Albert Einstein once said “Life is like riding a bicycle – in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving”.    And moving is what is happening in Ireland and elsewhere, that is movement on the bicycle.  What with the Tour DE France in full swing, and Enda Kenny partaking in the Killarney cycle at the weekend, everybody seems to be at it these days, and why not?

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In 1879 a certain Mr James Ross Clemens took ill, but thankfully recovered. Unfortunately communication wasn’t as ubiquitous as it is now and a US newspaper feared that a Mr Samuel Langhorne Clemens was the ill individual and indeed that he had passed away.

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To Tax or not to Tax, that is the question?
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Advisers

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
..Is the opening line of a soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (written about 1600), act three, scene one.

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When Elizabeth comes to tea!

By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Advisers

This week marks a major event in Irish history, with the visit of HRH Queen Elizabeth the second.  While there will no doubt be lots of disruption and a great deal of divided opinion about the visit, it is worth just casting any prejudices aside and look at the value to the Irish economy and our connections with our nearest neighbors. 
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NEDs
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Advisers

NED or Non-Executive Director is a non-working director of a firm who is not an executive director and, therefore, does not participate in the day-to-day management of the company. He or she is usually involved in planning and policy making, and is sometimes included to lend prestige to the firm due to his or her standing in the community. Non-executive directors are expected to monitor and challenge the performance of the executive directors and the management, and to take a determined stand in the interests of the firm and its stakeholders......(Read more...)

Unmasking the ghouls! (Oct 10)

By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services

A mask is an article usually worn on the face, and can be worn for a number of reasons, protection, concealment, performance or amusement.  In the week just gone with masks aplenty during Halloween and all the ghouls should now be unmasked, I thought I would write about the unmasking some of the truths that the government is wearing for their own reasons, protection, concealment, performance or amusement!......(Read more...)

Free Education, yeah right!

By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services

We live in a country where our education is FREE!  Absolutely, that is until one adds up the cost from when a child is 4 to 24 and the cost of educating that child over a 20 year period.

Education is compulsory in Ireland for all children between the ages of 6 and 16 years and children up to 18 years must complete three years of post-primary education.........(Read more...)

Expenses and the long road!
By Hannah Kiely, CEO HC Financial Services

In a week that saw the whip being removed from no less than two TD’s over interpretation of expenses, I thought I would give a little insight into Expenses and their idiosyncrasies. 

The definition of expenses for the purpose of this article are from the Revenue and are generally regarded as expenses that are incurred in the performance of the duties of the employment and are directly related to the ‘nature of the employee’s employment.  ......(Read more...)

Minding the Piglets in their hour of need!

By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services

It struck me recently that the AA Milne story, Winnie the Pooh (Milne, 1926) contains many of the characters, and indeed some of the lessons that we have learned in Ireland over recent years....

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Reasons to be Cheerful
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services ( September 2009)

There are many reasons to be cheerful at present and this week I dedicate this column to a very special man M.D., who always has the capacity to be cheerful.  After I talk to him I think that there are many reasons to be happy and optimistic, this can be supported by some of the recent headlines and articles in the papers......(Read more...)

The Winner Takes it all
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services (Wednesday 3rd September 2009)

I don’t want to talk about all the things we’ve gone through, though it’s hurting me, now its history.  I’ve played all my cards, that what you’ve done to me, nothing more to say, no more ace to play.  The winner takes it all; the loser’s standing small, beside the victory, that’s her destiny.......(Read more...)

The Road to Oxygen and its source!
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services (July 2009)

Having dropped my son at the bus at 7.30am to make the trip to Oxegen loaded with gear, food etc for the 2009 Oxegen weekend, I am reminded of how important oxygen is in our lives, and the need to come up for air in these crazy times!
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Edwin Coppock and his curve!
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services (June 2009)

Edwin Coppock was an economist and was asked by the American Episcopal Church to identify buying opportunities for long-term investors.  He believed that market downturns were somewhat like bereavements that required a period of mourning.  He asked the church bishops how long that normally took for people and their answer was 11 to 14..
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The Tragedy of Cassandra
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services (Wednesday 20th May 2009)

Cassandra ('she who entangles men') was the daughter of Priam and Hecuba of Troy. She was an incredible beauty.
In fact, her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy. However, she did no......(Read more...)

Is the worst over?"
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services (Wednesday 22nd April 2009)

Do I detect a note of optimism in the air, or is the fact that for the past number of days the sun has been shining and the
world is looking like a slightly better place? “Optimism is an inclination to put the most favourable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome”.  Optimists generally believe that most situations work out in the end for the best.  Some optimists believe that regardless of whatever is happening in the world around us, that one should choose to and make the best of any situation.  We often hear of the glass being half full or half empty with optimist taking the view that it is always half full!
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Should the European Central Bank regulate more in Ireland
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 25th February 2009)

On Monday of this week, Jean-Claude Trichet told a conference in Paris that regulation of our financial institutions and markets should be extended, and that this approach needs to be more holistic in its approach and that the current crisis was a “loud and clear call” to extend regulation to all important markets that pose risk to financial stability...(Read more...)

“Scientia est potential” Knowledge is Power
By Hannah Kiely, CEO HC Financial Services (Wednesday 28th January 2009)

Latin forms the building blocks of many modern languages, so taking a somewhat Latin theme to this article to look at what knowledge can do for us.  2008 is over, and we know all about how terrible it was, 66% drop in the Irish Stock Market, 91% drop in Irish Financial Stocks, US Recession, Banks, Automobiles, etc etc.  The big question is has it hit the floor, and is there any future shocks around the corner? ...(Read more...)

The Piggy Bank
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 30h December 2008)

What is the history of the piggy bank? Why isn't it a doggy bank or cat bank? Well if you are prepared to work with me I can take you through the bumpy ride that is etymology or the study of words and we can see the unbroken chain from pigs to lumber... (Read more...)

Diamond Skulls, The Golden Calf and Formaldehyde!
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 22nd October 2008)

Damien Hirst may have some unsold pieces sitting in a gallery and some may think his work is ‘tacky’, but there are still
plenty of rich collectors willing to bet their millions on the British Artist.  At the first night of the recent and much acclaimed Damien Hirst auction, Beautiful inside my Head Forever, made about Stg£70m which was about £8m above the estimate made by Sotheby’s.(Read more...) 

All that glitters is not Gold
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday October 2008)

Shakespeare is the best-known writer to have expressed this idea. The original Shakespeare editions of The Merchant of Venice, 1596, have the line as 'all that glisters is not gold'. 'Glister' is usually replaced by 'glitter' in renditions of the play:
The meaning of this of course is that a showy article may not necessarily be of value. Commodity prices, including base
metals and soft commodities, are surging and the dollar continues to depreciate and this is causing real inflationary
pressures (Read more...) 

Time for a history lesson on tulips!
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 24th September 2008)

Tulip mania was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for bulbs of the newly introduced tulip
reached extraordinarily high levels and then suddenly collapsed. (Read more...) 

The average pencil is 7 inches long
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 23rd July 2008)

Robert Brault once said: 'The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought
optimism was dead.' (Read more...) 

49 years is a mighty long time (By Hannak Kiely, CEO HC Financial Services)
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday 2nd July 2008)

Being a Waterford woman with one serious (sporting) passion for Waterford hurling, I spend my life living in hope!  Every year I start off with the same expectations, that this will be the year, the year that Waterford will finally win an All Ireland.   Remember it was 1959 since this happened previously.  But so far my hopes have been dashed!  Nonetheless my enthusiasm is still rampant this year as I head off to various stadiums, of course secure in the knowledge of a new
Clare man at the helm!!..
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What Women Want?
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services  (Wednesday June 2008)

I have no doubt there are many men out there who constantly ask the question ‘What do women want?’ and never come
up with the ‘right’ answers.  There are probably many women who ask themselves that question also!
Women want many things and at different times in their lives, women often have an overriding ambition that they will get
around to some day, when the children are grown up, the mortgage paid, the garden planted, a better job, and so on, waiting for the moment to come when we can make the final decision to - invest in a pension. ...(Read more...)   

The Scariest Roller Coaster Ride,
By Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services Group Limited (Issue 15, 8th April, 2008

From the stomach-churning Colossus and its ten loops in Thorpe Park in England, to Australia’s 375 foot Tower of Terror, which drops you at more than 160 km per hour, or Japan’s Steel Dragon 2000?  I have been on them all in the past few months and I haven’t even left Galway...(Read more...)