiwan, Japan eye 'all round cooperation' on chips [ad_2] Source link