Dec 2, 2015

By Samuel Phineas Upham In the olden days of commerce, one had to go through significant bureaucracy to perform interstate commerce. Today, this is something we take for granted and much of that has to do with the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. The Internet completely changed much of the business that people do day to day. On the consumer side, this transition looked quite simple. First we began swiping a debit card, then we had Internet access to track our purchases, and finally we are to the point where we need little more than a phone screen to send money to someone else. Every state in the Union has laws that govern how it handles electronic signatures, which are now a requirement for many transactions we will perform throughout our lives. This includes transmitting data electronically, which is becoming an increasing part of our lives. The ESIGN is the federal law that acts as a guideline to those state regulations. What the ESIGN does is validate contracts transmitted (wholly or partially) through electronic means. The act specifically prevents someone from challenging the effect, validity, or enforceability of a contract based on how it was transmitted in the first place. By making electronic documents as valid as their paper equivalents, commerce can continue online without causing any serious legal problems. Congress also took a forward-thinking approach to this document, allowing for the same provisions to apply to global transactions and documentation as well. About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or...

Nov 21, 2015

Cyber crime is a reality that you cannot ignore any more. Despite this, a number of small and large companies tend to fall prey to cyber crime – almost 90 percent of them. It’s dangerous to put it off since it the risk is very real too. Here are 4 simple tips to protect yourself from reduce cyber crime: 1: Have multiple email accounts It’s best to keep one email account for social while the other for business. In other words, you can keep your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram information separate from your financial records. What’s better is if you opt for Gmail where with the two-step verification, you can keep your account safer than most. Hackers will not be able to get through. 2: Create difficult passwords While difficult passwords may be difficult to remember, it’s still worth the hassle. Almost all of us are guilty of using simple passwords that we don’t change very often. Getting a notification to change your password is better than falling prey to cyber crime. Also, don’t use the same password for multiple accounts either. 3: Keep your machine updated No matter what, ensure that you keep your machine and software updated. Whether it is the operating system, web browsers or your anti-virus software, staying updated will ensure that you are kept safe from online attackers. 4: Watch out for fake websites You can be fooled by fake websites that get you to pay for goods that you will never receive. Of course, they will have access to your credit card details too. Check the web address and you’ll find that it is a variation in spelling or using a different domain name. Also, see if the padlock symbol appear next to the address bar and if the address begin with ‘https’...

By Phin Upham This is the story of how an economist won the Army Distinguished Service Medal for applying economics. Bernard Baruch was born in 1870 in South Carolina, and his family moved him to New York City when he was 11 years old. Baruch eventually became broker, which led to opportunities at partnering with A.A. Housman & Company. He earned enough to eventually buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange for $18,000, which would translate to more than$400,000 in today’s money. By the age of 30, that seat had earned him a substantial fortune from the sugar market. He developed his own firm and his unwillingness to work with others earned him the nickname “The Lone Wolf of Wall Street.” In 1916, however, at the height of World War I, he left Wall Street to assist President Wilson in national defense. After serving on the Advisory commission to the Council of National Defense, Baruch found himself chairing the War industries Board. There, Baruch was directly involved in managing the costs of mobilizing the US war effort. This important position put Baruch under a tremendous amount of stress, but he persevered and helped the American fighting force do what it does best. His efforts also earned him an invitation to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, where the Allied victors met. There, Baruch made his opposition to Franc and Britain’s demands of reparations from Germany clear. He sided with Wilson, who believed they’d asked for too much. He also advocated the formation of the League of Nations, which was the foundation for the modern-day UN. Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook...

Oct 26, 2015

A turnaround service is a planned, temporary closure of a processing plant or building with the goal of identifying, testing, and fixing issues that can cause serious problems. Construction and turnaround services work around the clock to perform a major overhaul on a company. Turnarounds are vital in keeping maintenance records up-to-date as well as the upkeep of the facility. The safety of one’s workers should always be a priority to an owner. If their personnel are working under hazardous and unstable conditions, there could be the likelihood that the facility will be shut down due to an unsafe setting. Because it costs a facility time and money to initiate a turnaround, they are usually scheduled a year or two in advance. The owner of a company or plant must decide whether they have the proper funds to afford the temporary shutdown. For each day that there is no production, especially when it comes to a refinery, money is lost. When it comes to money well spent, a turnaround is one of the most essential parts of industrial operations. Thousands of dollars are lost due to companies being shut down from a lack of maintenance activities. This is why plenty of major corporations schedule regular construction & turnaround services to ensure that there won’t be any issues in the foreseeable future. The goal of a turnaround service should be to complete the task in a safe and environmentally sound manner. They should work closely with the management team with safety as a priority for both the company and the staff. A structural steel expert may also be on hand to provide a sense of direction. Bio: Lyle Charles is a steel fabrication expert with over 45 years of experience in the construction industry. Contact him and his firm...

Oct 21, 2015

Any student will agree that a car will definitely help them commute easier in and around the campus no matter what tasks you need to attend to.   Yet with little or no experience, buying a second-hand car can be a difficult task. There’s every risk of losing a lot of money. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid when buying one:   1: Invest in a car data check It costs very little to invest in one but it will provide you with history about the car that you wish to purchase. Just by using the car’s number plate, you can tell whether it has been stolen, been written off by insurance companies or has outstanding payments. It will even tell you the accurate number of miles traveled as this can influence the car’s value substantially. 2: Ask about service history A number of these cars would have amassed MOT certificates as well as records of regular servicing since they would require some work from time to time. If you see a vehicle with a no-service history, then be careful. All cars will go to the garage at some point of time or the other. One thing to check for is whether the car handbook is there as that will be necessary during the time of purchase.   3: Always be careful who you buy from While you might be buying a car through the classifieds, it’s best to buy from a trusted name. For this reason, always take a friend or a relative with you. Avoid carrying cash for the first time. This is because you never know who you will be meeting....