Citibank wypłaci klientom 700 milionów dolarów rekompensaty

21 lipca to nie był dobry dla amerykańskiego Citibanku. Rząd nałożył na niego solidną karę oraz obowiązek wypłaty rekompensat dla oszukanych klientów. Do wyroków dorzuciła się pozarządowa instytucja chroniąca klientów finansowych.

 

Nakaz zwrotu tak dużej kwoty, 700 milionów dolarów, jest skutkiem stosowania przez bank zwodniczych technik sprzedaży. Wypłata obejmie 8,8 miliona klientów (7 milionów naciągniętych bezpośrednio przez Citibank oraz 1,8 miliona klientów jego jednostek zależnych). Consumer Financial Protection Bureau nałożyło na bank także dodatkowe 35 milionów dolarów kary.

 

CFPB udowodniło, że w okresie od 2003 do 2012 roku Citibank oferował klientom wakacje kredytowe oraz programy ochrony spłaty kredytu w przypadku utraty pracy. Nie dopełnił jednak obowiązku poinformowania ich o wysokich opłatach i prowizjach za skorzystanie z takich usług. Stosowano wobec klientów także mylące sformułowania podczas rozmów telefonicznych, które wprowadzały w błąd w zakresie informowania ich o warunkach kredytów.

 

Bank jak najszybciej chce wypłacić klientom rekompensaty w formie czeków. Zobowiązał się również wyłączyć z oferty sporne usługi, których opłacanie słono kosztowało prawie 9 milionów klientów.

 

autor: Mateusz Gawin

An Introduction To Pilates

Over the last decade Pilates has become increasingly popular among dancers, athletes, models and celebs.  Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liz Hurley, even John Cleese.  These are just a few of the big names who swear by Pilates and have helped to fuel the ever growing popularity of this „wonder workout”.  But what is Pilates, what are the benefits, and how do you choose a Pilates instructor?

What exactly is Pilates?

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates during the First World War to help rehabilitate returning war veterans.  He recommended a few, precise movements emphasizing control and form that help to strengthen, stretch, and stabilize key muscle groups.  These movements focus particularly on what he called the „powerhouse” – the abdomen, lower back, hips and bum.  Fitness professionals call this part of the body „the core”, and as any Pilates instructor or personal trainer will tell you, it is the starting point of all strength, balance and posture.

Unlike gym workouts that focus on repetition, Pilates exercises focus on fluidity of motion as you perform each pose with slow, graceful movements, starting from the mid-section and moving outward.  Breathing, concentration, muscle control and precision of movement are central principles of the Pilates method, making it slower and less aerobic than other fitness classes.  For this reason Pilates is suitable for people of all ages and abilities, and is recommended for those suffering from osteoporosis, as well as those who are overweight.

What are the benefits of Pilates?

Muscle Toning– the flowing and controlled movements of Pilates help to firm up and lengthen the muscles, resulting in a sleeker shape and more toned look to the body.

Body Control – the emphasis on precision of movement helps to improve your mind-muscle connection, which means better control over your body in day to day life.

Core Stability– by targeting the mid-section Pilates helps to strengthen the core muscles, which not only improves balance, but also flattens and tones your waistline.

Injury Rehabilitation– the low impact nature of Pilates helps to develop strength and flexibility without straining the muscles, making it ideal for rehabilitation.

Improved Posture– by correcting muscle imbalances and strengthening the back and spine, Pilates improves posture and lessens the risk of back injury and neck pain.

Increase Wellbeing – In a similar way to yoga, Pilates is a balanced, holistic approach that relieves stress and anxiety by working on the mind as well as the body.

Getting started…

Before starting a Pilates class it’s a good idea to book a home or studio session with a private Pilates instructor.  Ideally look for a REPS Level 3 Pilates Instructor, or one who is registered with The Body Control Pilates Association.  A one-to-one Pilates session will give you an idea of what a Pilates class feels like, but with a lot more personal focus.  Your Pilates instructor will be able to show you where your body’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and give you some exercises you can try at home.  If you enjoy and feel the benefits of the exercises then you might want to join a local Pilates class, or combine a class with one-to-one sessions.

History of Swimming

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

It was noted that Ancient Egypt had cave drawings of humans swimming in the nearby sea. They often depicted a form of the breaststroke as the first type of swimming or something they used to call the front crawl. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Often reserved for the elite that used them as relaxation pools and cleaning tubs.

It is noted by historians that swimming was also often used in battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers and at the Battle of Salamis after a number of both Greek and Persian boats were destroyed it was said that all of the Persians drowned due to their inability to swim while the Greek prevailed.

The history of swimming is much easier to understand than other sports. Without any equipment to speak of an individual can take to the waters. Obviously those countries that had the most access to water were the first to adapt to swimming. History did not have the spreading of the sport as many other sports had encountered because it was basically already available. You either adopted swimming as a means of life or you just chose not to swim.

The evolution of swimming history expanded during the middle ages. A number of individuals took it upon themselves to write books about swimming. They were often focused on the ability to not drown rather than a perfect backstroke as you would imagine. Life saving concepts and techniques began to form throughout the next few hundred years and around the 18th and 19th century the sport began to evolve into more of a competition than just life safety. Swimming Associations and Clubs popped up all over the world. Some of the first in swimming history were in China, Sweden and Germany.

Schools began to believe that swimming was a natural part of any life education. Therefore, they began to teach swimming in schools not just as a life safety course but as an extracurricular activity. Schools and Universities began to adopt these practices and set up clubs and swim teams. Competitions began to arise around the mid 1800’s. England was the first to modernize the sport and incorporate an indoor swimming pool with a swim team. They began to formulate new swimming styles including the sidestroke. Shortly after this, variations of the freestyle began to form and credit can’t really be given to one person as so many were responsible for developing this technique.

The Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens was the first real platform for the sport. There only men competed in a number of events. Throughout the 1900’s the sport evolved and saw a number of stars arise. Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan completed his ten year career by never losing a race and winning five Olympic medals.

Science and technology began to play a part in the sport throughout the 1900’s as well. When scientist and coaches began studying swimmers and there underwater techniques to improve times. The swimsuits began to change as well as any form of resistance was under scrutiny from all competitors. Goggles, swim caps and different variations of training have all evolved as well. The US has seen its share of great Olympians going back to Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics.

The sport has evolved to a very competitive and fun sport for anyone. That has always been the great appeal that anyone can swim and we have been for the past 3000 years…So goes the history of swimming.

Swimming Lessons for Babies

Mums and Bubs swimming lesson sessions are designed for babies aged between 6 and 24 months. Mothers or fathers go into the pool with the babies. Not every swim school will offer these lessons. So ring around and pick the one that you are most comfortable with. Make sure that all the lessons are conducted by a qualified instructor. . In Australia these sessions are usually called ‘Mums and Bubs Swimming Lessons’. Dads if you are reading this, it should not discourage you from taking your baby to the swimming lesson (and give mum a break).

The main aim of these swimming lessons is to instill water confidence in the babies. The whole lesson is designed to be a lot of fun. Every class usually has around 8 adults in it. Lots of rhymes are sung…There are usually some water toys as well…

Lot of children can be quite happy in water but when it comes to putting their face under water, they get a bit scared…These lessons slowly introduce the idea of putting the face under water…If your child is very uncomfortable the most important thing is for you to be relaxed…Be patient and encouraging. In time the child will be fine. Babies are also introduced to the concept of blowing bubbles in water…I remember when I took my daughter to these classes, at the end of each class, the babies were made to sit on the side of the pool…We sang ‘Humpty Dumpty’ to them and then at the end of the rhyme we encouraged them to leap forward into our hands…Most of the babies quite enjoyed this little game.

It is important for parents to realize that the aim here is not to teach your babies to swim…The aim is to instill water confidence in them…Don’t expect too much from them. Don’t be upset if your child does not take to the water straight away…I am telling this from my own experience…I have seen kids who were uncomfortable in the first sessions but grew up to become excellent swimmers. Supervise them at all times. Hold them and don’t think they can swim just because they are attending these swim classes. These classes don’t remove the risk of drowning. So have fun but keep safety in mind at all times. If you for some reason don’t prefer these swimming classes, then you can take your child to a public pool. This will probably be a bit cheaper. You can make up your own routine and have fun with your baby in the toddler pool. Take some water toys and may be even a water noodle. Sing and make the whole process lot of fun.

Always remember that kids can drown in the shallow end as well…So supervise them at all times. And just to be on the safe side it is probably a good idea for all parents to learn CPR and rescue methods. Some public pools have a small picnic area as well. After the fun at the pool, you both can have a picnic too. And one more thing – make sure that the water is nice and warm. Babies normally get quite tired after a swimming lesson. So the good news is that they will probably take a long nap after the swimming lesson (hopefully).

Give a boost to your health with swim lessons!

Swim lessons play an important role in keeping your body in perfect shape. This is something which is important both for the adults and kids if they want to stay healthy and fit throughout their lives. Especially for pregnant women, swimming is must. In fact doctors also suggest doing this act every day. By keeping all these things in mind, the swim academy in Dubai alleviates this concern for women and has come up with ladies swim lesson academy in Dubai where they will get the opportunity to learn swim lesson under the guidance of expert female swimmers or instructors. The academy has framed a special lesson program for both ladies and children where your babies can learn swim strokes with their mummies. At Dubai swim academy, they always try to offer the best swimming guidance to new born babies, children and women.

Here, in this article, you will come to know about the benefits of learning swim lessons. Swimming is important for ladies. In fact, doctors also suggest ladies to learn swim lessons because it benefits body in various ways. Let’s take a look at the benefits: Stay fit and healthy with swimming: Fitness is an inevitable part to stay healthy and fit. Doctors even suggest that people should perform this act every day like other physical activities. Swim lessons in a swim academy helps you to get incredible body and fitness that you want.

Swimming can make pregnancy easier: At the time of pregnancy, women go through a lot of stress both mentally and physically. Swimming helps to build their muscles safely and therefore, it gradually helps in relieving the aches and pain associated with pregnancy. Swim lessons help in strengthening muscles at the time of delivering baby. It makes delivery quite easier and quicker. Be a responsible parent by giving your children swims lessons: In recent age, new mothers are keen to join swim academy so that they can give their children swim lessons. Giving swim lessons to children is a crucial part for becoming a responsible parent. If any day, your child falls into the water, swim classes can help you to save your child’s life. Taking time in learning swim lessons is important to keep your children always safe and secured. It will prevent your child from drowning.

These swim lessons will not just only make you confident in water but also help to develop your inner skills. The expert swim instructors in Dubai will make you learn some effective swim strokes that will make you proficient in sidestroke, breaststroke and backstroke. Moreover, you will be able to learn proper breathing techniques during the time of learning swim lessons.

Swim lessons in Dubai is framed to make you proficient in learning basic swimming strokes. Babies can move towards building their stamina and therefore, they can achieve great health and fitness. The expert instructors of Dubai swim academy are well versed in their respective field and they are all registered to offer swim lessons to babies and adults. If you wish to get some more information about swim lessons in Dubai, you can browse internet to get detail information about it.

How can you Look Great while Horse Riding?

European countries have some of the best scenary and the weather that many people from countries in other continents are jealous of. With such great places and picture esque landscapes it comes as no surprise that Horse Riding is very popular in all European countries. In counties such as England there are horse races and big festivals as well as derbies which are very popular and attended by thousands of people every years.

Horse is regarded as one of those animals that is very friendly and this is one of the reasons why kids start learning to ride from an early age. Apart from England, countries such as Sweden have seena growth in the number of people who have taken up horse riding as a hobby or professionally. Even the kids camps that teach horse riding right from the basics have gained popularity. When a rider or a jockey as they are called in professional races, are on top of their game, the sport is very visually attractive.

Horses almost seem like they are gliding on the surface and not running beacuse of graceful they are. But, another reason what makes the sport so good looking is because the riders, too, are one of the most well dressed sports people among all the sports. There industry that sells the horse and riding equipment is huge and Hästbiten are one of the giant companies in the market. Having been in the selling business of various type of horse riding equipment, they know what the likes and tastes of people are. The riding pants are one of the key and essential part of any horse rider’s attire. Hästbiten have a large vareity of these rnaging from the equiline boston ridbyxor to other lesser known brands.

Pants meant for riding are designed in aparticular manner that lets the rider be comfortable. Since being comfortable is an important thing when the rider is on top of the horse and going as fast as it can, buying good quality equiline boston ridbyxor is a must! Some of the pants event have the hooks that go in to the horse riding boots. One might think that pants are not an important accessory but since one can get hurt in the sport of horse riding, it is important to use equipment that is good quality and is designed especially for horse riding purpose.

Another way a rider can be stylish and good looking is by wearing a nice jacket. Polo is another sport that is played by many all over the world. One of the best jackets is the hv polo jacka which is custom made for horse riders. Hästbiten also have a wide range of jackets that people buy in huge numbers. When it comes to a jacket, one may thing that is something that is not required and hence can be avoided. But when you wear the hv polo jacka you will realise that it is worth buying it!