Animated Stories

Story Title: The Lazy Princess Sara of Greenland Once upon a time, in the frosty kingdom of Greenland, there lived a princess named Sara. Unlike most princesses who were renowned for their grace, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to their duties, Princess Sara was known for her unparalleled laziness. She preferred the warmth of her plush, fur-lined bed to the icy winds outside her castle walls, and her days were spent in a perpetual state of leisure, lounging on soft pillows and sipping hot cocoa. The kingdom of Greenland was a place of beauty, adorned with glistening snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys, and vibrant auroras that danced across the night sky. The people were hard-working and industrious, toiling in the frigid temperatures to maintain their homes and provide for their families. Yet, despite the bustling life outside, Princess Sara found more joy in napping than in attending royal obligations or engaging with her subjects. Her father, King Magnus, was a kind-hearted ruler who adored his daughter. However, he worried about her future. “A princess must not only be beautiful but also wise and benevolent,” he often lamented to his advisors. “If she continues to sleep through her responsibilities, how will she ever lead our people?” One day, the king decided that enough was enough. He summoned his court and devised a plan to encourage Princess Sara to become more engaged with her responsibilities. They decided to host a grand festival to celebrate the coming of spring, a time of renewal and joy. The festival would showcase the talents of the kingdom’s artisans, musicians, and performers. It was an event that demanded the princess’s involvement, and the king hoped it would ignite a spark of enthusiasm in her. As news of the festival spread throughout the kingdom, the villagers began their preparations. They crafted colorful decorations, baked delicious treats, and practiced their performances. Yet, Princess Sara remained blissfully unaware, nestled in her bed, dreaming of fluffy clouds and endless fields of flowers. On the eve of the festival, King Magnus approached his daughter’s chambers. He gently knocked on the door, and when there was no response, he opened it to find Sara sprawled out on her bed, a half-eaten chocolate croissant resting on her chest. “Sara, my dear,” he said with a warm smile, “tomorrow is the festival! You must rise and partake in the festivities. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to connect with the people of our kingdom.” Sara cracked one eye open and groaned. “But, Father, why must I leave the comfort of my bed? The festival sounds exhausting. Can’t we simply celebrate in here?” King Magnus chuckled softly, “You will miss out on the joy our people bring. They have worked hard to prepare for this day. You, as their princess, must lead by example.” With a reluctant sigh, Sara rolled out of bed, her limbs heavy and her heart even heavier. “Fine, but only if I can wear my warmest slippers,” she mumbled, retreating to her wardrobe. The following day, the sun rose over the kingdom, casting a golden hue on the snow. Princess Sara, clad in a beautiful gown paired with fluffy slippers, stepped out into the bustling courtyard. To her surprise, the air buzzed with excitement. Children laughed and played, artisans showcased their crafts, and musicians filled the air with enchanting melodies. As she wandered through the festival, Sara found herself captivated by the vibrant colors and joyous spirit surrounding her. She admired the intricate tapestries woven by the villagers, tasted the freshly baked pastries that seemed to melt in her mouth, and listened to the captivating stories shared by the elders. Slowly but surely, a flicker of curiosity ignited within her. She approached a group of children gathered around a storyteller, his voice weaving tales of bravery and adventure. As she listened, she felt a warmth spreading through her heart, an unfamiliar sensation that began to replace her usual apathy. “Princess Sara!” one of the children exclaimed, noticing her presence. “Will you tell us a story too?” Sara hesitated, her mind racing. “But I’ve never told a story before,” she replied, feeling a tinge of uncertainty. “Please!” the children chimed in unison, their eyes wide with anticipation. Taking a deep breath, Sara felt an unexpected surge of confidence. “Alright, gather ‘round!” she declared, her voice growing stronger. She began to weave a tale of a brave knight and a fierce dragon, drawing inspiration from the stories she had heard earlier. As she spoke, her imagination blossomed, and the children listened intently, captivated by her words. The more she spoke, the more Sara realized she enjoyed sharing her creativity with others. The festival, which she had initially dreaded, transformed into a platform for her to connect with her people. Laughter filled the air, and for the first time, she felt a sense of purpose. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the festival, Princess Sara looked around at the smiling faces of her subjects. King Magnus watched from a distance, his heart swelling with pride. His daughter had discovered a joy she never knew existed—a joy found in the company of others. From that day forward, Princess Sara transformed from the lazy princess into an active member of her kingdom. She embraced her role with vigor, participating in the affairs of the state and attending to the needs of her people. Each day became a new adventure, and her once-sedate life was filled with laughter, creativity, and purpose. And so, in the kingdom of Greenland, Princess Sara became a beloved figure known not only for her beauty but also for her kindness and dedication to her people. The lazy princess had awakened, and a new era of joy and unity blossomed in the kingdom, proving that sometimes, all it takes is a little nudge to awaken the spirit within. Watch Video on Youtube. Please like and subscribe. Thank you. ================================ Hey Chatgpt, I want to create a 3D animated kids Horror story. Can you give me some title ideas? I 've chose the title "Whispers from the Dollhouse". Can you help me write an original and engaging script for the story? I plan to create a YouTube video based on this story, so please divide it into scenes. Also provide an image prompt, for each Scene. To ensure consistency in the character's profile throughout the story, please use the follow structure: "character name, age, gender, hairstyle, face description, outfit (top, bottom, footwear), background description and action. Give character a name and add each character's profile details. ======================== 🎬 [Video Title: “How to Make Kids Animated Movies with AI | ChatGPT, Leonardo AI, Kling, Premiere Pro”] 🎙️ [INTRO - Bright & Fun Background Music + Animated Logo] Narrator (Voiceover): Hey storytellers! ✨ Ever dreamed of making your own kids animated movie — filled with adorable characters, fun adventures, and a heartwarming message? You don’t need a big team or fancy studio… Just ChatGPT, Leonardo AI, Kling AI, and Premiere Pro. In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through the entire process — step by step — using free and powerful AI tools. Let’s go from idea to animation — together! 🎬🌈 📖 [Step 1: Write Your Kids Story with ChatGPT] Screen Recording: ChatGPT Interface open Narrator: Every great movie starts with a great story. And that’s where ChatGPT comes in. Here’s a sample prompt to get you started: 📝 Prompt Example: "Write a short 10-scene story for 4–7-year-old kids about a brave squirrel named Nibbles who teams up with a shy turtle to save their magical forest from a sudden drought. Make it adventurous, funny, and include a moral lesson." 💬 ChatGPT will give you: A full storyline Dialogue between characters A scene-by-scene breakdown 🧠 Narrator Tip: Ask ChatGPT to break down each scene like this: "Give me scene 1: location, characters, dialogue, and actions." This helps with visual planning later. 🦸‍♂️ [Step 2: Build Your Main Character in Leonardo AI] Screen Recording: Leonardo.Ai UI — Text-to-Image Feature Narrator: Let’s meet your star: Nibbles the squirrel. From the story we just made, ChatGPT describes Nibbles like this: 📝 Character Profile: Name: Nibbles Species: Squirrel Traits: Brave, curious, energetic Appearance: Fluffy red tail, big eyes, wears a tiny green cape Personality: Always ready to help, loves acorns and adventure! Now in Leonardo AI, we’re going to generate this character using a clear prompt. 🧠 Narrator Tip: Use style keywords that match a child-friendly aesthetic like: "Cartoon, colorful, Pixar-style, 2D animation, cute, friendly." 🎨 Prompt Example for Leonardo: "A cartoon-style brave red squirrel with a fluffy tail, big eyes, wearing a small green cape, standing in a magical forest. Pixar-style, kid-friendly, full body, bright colors." ✨ Once you generate a few good versions, choose the best one and save it — we’ll use this image to maintain consistency later. 🔁 [Maintaining Character Consistency in Leonardo AI] Narrator: Want your character to look the same across all scenes? Use Leonardo’s image-to-image feature or fine-tuning. 🧠 Narrator Tip: Upload your chosen image of Nibbles as a reference, and give prompts like: "Same red squirrel in green cape, now running with a turtle in a desert scene, cartoon style." This way, Nibbles looks consistent across every frame of your movie. 🎞️ [Step 3: Animate Your Scenes with Kling AI] Screen Recording: Kling AI workspace showing animation generation Narrator: Now that you have your characters and backgrounds — let’s animate! Upload your AI-generated scenes into Kling AI. You can animate your still images by describing the action. 🎬 Prompt Example: "Make the squirrel run happily across the forest, waving at a turtle." Kling AI will apply motion to your scene, making it look like a real animation. 🧠 Narrator Tip: Keep actions simple and clean for younger audiences. One scene = one clear motion. Export your animated scenes in HD and save them in order. 🎤 [Step 4: Edit, Add Voice, and Music in Premiere Pro] Screen Recording: Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline with clips Narrator: It’s showtime! Open Premiere Pro and import your animated clips. Arrange scenes, add transitions, and line up your audio. For voiceovers: You can record your own Or use AI voices (like ElevenLabs, TTSMaker, or Narakeet) 🎶 Add free kids’ music and sound effects from the YouTube Audio Library or Pixabay Sounds. 🧠 Narrator Tip: Add subtle sound effects like birds, rustling leaves, and character giggles to bring life to the story. ===================== Title: Ali Baba and forty Thieves. Title: Ali Baba and forty Thieves.

Forex Rates Today

All Bank of Canada exchange rates are indicative rates only, obtained from averages of aggregated price quotes from financial institutions. For details, please read our full Terms and Conditions. The daily average exchange rates are published once each business day by 16:30 ET. In the presence of extraordinary market conditions or technical issues, the publication of exchange rates may be delayed. For details, see this backgrounder. Exchange rates are expressed as 1 unit of the foreign currency converted into Canadian dollars. Data Available as: CSV, JSON and XML Currency 2025‑04‑07 2025‑04‑08 2025‑04‑09 2025‑04‑10 2025‑04‑11 Australian dollar 0.8546 0.8540 0.8576 0.8698 0.8691 Brazilian real 0.2412 0.2385 0.2362 0.2372 0.2365 Chinese renminbi 0.1946 0.1934 0.1925 0.1916 0.1904 European euro 1.5561 1.5523 1.5595 1.5650 1.5744 Hong Kong dollar 0.1831 0.1827 0.1824 0.1806 0.1791 Indian rupee 0.01657 0.01646 0.01633 0.01625 0.01612 Indonesian rupiah 0.000086 0.000084 0.000084 0.000083 0.000083 Japanese yen 0.009640 0.009670 0.009720 0.009680 0.009680 Mexican peso 0.06878 0.06874 0.06821 0.06850 0.06828 New Zealand dollar 0.7905 0.7919 0.7915 0.8026 0.8065 Norwegian krone 0.1299 0.1300 0.1298 0.1297 0.1301 Peruvian new sol 0.3860 0.3804 0.3779 0.3760 0.3724 Russian ruble 0.01652 0.01654 0.01644 0.01667 0.01665 Saudi riyal 0.3789 0.3782 0.3769 0.3733 0.3700 Singapore dollar 1.0538 1.0502 1.0521 1.0521 1.0525 South African rand 0.07288 0.07252 0.07203 0.07201 0.07248 South Korean won 0.000969 0.000960 0.000964 0.000964 0.000975 Swedish krona 0.1413 0.1417 0.1415 0.1420 0.1417 Swiss franc 1.6584 1.6642 1.6751 1.6867 1.7034 Taiwanese dollar 0.04310 0.04301 0.04313 0.04271 0.04297 Turkish lira 0.03740 0.03740 0.03720 0.03700 0.03650 UK pound sterling 1.8164 1.8140 1.8091 1.8144 1.8158 US dollar 1.4226 1.4196 1.4150 1.4015 1.3890

Currency Symbol Buying Selling Charts
   Australian Dollar AUD 105.75 108.25
   Bahrain Dinar BHD 404.5 406.5
   Canadian Dollar CAD 118 120.5
   China Yuan CNY 21.9 22.05
   Danish Krone DKK 22.75 23.05
   Euro EUR 171 172.5
   Hong Kong Dollar HKD 19.9 20.15
   Indian Rupee INR 2.17 2.24
   Japanese Yen JPY 1.44 1.47
   Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 513.5 516
   Malaysian Ringgit MYR 37.25 37.6
   NewZealand $ NZD 98.2 98.9
   Norwegians Krone NOK 17.1 17.35
   Omani Riyal OMR 406.5 408.5
   Qatari Riyal QAR 42.9 43.25
   Saudi Riyal SAR 41.35 41.7
   Singapore Dollar SGD 112.25 114.75
   Swedish Korona SEK 15.6 15.85
   Swiss Franc CHF 157.25 158.15
   Thai Bhat THB 5 5.1
   U.A.E Dirham AED 42.35 42.7
   UK Pound Sterling GBP 193 196
   US Dollar USD 156.2 156.7

OPEN MARKET FOREX RATES

OPEN MARKET FOREX RATES
Updated at: 26/10/2017 10:01 AM (PST)
  Currency

Buying

Selling
 Australian Dollar
82.75

83.55
 Bahrain Dinar
278

280
 Canadian Dollar
84.5

85.35
 China Yuan
15.75

15.9
 Danish Krone
16.4

16.7
 Euro
126

127.2
 Hong Kong Dollar
13.4

13.65
 Indian Rupee
1.57

1.64
 Japanese Yen
0.91

0.94
 Kuwaiti Dinar
346.5

349
 Malaysian Ringgit
24.7

25.05
 NewZealand $
72.7

72.9
 Norwegians Krone
12.95

13.2
 Omani Riyal
272.5

274.5
 Qatari Riyal
28.2

28.55
 Saudi Riyal
28.45

28.65
 Singapore Dollar
78.2

79
 Swedish Korona
12.6

12.85
 Swiss Franc
105.35

106.25
 Thai Bhat
3.05

3.15
 U.A.E Dirham
29.15

29.4
 UK Pound Sterling
140.5

142.25
 US Dollar
107.25

107.55 

forex rates 14/9/2015

Updated at : 14/9/2015 9:53 PM (PST)

Currency
Buying
Selling
 Australian Dollar
73.25
73.70
 Canadian Dollar
79.50
80.05
 China Yuan
16.30
16.45
 Euro
117.75
118.25
 Japanese Yen
0.85
0.88
 Saudi Riyal
27.35
27.50
 U.A.E Dirham
28.55
28.70
 UK Pound Sterling
160.50
161.20
 US Dollar
104.5
104.75

Forex rates 8/9/2015

 8/9/2015 9:34 PM (PST)

Currency                              Buying                                        Selling
 Australian Dollar                72.5                                              72.75
 Canadian Dollar             79.5                                                  79.75
 China Yuan                     16.28                                               16.38
 Euro                           116                                                 116.25
 Japanese Yen                  0.813                                                0.818
 Saudi Riyal                   27.55                                               27.8
 U.A.E Dirham          28.35                                                28.6
 UK Pound Sterling          159                                                  159.25
 US Dollar                   104.5                                              104.75



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US Dollar (USD) Exchange Rates As on Fri, Aug 28 2015

 International Forex Rates

US Dollar (USD) Exchange Rates As on Fri, Aug 28 2015,

Select Date and Base Currency

Base Currency

     Date        No. of Decimal Digits
   
Major Currencies

Currency      Symbol       Units per USD   USD per Unit
Australian Dollar      AUD                    1.3978     0.7154
Canadian Dollar        CAD              1.3213        0.7569
Euro               EUR              0.8948        1.1176
Japanese Yen       JPY             121.4161        0.0082
Pakistan Rupee         PKR             103.905        0.0096
U.A.E Dirham       AED             3.6729        0.2723
UK Pound Sterling      GBP             0.6504        1.5376
US Dollar       USD             1                1

Forex rate 21/8/2015

Daily Forex Rates:21/8/2015


Currency                            Buying                            Selling

Australian Dollar                                        75.25                                                      75.5
Canadian Dollar                                       78.85                                                      79.1
China Yuan                                                 15.75                                                      15.9
Euro                                                             115.5                                                      115.75
Japanese Yen                                              0.813                                                       0.818
Saudi Riyal                                                 27.5                                                         27.75
U.A.E Dirham                                            28.2                                                        28.45
UK Pound Sterling                                   162                                                          162.25
US Dollar                                                   103.8                                                      104.05

Forex Rate of Aug 11 2015

Forex Rate of Aug 11 2015

Currencies                          Purchase                        Sell

US Dollar,                                                       102.80                                            103.80

Euro                                                                112.25                                             113.35

Great Britain Pound                                       159.25                                             160.85

Japanese Yen                                                 .8100                                               .8800

Canadian Dollar                                             78.50                                               81.00

Hong Kong Dollar                                         12.85                                              13.10

UAE Dirham                                                  27.90                                              28.15

Saudi Riyal                                                     27.20                                              27.45

Kuwaiti Dinar                                                335.50                                            340.00

Qatari Riyal                                                    28.05                                             28.30

Omani Riyal                                                  265.00                                            269.00

Bahraini Dinar                                               270.00                                            274.00

Australian Dollar                                           75.80                                              77.50

Malaysian Ringhat                                         26.75                                              27.75

Switzerland Franc                                         101.00                                            107.00

Denmark Kroner                                            14.90                                             16.00

Norwegian Kroner                                         12.30                                             14.00

Sweden Kroner                                              11.60                                             13.00

Chinese Yuan                                                16.50                                             17.00

Singapore Dollar                                           72.70                                             74.50

Turkish Lira                                                  41.00                                              43.00

Forex Rates on Dec 11th, 2012

Dec 11, 2012 05:07:11 PM (PST)
   
           Remitt            Buying            Selling    
   
           TT/DD                    98.00    
   
           Currency            Buying            Selling    
   
           US Dollar            97.30            97.80    
   
           Euro            125.57            127.00    
   
           Great Britain Pound            155.53            157.28    
   
           Japanese Yen            1.1679            1.1810    
   
           Canadian Dollar            97.65            99.25    
   
           Hong Kong Dollar            12.36            12.56    
   
           UAE Dirham            26.38            26.65    
   
           Saudi Riyal            25.87            26.10    
   
           Kuwaiti Dinar            342.58            345.58    
   
           Qatar Riyal            26.53            26.88    
   
           Omani Riyal            250.62            253.81    
   
           Bahraini Dinar            255.89            259.14    
   
           Australian Dollar            101.05            103.63    
   
           Indian Rupee            ---            ---    
   
           Swiss Franc            103.54            104.80    
   
           Danish Krona            16.77            16.98    
   
           Norwegian Krona            17.05            17.26    
   
           Swedish Krona            14.45            14.64    
   

Current Forex Rates as by Dollar East

        DOLLAR EAST FOREX RATES
Nov 24, 2012 01:02:57 AM (PST)
   
           Remitt            Buying            Selling    
   
           TT/DD                    97.20    
   
           Currency            Buying            Selling    
   
           US Dollar            96.40            96.90    
   
           Euro            124.06            125.54    
   
           Great Britain Pound            153.35            155.14    
   
           Japanese Yen            1.1568            1.1703    
   
           Canadian Dollar            96.10            97.73    
   
           Hong Kong Dollar            12.21            12.43    
   
           UAE Dirham            26.10            26.38    
   
           Saudi Riyal            25.58            25.83    
   
           Kuwaiti Dinar            336.55            342.19    
   
           Qatar Riyal            26.25            26.61    
   
           Omani Riyal            247.95            251.25    
   
           Bahraini Dinar            253.17            256.52    
   
           Australian Dollar            99.61            102.23    
   
           Indian Rupee            ---            ---    
   
           Swiss Franc            102.90            104.20    
   
           Danish Krona            16.57            16.78    
   
           Norwegian Krona            16.83            17.04    
   
           Swedish Krona            14.36            14.55

GAIN Capital

GAIN Capital (NYSE: GCAP ), a global provider of online trading services, today announced that CEO Glenn Stevens is scheduled to participate at the Deutsche Bank Global Financial Services Investor Conference on June 7, 2011. The event is being held at The Pierre in New York.



Mr. Stevens will be presenting at 4:00 p.m. ET on June 7, 2011 in General Session III. Following the presentation, Mr. Stevens will be involved in a series of one-on-one and small group meetings. Interested investors should contact their Deutsche Bank representative.

For more corporate information or to sign up for alerts, please visit: http://ir.gaincapital.com



About GAIN Capital

GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:GCAP) is a global provider of online trading services. GAIN's innovative trading technology provides market access and highly automated trade execution services across multiple asset classes, including foreign exchange (forex or FX), contracts for difference (CFDs) and exchange-based products, to a diverse client base of retail and institutional investors.

A pioneer in online forex trading, GAIN Capital operates FOREX.com, one of the largest and best-known brands in the retail forex industry. GAIN's other businesses include GAIN GTX, a fully independent FX ECN for hedge funds and institutions, and GAIN Securities, Inc. (member FINRA/SIPC) a licensed U.S. broker-dealer.


GAIN Capital and its affiliates have offices in New York City; Bedminster, New Jersey; London; Sydney; Hong Kong; Tokyo; Singapore; and Seoul.

US Dollar

The U.S. Dollar was mixed in the overnight session, but of note was the shift back into the commodity currencies, with the Aussie and the Kiwi the two strongest major currencies early in Monday’s session.

The U.S. Dollar was mixed in the overnight session, but of note was the shift back into the commodity currencies, with the Aussie and the Kiwi the two strongest major currencies early in Monday’s session. The Swiss Franc was the weakest among the major currencies as traders ramped up bets of further stimulus by the world’s central banks in order to trade growth opportunities at the expense of higher price pressures. With four central bank decisions this week, as the North American session picks up, volatility will increase throughout the latter half of the week.

Forex Strategy

Stochastics are amongst the most popular technical indicators when it comes to Forex Trading. Unfortunately most traders use them incorrectly. In this article we will review the correct way to use this popular technical indicator.

George Lane developed this indicator in the late 1950s. Stochastics measure the current close relative to the range (high/low) over a set of periods.

Stochastics consist of two lines:

%K - Is the main line and is usually displayed as a solid line
%D - Is simply a moving average of the %K and is usually displayed as a dotted line

There are three types of Stochastics: Full, fast and slow stochastics. Slow stochastics are simply a smother version of the fast stochastics, and full stochastics are even a smother version of the slow stochastics.

Interpretation:

Buy when %K falls below the oversold level (below 20) and rises back above the same level.

Sell when %K rises above de overbought level (above 80) and falls back below the same level.

The interpretation above is how most traders and investors use them; however, it only works when the market is trendless or ranging. When the market is trending, a reading above the overbought territory isn't necessary a bearish signal, while a reading below de oversold territory isn't necessary bullish signal.

Trending market

When the market is trending is necessary to adapt the oscillator to the same conditions: When the market is trending up, then the signals with the higher probability of success are those in direction of the trend "Buy signals", on the other hand when the market is trending down, selling signals offer the lowest risk opportunities.

Thus when the market is trending up, we will only look for oversold conditions (when the stochastics fall below the oversold level [below 20] and rises back above the same level) to get ready to trade, and in the same way, when the market is trending down we will only look for overbought conditions (when the stochastics rise above de overbought level [above 80] and falls back below the same level.

Taking all overbought/oversold signals during a trending market will lead us to many whipsaws. If you are not comfortable with the number of signals given, try expanding your trading to other currency pairs.
Trend-less market

During a ranging market we could use the interpretation explained above to trade off stochastics.
Divergence

Divergence trades are amongst the most reliable trading signals in the Forex market. A divergence occurs either when the indicator reaches new highs/lows and the market fails to do it or the market reaches new highs/lows and the indicator fails to do it. Both conditions mean that the market isn't as strong as it used to be giving us opportunities to profit from the market.

Stochastics can also be used to trade off divergences.
Price Action

A Price Action can be incorporated into any kind of system or Forex strategy. When using divergences or overbought/oversold condition with a price action approach, the probability of success of our signals increases enormously. Why? Because price dictates at the end, how all indicators will behave, it also gives us a lot of information about the probable direction it will take in the future.

Forex Rates for Feb 13, 2011

Currency Symbol Buying Selling Charts
Australian Dollar AUD 84.6 85.6
Bahrain Dinar BHD 226 227
Canadian Dollar CAD 85.5 86.5
China Yuan CNY 13 13.5
Danish Krone DKK 15.4 15.7
Euro EUR 115.1 116.5
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 10.7 11.2
Indian Rupee INR 1.9 1.95
Japanese Yen JPY 1.01 1.02
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 301.6 302.6
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 27.5 28
NewZealand $ NZD 65 66
Norwegians Krone NOK 14.3 14.8
Omani Riyal OMR 221 222
Qatari Riyal QAR 23.37 23.47
Saudi Riyal SAR 22.65 22.85
Singapore Dollar SGD 65.7 66.7
Swedish Korona SEK 13.1 13.5
Swiss Franc CHF 88 89
Thai Bhat THB 2.8 2.9
U.A.E Dirham AED 23.15 23.4
UK Pound Sterling GBP 136.1 137.6
US Dollar USD 85.15 85.5

How to Retire Sooner

For millions of baby boomers, the financial gap between today and a successful retirement is deep and wide. When confronted with this reality, many folks simply give up, lamenting that they will never be able to retire or will continue working until age 75. But it may not have to be that way, if you are willing to adopt radical strategies to accelerate your retirement plan and close that financial gap. Here are a few ideas to consider:



• 4 Social Security Changes Coming in 2011

• 10 Winter Wonderlands for Retirement

• 7 Tips for Baby Boomers Turning 65 in 2011

1. Work a second job. You need more income now so you can save more for retirement. If you are healthy and the nest is empty, fill some spare time with more work. I am friends with a couple who each work full-time in conventional 9-to-5 office jobs. One spouse also works evenings and weekends selling ladies shoes in a mall department store on commission. She makes more money from that part-time job than she does at her regular job.

2. Become a single car family. Most married couples are two car families, even if the kids are gone and one spouse is not working. Operating costs including gas, insurance, maintenance, and repairs and carrying costs such as depreciation, taxes, and interest for a car or SUV can easily average $6,000 to $10,000 per year and even more for luxury vehicles. (Check Edmunds.com or ConsumerReports.org for data for your vehicle.) Gas prices are on the rise. Getting rid of the second vehicle can save you thousands of dollars for retirement. Commute with others, take public transit, share a ride with your spouse, or ride a bike instead. It can be done with careful planning.

3. Push your kids off the payroll. Many boomers find it emotionally difficult to completely cut the ties that financially bind them to their children. It starts with college expenses that drag on as the kids fail to graduate on time or need help paying off student loans. It continues with supporting boomerang kids. I know folks who continue to pay their kids car insurance or cell phone bills, even after the offspring are gainfully employed. When your child-rearing days are done, love your children, but be politely and firmly selfish about your money. You will need it when you retire more than they will now.

4. Start a spending fast. Most of us eat too much. We also spend too much. We often combine those vices by eating out regularly. Look at your budget and see if that's you. If so, go on an extreme spending fast. Vow to go an entire month without restaurant food. Also, avoid the drive-through and skip the exotic $5.00 cups of coffee. Stash the money you don't spend in your retirement savings. Think about what it will buy when you really need it. The next month, start another spending fast, this time targeting your cell phone or cable bill.

Most people who read these suggestions will roll their eyes and vow not to take such radical actions in their own lives, even if their retirement hangs in the balance. My message in response is this: The pain of financial discipline will be far less than the pain of retirement regrets.

2011 Finances

Don't tell Borders or Liz Claiborne that the retail business is getting healthy. Despite years of industry cache, both lose money, tout share prices in the single digits and just couldn't close down stores fast enough in 2010.

More from Forbes.com:

• In Pictures: Where You Might Not Shop in 2011

• Old Brands That Are Making a Comeback

• The Hottest New Tech of 2011

Chalk it up to fierce competition and customers' continued refusals to part with cash very easily, even as they loosen the purse strings a bit. Things are certainly less bleak. The latest results from the Commerce Department show that sales rose 6.6% for all retailers in 2010, the best year-over-year result since 1999. Wall Street has been responding. The S&P Retail Index is 23% higher than a year ago.

The downside: the sales increase came off a low base, thanks to the disaster of 2009, and the 0.6% rise in December sales over last year was less than expected. Customers are paying with cash, not credit cards, an indication that they're still watching money closely. And given all the stores that are still closing doors, it's clear that some of the excess capacity from the go-go years is still around. Ask an industry expert about the current state of retail, and the feeling is better, but not great.

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"You can't tell me it's good," says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a New York-based retail consultant and investment bank. "Given that Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News) is down for six straight quarters, that Target (NYSE: TGT - News) missed [profit expectations] by a mile, and that Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News) had a major earnings miss, how well can retail be doing?"

Borders Group (NYSE: BGP - News), delaying payments to publishers and distributors as it struggles to refinance its debt, shut down approximately 200 of its Borders and Waldenbooks stores in 2010. With book readership declining in general and Amazon snagging a lot of the remaining business, things aren't easy for traditional booksellers. Rival Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS - News) recently completed the shutdown of its low-volume B. Dalton unit, once a staple of shopping malls across America. The last 50 B. Dalton stores were closed this past year.

[5 Items You Should Never Pay For]

Apparel sales are doing better these days, but that doesn't mean there's room for everyone. Not when so many players are out there competing for dollars that consumers are still parting with cautiously. TJ Maxx just shut down its A.J. Wright discount line, taking all 162 stores with it. Bebe Stores (Nasdaq: BEBE - News) closed its PH8 unit at a cost of 48 stores.

And Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ - News), struggling with losses selling through its outlet stores, shut them down altogether (87 in all) in favor of putting out their product through J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP - News) and QVC. "They really had no choice," says Davidowitz. "This at least gives them some cash flow for awhile."

Meantime, in case there was any doubt about the influence of Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX - News) and iTunes on the entertainment front, movie and music sellers Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and Trans World Entertainment's (Nasdaq: TWMC - News) F.Y.E unit have all been high-tailing it out of many U.S. towns. Movie Gallery, which once boasted almost 5,000 stores, completed the liquidation of its remaining 2,400 units last summer.

New Zealand Dollar

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is widely expected to refrain from raising its key overnight lending rate in January as the economy continues to battle slow wage growth, weakness in the housing market, and a high unemployment rate. As market participants rule out a rate hike, comments subsequent to the rate announcement are likely to dictate price action.

Ahead of the release, traders are pricing in a zero percent chance that the RBNZ will raise its key overnight lending rate twenty five basis points, according to the Credit Suisse Overnight index swaps. Taking a look at the fundamental developments leading up to the rate decision, annualized consumer prices rose less than economists’ expectations in the fourth quarter. The report is concerning due to the fact that inflation is expected to pusher lower in the first quarter of 2011 as business and consumer demand scales back, while housing pressures remained weighed by slow house growth. Recently, house prices in the region fell an annualized 0.9 percent in December to mark the first decline since September 2009. It is also worth noting that credit card spending slid 1.4 percent during the last month of 2010as consumers remain cautious about spending, adding further concerns to New Zealand’s recovery.

All in all, as the economic recovery in New Zealand is slightly off track, I expect the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to refrain from raising its borrowing costs twenty five basis points later on today. Thus, comments trailing the rate decision will likely dictate price action and dovish commentary from the central bank will validate the bearish NZDUSD technical outlook.

Future Investments

About this Calculator

Calculate future value of investment accounts based on periodic, constant deposits, constant withdrawals, and a constant interest rate compounded daily. See the notes below.
Notes on Future Value Calculations:

1. Initial Account Balance
* Enter the current account balance or the amount you will deposit to start the investment account. When entering the account balance, enter the balance on the 1st day of next month. This calculator will have a start date on the first day of the month that follows today's month.
2. Annual Interest Rate
* Enter the Stated Rate. This calculator will compound interest daily. For example, an annual interest rate of 7% will be approximated as a daily rate of [ 0.07/365 days = 0.00019178 or 0.019178% ]. We round the daily rate to 3 decimal places so will use 0.019% in this case.
* Interest for this calculator is calculated at the end of each day so will include the net account amount after any deposits or withdrawals.
3. Monthly Withdrawals
* If you will be making monthly withdrawals from this account, enter it as a positive number, not a negative. Also, choose the day of the month that withdrawls will be made on. This calculator does not allow days of the month for 29, 30 or 31 since not all months will have these days.
4. Monthly Deposits
* If you will be making monthly deposits into this account, enter it here. Also, choose the day of the month that deposits will be made on. This calculator does not allow days of the month for 29, 30 or 31 since not all months will have these days.
5. Future Value at the End of X years

* Enter the number of years in the future you want to calculate the value of this account for.
* To simplify our calculations we start on the first day of the month that follows today's month.

Get Life Insurance

Consumers feel they are faced with a double-edged sword as many claim they cannot afford life insurance.

But without financial protection in place they could face financial devastation if the worst happens, warned Louise Colley, head of protection marketing at Aviva.

Overall, the Aviva report painted a picture of UK families who are surviving but are in debt, apprehensive about additional costs and unwilling or unable to put aside money for the future.

The report showed that on average 61 per cent of families confessed they do not have basic life insurance, with 87 per cent saying they are without critical illness cover and 89 per cent do not have income protection. Just seven per cent of UK families felt completely financially protected.

Some 57 per cent were concerned about inflationary pressures on everyday living costs and 39 per cent said they were too financially stretched to take on any additional financial obligations.

Ms Colley said: ""Families need to think what would happen to the family if the worst happened? Many families have debts, such as a mortgage, so they need financial protection the most. But they are not taking action as they claim it's unaffordable.

"There will be far less impact on the family if something happens if they have life insurance in place. No one is immortal and people need to plan for this."

This week Aviva launched a national TV advertising campaign to highlight the importance of taking out life insurance.

Ms Colley said: "Aviva offers life insurance for as little as £5 a month and we have launched an advert promoting this.

"Life insurance is there to protect the family and people need to step back and realise this. People need to overcome their barriers to life insurance - it is not confusing and it is affordable."