Hond Financial

Posts Tagged ‘travel’

American credit cards are sadly lacking when they come to Europe and indeed visit other countries that use smart card technology. The vital missing ingredient is smart card technology.

Smart cards still provide a magnetic strip that makes them compatible with older terminals but they also have an embdedded microprocessor that provides the smart technology. Smart card technology has been introduced to prevent fraud in over 22 countries including most of Europe, Brazil, Mexico and Japan and more countries are adopting the technology as time progresses. Over the next couple of years many additional countries including China, India and Latin America will adopt this new technology.

The embedded microprocessor means that more data can be stored on the card instead of relying upon database access. The new smart card technology is favoured by the police and government as it makes it so much more difficult to clone credit cards and commit card fraud.

Old style magnetic strip based cards are still suitable for most shops and restaurants as these match the terminals that are are in common use in these situations. The new smart card technology is essential if you want to make use of an increasing number of automatic terminals that are commonly found at ticket kiosks and petrol station gas pumps. Americans who don’t have cards with the new smart card technology would not be able to make use of these new facilties.

Although the rest of the world is quickly adopting the new, high security technology the American banking industry has no immediate plans introduce the new cards. It has been observed that credit card fraud isn’t as big a problem in the United states as its in Europe and other parts of the world.

Another reason for the delay in adoption is cost. The cost of introducing the new technology has been estimated at around .5 billion to introduce the new technology and this is mainly due to the need for replacement terminals.

So it looks like American tourists in Europe and elsewhere will need to make certain they have cash in their pockets rather than rely on their credit cards.

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One thing you can be certain of when travelling is the need for adequate and appropriate travel insurance. If you are over 64 you should be looking at Senior travel insurance and if you have any form of medical condition you need to look at Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing medical conditions.

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The Flaxby is a very successful investment opportunity with a lot of the hotel rooms selling very well which is no surprise as this unique opportunity offers superb ROI as well as a top quality leisure experience.

The Flaxby Golf & Country Club benefits from the famous 27-hole Troon Golf course, the world-class Spa and great selection of restaurants, bars and luxury shopping all located in 283 acres of beautiful rolling English countryside.

The development will offer a wealth of facilities and top sporting celebrities have already put there name to the development such as;

Lee Westwood
The golf course is to be redesigned by Lee Westwood as well as a Golf Academy. in 2011 Lee will also become the course professional. Lee Westwood is a great ambassador for golf being a Ryder Cup legend and he will also be involved in bringing the biggest events in the sport to the course.

And

Michael Vaughan – England Captain who took the team to win the Ashes, stated ;

“This is a 1 off opportunity to invest in one of Yorkshires best developments. I am delighted to be involved and think it will be a showcase for the best the county has to offer”

Perfect location
The Flaxby is perfectly situated right in the middle of an area some call ‘The golden triangle’.

The Golden Triangle
3 of the well know affluent areas in Yorkshire namely Harrogate, York, & North Leeds make up a triangle shape on a map and the land in-between is called, you guessed it ‘The Golden Triangle’.

The Flaxby Golf & Country Club is situated in the middle of the triangle meaning it has great access for all three places and is very near to Leeds the commercial hub of Yorkshire with the Leeds / Bradford airport just 12m away.

The location is great as Leeds is a hub of activity with excellent shopping that attracts people from far and wide. York City is steeped in history and a very popular heritage site visited by many people all year round and the spa town of Harrogate is very popular for its tea rooms, fantastic architecture and international conferences.

Study of Feasibility
An independent feasibility study was done for the developers by established hotel experts Action Solutions and audited by Savills. The report confirms occupancy rates of 60% – 70% in the ‘Golden Triangle’

Guaranteed Returns
Because of the luxury, exclusivity, major companies and brands backing the resort and sports personality endorsements as well as the high predicted occupancy rates this exclusive development is offering a guaranteed rental income of as much as £35K for life on some selected units and other excellent rental guarantees on other units making this hotel property investment an excellent additional to your investment portfolio.