Dear Clients and Friends,
There's been some heavy turbulence in the air since the last edition of &Beyond, notably several hurricanes which have instilled fear into residents of America's gulf coast who have only barely recovered from the awful destruction of Katrina several years ago.
Beyond these natural storms, our world has also suffered turbulence in the financial markets-the credit crunch, for instance, has caused markets to contract significantly, and the impact of this has left many with nowhere to turn. As with all setbacks-natural and otherwise-it's important to keep a cool head. That is, not to 'hide away', but to be very clear on what is happening and where opportunities lie. Infinity Financial Solutions prides itself on being not just a fair-weather friend to our clients, but a devoted ally during tough times.
This in mind, we've put together an intriguing issue with special attention to the challenges currently at hand. For example, we take a hard look at the conventional wisdom that one should buy stocks when the economy is sagging (A Time to Buy Stocks? Maybe Not!). Plus, we review a low-volatility fund sure to appeal to concerned investors (Gems Low Volatility Portfolio).
An idea that's long been promised but only recently matured is 'virtual meetings'; with travel costs mushrooming, the timing couldn't be better. Our technology feature on various ways to enjoy this highly advanced form of teleconferencing (There We Are: Virtual Collaboration Comes of Age) should appeal to both die-hard techies and savvy CFOs.
Investors looking to augment their property holdings will enjoy our analysis of Brazil's booming real estate market (Property Watch: Brazil). And as Brazil's famous beaches help make plain, a healthy body is at least as important as a healthy portfolio. To that end, our health section this month takes a look at the inverse relationship between exercise and aging, offering solid tips on how to lower your 'biological age' (Are You Older Than You Should Be?).
On the fun side of life, we introduce you to some colourful new technical advancements in interior design via our brand new section, &beyond Network: a radical re-think of carpeting and artificial turf, plus a Bangkok-based high-end wine distributor to help you enjoy a luxuriant lounge on your new imitation lawn. And for those who'd like to just get away from the bustle for a while, our travel section takes you with us on an exotic camel safari through India's romantic western deserts (Just Dune It).
We hope you enjoy this issue. And as always, if you have any questions, comments or would like to see a topic covered then please do email us at
info@infinsolutions.com.
Until next issue,
Ben Bennett, Judy Blair and Trevor Keidan
