Britain acts to keep Queen's head on stamps

LONDON: The government insisted it is closing a loophole that could see Queen Elizabeth II's head removed from stamps if the Royal Mail national postal service is sold to a foreign firm.

The monarch's head, facing left, has appeared on adhesive postage stamps since their invention with the 1840 "Penny Black", featuring queen Victoria.

The current standard stamps, drawn up in 1967 by Alan Machin, are considered a design classic and a defining icon of Britain.

Her Majesty's Government is in talks with Buckingham Palace after realising that the legislation paving the way for the Royal Mail to be sold off failed explicitly to guarantee the Queen's head would remain on the stamps.

The bill gives Queen Elizabeth a veto over any use of her image but does not insist that her head is shown, as per tradition.

Postal services minister Ed Davey found the loophole but said he was sure a solution could be found before the law passes through parliament.

6 New Careers That Are Coming of Age

These hot new careers put a fresh spin on the classics.

By Chris Kyle

Every generation has its own music, its own fashion and...its own jobs.

Case in point: These days there is an exciting fresh crop of careers that are coming of age that combine new uses of technology with some tried and true skills.

Want to get in on the ground floor as these careers grow up?

Check out our list of 6 hot new jobs that are coming of age in 2010, and find out what you need to do to jump into one of these exciting jobs...

Hot New Career #1 - Social Media Strategist

Do you love Twitter? Why not get paid to tweet? Seriously! Social media strategists figure out optimal ways to get messages out to the masses using the latest community tools online. This involves blogging, tweeting, and using sites like Foursquare and Facebook to find and communicate with customers.

Related Degrees:
Business Administration
Marketing
Public Relations
Web Design and Development

Average Salaries:
Bloggers: $32,000
PR Writers: $58,740
Social Media Strategists: $61,000

[Search for Marketing and Business programs]

Hot New Career #2 - Homeland Security

If you are looking for a challenging career with high stakes, consider Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security, which was formed as a result of the September 11 attacks, is responsible for everything from cyber security to border protection. As just one example of this career's growth pattern, in August 2010, President Obama signed a $600 million bill that pays for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents.

Related Degrees:
Criminal Justice
Homeland Security
Information Systems Security
Paralegal

Average Salaries:
Executive Branch Paralegals: $58,540
Federal Criminal Investigators: $73,170
Customs and Border Protection Agents: $92,558

[Find Criminal Justice and Homeland Security programs]

Hot New Career #3 - Forensic Accounting

Who knew that a calculator could be this powerful? Though the FBI and IRS used forensic accounting to convict Al Capone in 1931, the field arrived in a big way in the form of Will Ferrell in the hit movie The Other Guys. Forensic accounting as a career path also got a boost during the recent scandals that shook accounting firms and Wall Street.

Related Degrees:
Accounting
Finance
Business Administration

Average Salaries:
Auditing Clerks: $32,510
Forensic Accountants: $73,000
Financial Analysts: $73,150

[Click here to find Accounting and Business schools]

Hot New Career #4 - Online Video Game Designer

To give you an idea of just how big online video games have become in 2010, an estimated 200 million people - 200 million! - play video games online each month, according to a report from the University of California at San Diego Extension. Studying graphic design is one way to get started on a career in this booming business.

Related Degrees:
Animation
Graphic Design
Programming and Applications
Video Game Design
Web Design

Average Salaries:
Graphic Designers: $42,400
Multi-Media Artist and Animators: $56,330
Video Game Designers: $57,000

[Search for Design schools near you]

Hot New Career #5 - Email Marketing Manager

Companies big and small use email marketing to reach current and potential customers. Although it's more cost-effective than using the U.S. Postal Service, it's still a relatively new method, which means email marketing managers are still working out the kinks. Getting your MBA is a great way to position yourself for an email marketing managerial job.

Related Degrees:
Business Administration
E-Business/E-Commerce
Marketing
MBA

Average Salaries:
Email Marketing Managers: $69,000
Advertising Managers: $80,220
Marketing Managers: $108,580

[Find online and local Marketing and MBA programs]

Hot New Career #6 - Home Health Aide

While not exactly a new profession, home health aides are seeing increasing opportunities. Not only does the population continue to grow, but healthy retirees are now living longer and often need a part-time or full-time home health aide to take care of them. Nursing training programs can help you gain a foothold in this coming of age career track.

Related Degrees:
Licensed Practical / Vocational Nursing
Nursing Certification
Nursing (ASN, BSN, MSN)

Average Salaries:
Home Health Aides: $25,000
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: $39,030
Registered Nurses: $62,450

[Search for Nursing and Health Care training programs]

*Average salary information for Bloggers, Email Marketing Managers, Forensic Accountants, Home Health Aides, Social Media Strategists, and Video Game Designers comes from SimplyHired.com in August 2010. All other salary data represents the mean annual wage in May 2008, according to The U.S. Department of Labor.

Top 5 Tips to Build Wealth and Success

Warren Buffett is worth $45 billion. That wealth isn't only a factor of savvy investing and good business — the "Oracle of Omaha" is also known as a penny pincher. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Neb., home he bought in 1958 for $31,500.

Follow his frugal formula, and you too may wind up with a lot more money than you ever dreamed.

This week Financially Fit covers five tips to build wealth and success.

1. Live Below Your Means.
Being wealthy isn't just a product of your salary or investment prowess; it's learning how to save.

"We can make a lot of money, you can make a little bit of money, but the second you spend all the money is when people get into trouble. Saving is the key to preserving your wealth," says Ed Butowsky, managing partner of Chapwood Capital Investment Management, a firm that manages money for wealthy individuals.

As many Americans realized during the booming real estate market, just because you think you can afford something doesn't mean you should buy it. Keeping an eye on your bottom line will pay dividends over the long term.

Related Video

2. Bounce Back From Defeat
With nearly 15 million workers unemployed right now in the U.S., it's easy to get discouraged. Don't! Most successful and wealthy people have overcome obstacles and failure along the way. Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple when he was 30. Today, he's a billionaire and a legend. Plus, after getting fired, he created another billion-dollar media company, Pixar.

"Bouncing back from defeat is something all great achievers have. They have this undying belief good things will happen and will continue to happen," says Butowsky.

Take Michael Jordan. "His airness" was cut from his high school basketball team. Motivated by the rejection, Jordan became a star the next season. The rest is history.

3. Self-Promote
Regardless of the profession, the rich and successful tend to have a strong sense of self-worth — key to skillfully navigating an upward career path. Mark Hurd, who was ousted as CEO of Hewlett-Packard in August, couldn't be kept down for long. Using his business skills and connections, in September, Hurd was named president of Oracle. (Hurd and Oracle founder Larry Ellison are known to be close friends.)

4. Have Street Smarts
Bernie Madoff lived the high life for decades, scamming unsuspecting clients, with a money-making formula that proved too good to be true. Only afterward did we learn that with a little due diligence, most clients could have easily uncovered the fraud.

But it's not only the swindlers and the con men you have to watch out for. Many times, friends and family take advantage of the rich. Whether it's a handout or an investment idea, Butowsky advises his high net worth clients that in most cases, it's wisest to just say "no." The best way to do that: have someone else do it for you.

"You need to really set up a wall between you and your family," he advises. "If you don't want to give them (family or friends) money ... saying no is probably a good idea."

5. Buy Cheap
The rich can afford to splurge, but that doesn't mean they do.

John Paulson, a billionaire hedge fund manager, bought his Hamptons "dream house at a bargain basement price," according to Greg Zuckerman, author of the Paulson-based book, "The Greatest Trade Ever." The story has it that Paulson eyed the home while it was in foreclosure. Finally, on a rain-soaked day, he purchased the home on the Southampton town hall steps. He was the only bidder.

On New York City's Upper East Side, Michael's— The Consignment Shop for Women— has been a bargain-hunting destination for more than 60 years. "We have a good percentage of women who can afford to shop on Madison Avenue but really like the idea of saving that money," says proprietor Tammy Gates.

From Chanel to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, the store specializes in high-end designer merchandise for a reasonable price. Speaking of her clientele, Gates says, "they're wealthy for a reason. They recognize that bargains keep people wealthy. Paying top dollar when you don't have to doesn't make sense."

Desirable' 38M dlr pink diamond up for auction

GENEVA (AFP) – Auctioneers Sotheby's said Monday that a rare pink diamond valued at up to 38 million dollars (28 million euros) would go on sale in Geneva next month, dubbing it one of the "world's most desirable stones."

The 24.78 carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond mounted on a ring comes from a private collection, the auction house said.

The gemstone, rated among a type that accounts for just two percent of diamonds, was last seen on the market about 60 years ago when it was sold by legendary US jeweller Raja Shafaat Rauf.

[Photo: Massive emerald pulled from North Carolina cornfield]

"During my 35-year career at Sotheby?s I have had the opportunity to examine many magnificent and rare gemstones and, put simply, this stone is one of the most desirable diamonds I have ever seen," said David Bennett, chairman for Europe and the Middle East at Sotheby?s international jewellery department.

"What makes it so immensely rare is the combination of its exceptional colour and purity with the classic emerald-cut -- a style of cutting normally associated with white diamonds," he added.

[Photo: Rare blue diamond the size of a quarter up for sale]

Sotheby's gave a pre-sale estimate of 27 to 38 million dollars for the fancy pink diamond, which will go under the hammer on November 16.

Blue, pink and green coloured diamonds are currently the most sought-after gemstones in auctions, according to the auction house.