DIFC Investments to make payment on $1.25 bln sukuk

DUBAI, Sept 1 (Reuters) - DIFC Investments, part of the group which operates Dubai's tax-free business hub, said its unit will make a periodic profit distribution on its $1.25 billion Islamic bond on time, a statement said on Wednesday.

Tax breaks could bring more hotels by Euro 2012, but other hurdles will hinder flood of new projects

Major hotel projects are expected to launch soon. The hotel business received a huge boost in July when a law was passed granting tax breaks to any hotel constructed before September 2012.

Wayne McLeod: The Life and Death of a Mini-Madoff

He gave seminars, handled investments, and ran a Ponzi scheme for an unlikely group: law enforcers

Are the mutual fund's days numbered?

Ever since exchange-traded funds were created in the early 1990s, they've been seen as a threat to old-fashioned mutual funds. That's because ETFs can offer you instant exposure to a wide range of investments -- from the broad stock and bond markets to individual sectors to niche strategies -- all with a single trade.

Thinking twice about variable universal life

QUESTION: I'm single, in my 30s and I'm already maxing out my 401(k) and IRA account. My financial planner is recommending I purchase a variable universal life policy, the rationale being that I have exhausted all of my other tax-advantaged investment opportunities. I trust my adviser, but I don't understand whether a variable universal life policy is really a good deal. What do you think ...