In 2012, legislation was passed to provide all former presidents and their spouses a lifetime of Secret Service surveillance and protection.  Prior to this, former presidents were protected for ten years after their terms of office were completed.   This new legislation protects a former president’s children, as well, until they are 16 years of age.

What Does It Take To Become A Secret Service Agent?

It’s no small task to become a security agent for the president or former presidents and their families.   Secret Service Agent positions are coveted roles in a highly competitive field.  To be considered for this unique type of profession, one must meet a list of pre-requisites.  Some basics include the following:

1:  Must be an American citizen between the ages of 21 and 36

2:  Must possess a valid driver’s license

3:  Must have 20/60 uncorrected vision but correctable to a perfect 20/20

4:  Male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service

5:  Must have the ability to pass a rigorous physical fitness exam as well as psychological and medical exams

6:  More often than not, must have a minimum of three years work experience in law enforcement, criminal investigation or a combination of the two fields

Assuming all these pre-requisites are met according to the guidelines established, the candidate would need to prepare for extensive education and work experience in addition to having a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree, depending on the level of government security.  A grade point of 3.0 would be the minimally-accepted grade for each college course previously completed—not to be confused with a 3.0 grade point average!   Additionally, a series of interviews, polygraph screenings and drug testing would be in order, as well as a candidate’s personal references who, in turn, would be interviewed, also!

Bonds Are Formed:

Regarding government officials in general, there are several types of protective personnel used to oversee the safety of an elected or formerly-elected government public figure and his or her spouse and children.  Often times, the hired secret service agent progresses on to become a permanent employee with the family since an almost co-dependent relationship emerges where the protected feel reliant on the care and watchfulness of the agent and the agent can develop feelings of immense possessiveness towards the family due to the emotional bonds that are many times formed.

They Won’t Be Messed With!

Top-notch security agents, who reign supreme and make a considerable income, are an elite group who are trained to the hilt.  Aside from remaining in tip-top physical condition, this cream-of-the-crop-level agent will have extensive training in martial arts and other types of hand-to-hand combat techniques including Aikido, Budoshin Jujitsu or Krav Maga, which is a type of contact combat used by the Israel Defense Forces where death of the opponent is considered a possible/ probable and acceptable outcome.    Being well versed in handling concealed weapons, including handguns and expandable batons and tactical handcuffing all go with the territory.

Are You Interested?

If you can meet the criteria discussed above and are accepted for top-secret clearance, be willing to travel extensively as well as frequently relocate.  Having the innate ability to rapidly analyze situations and environments and quickly choose smart solutions are not only important, but required.  Starting out with security companies such as Unified Protective Services can be a great place to start as well. Having the mental fortitude to adapt to a variety of situations and maintain composure in volatile circumstances are attributes a coveted and highly-paid secret service agent will demonstrate as if it were second nature—which it needs to be!

Great Plains is a brand of business software that was purchased by Microsoft in 2001. Since then Microsoft has rebranded the software to Microsoft Dynamics and has discontinued support for the system. However, Great Plains was a popular program in its day and many people still use it. While this system is spoken of highly by many of its users, all software has its flaws. Here are some of the most common pet peeves of people who are using Great Plains for accounting today.

A Lack of Support

Because Microsoft stopped offering support for Great Plains Accounting in 2008, it can be difficult to find solutions for your problems. If you have been using the software for a while, you may be able to figure new problems out for yourself. However, if you are coming into a new job without any prior knowledge of the program you can easily find yourself lost. This is especially true if no one else in your office is familiar with the program. Trial and error may be your only option, which can become downright panic-inducing if it is taking place during the end of the fiscal year. Upgrading can be pricy, but if you find yourself in this position it may be your best solution.

Default User Dates

Every time a person logs into a company on Great Plains, the user date defaults to the current day. This is understandable, but it can also lead to some snarls. The most common is when a user gets the message “the user date falls within a fiscal year that hasn’t been set up.” This is most likely to occur when trying to print out a report for a different year.  The problem can be corrected by changing the user date on the toolbar to the year of the desired report. However, this has to be done every time you log in.

Lack of Intuitive Solutions

With experience Great Plains can be easy to use, but when starting out users often find that the solutions they seek do not easily spring to mind. This can relate to formatting issues or when trying to correct information that the system has automatically added. Options may be grayed out without explanation or boxes unchecked for no apparent reason. These issues tend to be more prominent on older versions of the program, but many users find that it difficult to find a solution to their problems through trial and error. The best way for a Great Plains user to find answer to a problem of this nature is to talk to someone who has used the program before or to find a forum online to talk with other users.

Problems with Language Settings

Great Plains has some sensitivities to the default language settings that can result in frustrating or seemingly unexplained errors. A common message you may see is “all call stacks are in use. Cannot stat script,” when opening the Transaction Entry window in the General Ledger. You may also have difficulty with login or starting the program. The problem can be resolved by changing your computer’s language setting to United States English and disabling the “perform translation for character data” option in the ODBC configuration.  If this does not work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the program.

Great Plains Accounting is a popular and highly regarded form of software. While some users may experience problems, many do not. It can be frustrating to start using the program without much support, but with time most of the common pet peeves associated with this program will become less and less of a problem.

Sarah Jackson is a freelance writer and editor who remembers when Great Plains was a little more great by comparison, but does greatly appreciate many oher fine offerings from Microsoft.

Income drawdown can provide a great way to keep you financially comfortable in later life. Here’s a look at how it works.

A Quick Look at Annuities

Income drawdown isn’t complicated, but it can be a little confusing if you’re only familiar with the annuity model of pensions. Annuities work like this: you make regular payments into your pension throughout your working life, and when you retire you use that money to purchase an annuity. An annuity is a financial product that guarantees you a fixed income until the day you die.

The problem with this model is that it may not provide for your needs. Annuity rates are dependent on market conditions, so when you go to retire, there is a chance that you may receive a poor rate. Although the payment is fixed, inflation means that it will decrease each year in real terms.

How Income Drawdown is Different

Instead of cashing in your pension on retirement day, income drawdown allows you to make regular cash withdrawals from your pension, within certain limits. You can vary the payments you receive according to your needs, and the money that you’ve invested will continue to grow.

To avail of income drawdown, you’ll need to choose a financial product such as a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) with drawdown functionality. SIPPs also offer a huge range of investment choices, giving you the opportunity to grow your fund even further.

What Kind of Payments Can I Get?

There are two types of payment available in an income drawdown pension:

• Tax-free cash: 25% of your fund is available tax-free and can be withdrawn in instalments or taken as a one-off lump sum.
• Income: Of the remaining 75%, you can withdraw money as and when you choose. These payments are subject to income tax, and their is a limit to how much you can withdraw each year. This limit is often referred to as the GAD Max, and you can withdraw up to your GAD Max each year. Whether you take this as a monthly payment or an annual lump sum is up to you.

How is My GAD Max Calculated

There are three factors in deciding your GAD limits. Your age and the value of the pension are both taken into consideration, with the intention that your income payments should be balanced in order to ensure a regular pension for the rest of your life. Gilt Yields, a figure issued each month by the Treasury, are also taken into account.

Your GAD Max is recalculated every three years, although in some circumstances you will be able to request a recalculation before then.

When Can I Start Taking Income Drawdown Payments?

You can begin drawing down form your pension at any time after the age of 55. You don’t need to have actually retired, although if you are still in employment then you’ll be liable to pay the same amount of income tax that you would pay on your normal salary.

Income drawdown payments can be reduced, increased (within GAD limits), stopped and restarted as you see fit.

Will I One Day Have to Purchase an Annuity?

No, you can continue to receive income payments for as long as you like. If you would like to purchase an annuity later on, you can do so with your remaining pension fund.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Income Drawdown?

Your pension payments are not guaranteed as they would be under an annuity arrangement. In order to keep receiving payments, you will need to have money in your pension and a bad investment choice may see your pension lose its value. This is why many income drawdown products are sold on an advice-only basis; it is recommend that you speak to a financial adviser before investing in such a product.

Since 1869, the Suez Canal has served as one of the world’s most important waterways, allowing convoys of large freights to travel easily between Asia and Europe without navigating around the African continent. The 193-mile artificial waterway took a decade to build and has seen multiple enlargements over the years. Today the canal supports 8% of the world’s shipping traffic and is used by the world’s largest shipping companies to transport goods. Of course, such convenience comes at a price, and it’s just been announced that the cost of transit on the Suez Canal will now rise by as much as 5%.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) in Egypt has implemented the following increases in tolls:

• 5% for ships carrying oil and petroleum products
• 2% for container ships and vessels transporting cars
• 3% for all other ships

Strengthening the Suez

The increase follows a number of recent studies conducted by the SCA, which took a close look at marine traffic on the Suez Canal as well as the waterway’s toll revenues; findings revealed that in 2012, the canal was used by a total of 17 252 ships and 932.43 million tonnes of cargo – ultimately yielding revenues of $5 129 600 000. With the Suez Canal accounting for a significant part of Egypt’s GDP, and a major source of foreign currency, the Government hopes that the toll increases will help to further boost toll revenues and avert a currency crisis. The worldwide effect on trade and shipping traffic remains to be seen in the coming months, but the increase could see more freight owners choosing alternative routes or weighing the cost of the Panama Canal against the Suez.

Rail and Road Links

The Government has also announced that plans are underway to build three tunnels under the canal; two of these 3km long, 12.2m wide) will be used for road links and one longer tunnel (5km long, 12.2m wide) will be dedicated to a rail transport project. This move is part of a larger regional development plan. Hatem Abdel Latif, Egyptian Minister for Transport, told press that the tunnels will contribute to expansion in North Sinai and complete the extension of the coastal road between Rafah and Nuweiba.

As Egypt’s foreign currency reserves begin to dwindle, it is vital that the Government protect this valuable source of foreign income, and look at innovative projects like the Suez Canal rail and road tunnel construction in order to strengthen the country’s economy and trade connections alike.

1. Your Success Is Determined By Your Effort

The sales industry is heavily based on rewarding the salesperson’s effort with success. A salesperson that does not put in a hundred percent of their effort will sometimes make nothing at all if they are on a commission basis. On the other hand, sales staff that put in all of their time and effort can often make far beyond what their peers are making. Sales positions are not traditional positions even when they are salaried because bonuses and promotions are all merit-based. In many industries a person can become successful simply by showing up and doing their job adequately. Sales is not one of these industries.

2. Relationships Are Everything

In sales positions a good sales team member will need to have a good relationship with their boss, co-workers and clients. While this is true in most positions it is more vital in a sales position because everyone is working together as a team. Those who cannot have good relationships with their clients will not be able to sell as much but they also can’t neglect their relationship with their co-workers. Co-workers can make or break a salesperson’s career by sharing leads and generally making their life easier. Because of the high churn of the sales industry it’s also not uncommon to suddenly find a co-worker becoming a boss and this is where previous relationships will often pay off.

3. It’s Demanding

A sales job is usually not an ordinary 40 hour a week position. Most sales jobs require that the sales person work far beyond a regular work day and many skilled sales professionals will be doing their work and their research out of hours and often at home. Because sales positions are so high pressure and because a sales professional makes as much money as they work for it can be necessary for a sales professional to put in an extensive effort to become successful.

4. Determination Is Required

Sales positions offer a lot of room to grow but only for those who are determined and willing to be constantly pushing to move upwards. Sales is extremely competitive and that means that sales people need to be constantly improving their sales techniques and their numbers. Those who allow themselves to slip may find themselves losing a lot of traction in their professional life.

5. Confidence and Leadership Is Key

Sales is all about people skills and those who do not have the confidence to lead will not find themselves going very far. There are many seminars and programs available to help those who need to develop their personal and professional skills and many sales people will find these opportunities very rewarding. While client sales may be based on confidence, leadership is required to grow and advance in a sales career. A successful sales professional needs to be able to inspire those who work under them to be the best salespeople that they can be.

To check out some options, Randstad offer sales jobs for many companies that cover all interests.

Nicole is a recruitment agent and has been for the past 5 years. She aims to help her clients find jobs and guide them in the right direction. She started writing blogs to share her knowledge to others who are looking for general help and ideas to get them started on their career.