Funkola Odeleye and Temie Giwa-Tubosun have been shortlisted as two of three African entrepreneurs who could stand a chance to win the sum of $100,000 in grant at this years edition of the Cartier Womens Initiative.

The initiative, which was founded in 2006, has helped women over the years to reach their full potential by shining a light on their achievements while providing them with the necessary financial, social and human capital support in growing their businesses and leadership skills. It is open to women-run and women-owned businesses across the globe with the aim of ensuring a strong and sustainable social and environmental impact as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Owing to the social impact of their businesses within Nigeria, Funke Odeleye and Giwa-Tubosun were among the selected 21 finalists from a pool of 1,200 applications from 162 countries across 7 regions. A winner will be selected from each region and take home the sum of $100,000 in prize money, whereas the second and third runner-ups will receive the sum of $30,000.

Funkola Odeleye is the Co-founder and CEO at DIYlaw, a legal technology company committed to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs through the provision of accessible and affordable legal services and free legal and business resources. She is also the Corporate-Commercial and Intellectual Property lead at The Longe Practice LP (TLP), an entrepreneur-focused law practice.

Funkola has a Masters in Finance and Financial Law from the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London in addition to her LLB from the Lagos State University and BL from the Nigerian Law School. Her legal experience prior to founding TLP and DIYlaw cuts across capital markets, investment advisory, compliance, and securities. In addition, she is an Obama Leader, having been chosen as a 2019 Obama Africa Leader and also an Innovating Justice Fellow of The Hague Institute for the Innovation of Law (HiiL).

With our goals aimed at reducing unemployment in Nigeria by 50 percent by 2030, DIYLaws services and partnerships at the end of 2019 had created more than 120,000 jobs in Nigeria. Every job increases an individuals financial independence, provides a chance for stability, and in some cases even offers the possibility of moving off the streets she said.

Temie Giwa-Tubosun, also shortlisted as one of the finalists, is the founder of LifeBank, a medical distribution company with the mission aimed at helping hospitals find critical supplies and deliver them in the right condition and on time within three cities in Nigeria.

Since its founding in 2016, LifeBank has consistently ensured the timely delivery of vital medical supplies and blood to hospitals in its service area within 55 minutes day or night, thereby relieving doctors of the logistical stress associated with locating blood and giving them ample time to focus on treating patients. The company has transported more than 20,000 units of blood and other medical products, served 450 hospitals, engaged 5,823 donors, and saved over 6,757 lives.

LifeBanks ambitious mission is to save a million lives across Africa in 10 years and to reach all of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America to deliver critical supplies around the clock, eventually becoming a profitable public company.

Seven laureates out of 14 finalists from the 2020 edition of the Cartier womens initiative will be announced early June. The laureates and finalists will all benefit from financial advisory services, strategy coaching, media visibility, and international networking opportunities, as well as a place on an INSEAD executive education programme.

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Two Nigerians shortlisted as finalists in the Cartier Women's Initiative 2020 - Ventures Africa

When Ali and Alison Walker sold their Seattle home, said goodbye to their jobs, and set off on an around-the-world journey in 2018, the markets were still on the upswing and their early retirement was unfolding with hardly a hitch.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic and an abrupt turn in markets that slammed the Walkers investments and confined them to an Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, amid global travel restrictions.

Yet the Walkers, like many proponents of the financial independence, retire early movement, seem largely unfazed. FIRE adherents pursue their goals by saving aggressively, and in the past 11 years, many have taken advantage of a historic bull market to build solid nest eggs.

We planned for some type of a black-swan event, says the 46-year-old Ali, who worked in marketing and business development. We couldnt have planned for the coronavirus, but we assumed there would be a tough bear market or a prolonged down market for one reason or another.

Still, the coronavirus crisis is a big test for the FIRE philosophy, with some observers wondering if the crisis will knock devotees off trackor even extinguish the FIRE flame and push those who have achieved their goals back into an office cubicle.

Yet far from dousing interest in FIRE, so far it seems as if the crisis may lead more people to investigate the philosophy. Just as people flocked to the movement in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, those who feel burned by the current crisis may find themselves turning to FIRE strategies in a bid to be more self-sufficient.

What part of biggest unemployment spike in history makes you want to be more reliant on your job? says Tanja Hester, author of the book Work Optional and the FIRE blog Our Next Life. Its a huge reminder that workers are expendable, and there isnt a great safety net out there for us.

Many FIRE adherents start out in good financial shape. They are often financially disciplined millennials or Gen-Xers with well-paid jobs, banking big chunks of their salary in hopes of making an early exit from the workforce. Given their relatively long time horizons, they often take on a lot of investment risk.

Yet even though many pursuing a FIRE strategy invest aggressively, they employ some strategies that may leave them particularly well suited to weather the economic storm. They often emphasize large emergency funds, low costs of living, and well-diversified investments and income streams.

Consider the Walkers: The couple set aside five years of cash to cover their expenses in the case of a sustained downturn, and decided on a conservative annual withdrawal rate of 3% of their savings. They also gave themselves plenty of wiggle room in their budget to pare back expenses if needed.

One of the great things about the FIRE movement is that it talks a lot about the different scenarios you should prepare for before deciding to retire, says the 56-year-old Alison, who had worked retouching images for catalogs and corporate clients.

Marcus Miller, a financial planner who specializes in working with FIRE clients at the Indianapolis offices of Deerfield Financial Advisors, says the philosophy attracts disciplined investors of a cautious mindset. If you take a look at the people who comprise the FIRE movement, its people who often live below their means and have built this war chest to live off of. They may be better equipped to weather a storm like this than the majority of Americans.

Even among the best-prepared, some who are following the FIRE path are likely to face challenges in the current environment. This may be especially true of people who are close to, or just starting, their early retirement. The sharp downturn in the financial markets ratchets up the risk that drawing down investments nowrather than waiting for markets to rebound before tapping investmentscan throw off assumptions about long-term returns and savings growth.

This sequence-of-return risk can have a big impact on what youre able to spend later in your retirement, says Matt Ryan, a financial planner at San Diegobased Creative Capital Management Investments. Two months ago, the people who are close to financial independence and retiring may have been pretty close to their goals, he says. But now they may have to adjust their timing.

Whats more, Ryan says, is that this risk comes as even the most risk-tolerant FIRE investors had become inured to down markets. Theres a recency bias, especially among younger investors who saw the market continuously going up over the last 10 years thats led to an overallocation to stocks.

Generally speaking, he says, investors should have an emergency fund and a portion of their portfolios in conservative investments. Those who dont have adequate savings outside of equities may find themselves in a predicamentneeding income but loath to sell while stocks are down.

For those who find themselves short on cash, the advisor suggests paring back expenses or seeking income from a side gig, two familiar principles of the FIRE movement. People who previously had a side gig may qualify for unemployment under the Cares Act, which extended benefits to freelancers.

I think its definitely a lot harder to pursue financial independence and FIRE in the traditional sense at this exact moment given that most of the economy has just been paused, says Grant Sabatier, a personal-finance blogger and author of Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need.

Sabatier suggests that those who cant pursue the strategy now can still take the time to understand their values and plan how they want to save, spend and invest in the future. Use this moment while were all stuck inside to figure out your relationship with money and how to be more intentional about it when this is all over.

The current environment may lure a new demographic into the world of FIRE. While millennials felt the sting of the 2008 financial crisismany left college loaded with debt during a lousy job marketyounger generations may have known only a bull market. A lot of younger people havent experienced anything like this, Ryan says. Its going to be a wake-up call for those who arent putting enough away in savings or dont have an adequate emergency fund.

Colin Loretz was drawn to the FIRE movement right before the pandemic struck. The 32-year-old freelance software engineer would frequently find himself chasing late invoices from clientsdelays that were exacerbated by his lack of savings to carry him between paychecks. Before committing to financial independence, he used credit cards as a stand-in for an emergency fund, leaving him with considerable personal debt.

While he hasnt begun aggressively investing, he is working to pay off his debt and weighing whether to use his stimulus check to erase that debt or bolster his emergency fund. Loretz, who lives in Reno, Nev., says he feels the crisis has made him more committed to the FIRE principles. I wanted to get out of living invoice to invoice as a freelancer and on to a different path, Loretz says. I dont want to be caught in a situation like this again.

Write to us at retirement@barrons.com

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The Coronavirus Crisis Has Tested the Retire-Early Movement. But Its Followers Are Unbowed, and Its Winning New Fans. - Barron's

Lohit Group introduces a number of technology-backed platforms including a robust cryptocurrency exchange, to offer advanced financial solutions

DELHI, INDIA / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2020 / The world economy is an interconnected grid, where the economic circumstances in one country can have a massive impact on other geographies. This concept is extremely relevant in the present scenario, as the global financial dynamics have taken a turn in the wake of the pandemic. And, it is fair to say that this economic turnaround might well be a cause of concern for years to come. We have hit a roadblock, where millions are searching for jobs to sustain themselves, while employers are looking to hire the right employees for their businesses. Unfortunately, there is a gap that is preventing optimal usage of available resources, and in turn affecting the economy, which is already in a sensitive state. Lohit Group has come up with a technology-based solution to address the problem.

About Lohit Group

Originally founded in 1998, Lohit Group is a technology company that deals in financial services and fund management. Over the years, it has worked with a number of businesses at all scales and helped them succeed by providing various financial services and trading tools. More recently, it has forayed into advanced technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, etc. By harnessing these technologies, Lohit Group aims to create applications, tools, and platforms using which businesses and individuals will be able to weather out the effects of any economic instability.

Major Services

WorkbookingWorkbooking is a multi-faceted and integrated online platform that is aimed to benefit both job-seekers as well as employers. It creates a seamless bridge between businesses and potential employees, thus helping make optimal usage of human resources. The platform is equipped with automatic selection features based on preferred geographic location, timetable, job nature, and salary. While this allows job-seekers to set their preference, it also enables employers to select the right fit for their businesses. All in all, Workbooking is a win-win for both entities, which in turn benefits the entire employment scenario.

In order to keep up the recent economic digitalization, Lohit Group also offers blockchain and cryptocurrency-based products and solutions. The crypto industry is definitely growing in India, especially with a number of foreign investments off late. To leverage that potential, Lohit Group provides the following services - Crypto Wallet, Crypto Exchange, Binary Options.

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Lohit Group Harnesses Blockchain and Other Advanced Technologies to Provide Financial Independence - Yahoo Finance

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For designers and retailers, Meghan Markle's influence cannot be overstated. Almost everything she wears sells outeven faster if it's at a relatively affordable price pointand her royal stamp of approval can boost a brand's sales in a way few other people can.

Bianca Gates, the co-founder of the shoe brand Birdies, which Meghan has worn publicly on multiple occasions, says the so-called "Markle Sparkle," is the kind of marketing "you cannot buy."

Or, at least you couldn't buy it before.

But now that Harry and Meghan have stepped away from their senior roles in the royal family, Meghan's endorsement, at least in theory, might be for sale.

Chris JacksonGetty Images

The Sussexes sought financial independence when they left their positions as working royals, giving up other, perhaps more personal, aspects of their proposed planPrince Harry's honorary military appointments come to mindin order to gain it. And Harry and Meghan made it clear that they intended to seek out private income as well, though they haven't explicitly spelled out what exactly that means. (The onset of the coronavirus crisis likely shifted any plans they had to launch their charity, Archewell, or kick off other, more lucrative initiatives.)

It seems unlikely that Meghan would become a full-fledged company spokesperson, endorsing products. And even if the Sussexes relaunch their social media presence, I don't think she'll be doing sponsored posts anytime soon. That kind of overt promotion would be an extreme shift in her own personal brand. But it does seem possible that Meghan might begin to receive free clothes and products, from brands hoping she'll be seen sporting their wares.

PoolGetty Images

Gifting products to celebrities and other high-profile influencers is a common modern marketing practice. Brands will send high-profile influencers items for free in the hopes that they'll showcase them publicly.

The Duchess is certainly familiar with how things in this space work, given her pre-royal career as an actress with her own lifestyle blog. But when Meghan was serving as a representative of the Queen, and receiving public funding, there were numerous rules and protocols she had to abide byone of which governed the type of gifts she was able to receive.

The introduction of the royal family's gift policy, which appears to have been most recently updated in 2003, reads as follow:

The wording of this passage isn't entire clearto whom, exactly, does this apply? Only working royals or a broader swatch of the family? But taking into account the lengths Harry and Meghan have gone to separate themselves financially from the institution of the monarchy, Meghan could indeed find herself untethered from these restrictions. (She would, though, still find herself subject to the necessary social media advertising and gifting rules, if she wanted to actively promote a gift.)

Well never see her Instagramming flat tummy tea.

These gray areas mean that the Sussexes will probably proceed with extreme caution. "Obviously anybody would give them anything, but I think they're going to be really careful," says Elizabeth Holmes, the fashion journalist behind the buzzy "So Many Thoughts" Instagram series about royal style. Holmes notes that she didn't know for certain if Meghan would be able to receive clothes for free.

"I think that Meghan's power as a dresser will continue. There are so few peopleeven among celebritiesthat have the kind of economic power to move merchandise the way that royal women do, so I hope and I think shell choose carefully."

Christine Ross, the creative director of Effervescence Media Group, a company that runs the popular royal fashion blog Meghan's Mirror, agrees. She thinks Meghan might begin to receive gifts from companies, but that she'll choose what to accept "responsibly."

"If an independent woman-owned brand reaches out to her and says 'Would you like to learn more about our brand, well send you a necklace,' I could see that possibly happening," Ross says.

"But Meghan knows how influential her fashion choices are and how much of an economic phenomenon the Meghan effect is. Well never see her Instagramming flat tummy tea."

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Meghan Markle Is Poised to Become the Most Prominent Influencer in the World - TownandCountrymag.com

Managing money and growing wealth is a difficult task even in the normal course. Add to it external and internal threats, the former including macroeconomic factors or exceptional ones like the current Covid crisis. The internal threats can include personality or behavioural issues, such as addictions or bad habits. Excessive shopping, Internet addiction, gambling, drinking or drug abuse can damage both your physical and financial health, often irrevocably.

1. What will be the impact?Addictions invariably help people escape troubling reality or are sought by those suffering from depression and anxiety. These start by eating into their time, taking them away from work, and often resulting in job loss. These are also expensive, demanding a constant supply of money. So the funds for essentials like food, utilities, loan EMIs, rent and investments are diverted towards addictions, and in case of job loss, the existing savings are depleted and debts pile up. Addictions like drinking, smoking or drug abuse also have a huge health and insurance cost, leading to increased medical expenses as well as a rise in health and life insurance premiums.

2. Compulsive shoppingIf your spouses obsession started as a retail therapy to overcome bad moods, help them look for alternatives to be happy. Encourage interaction with family and friends, following hobbies and passions, and physical activities like sports, exercise or even cleaning. To provide them a reality check for finances, work with a monthly budget by listing the income and expenses, separate the essential spending from discretionary, and list your familys goals and the amount needed to save every month to be able to reach these. This will help them focus on how much they can actually afford to shop. To help curb spending proactively, push them to cut up the credit cards, shop only with a list and only for the things they need. If nothing helps, seek a behavioural therapist and a financial counsellor.

3. Internet, gaming obsessionHere, it is important to know the reason: is it a way to avoid work and responsibility, or a harmless timepass that blew up into an addiction? If it is the latter and is in the initial stages, it is best to make a clean break by cutting off the Internet connection. In case of the former, encourage the spouse to talk about the problems, reduce their workload, and indulge in entertainment or fun activities. If, however, it has developed into a full-blown addiction, it is best to seek the help of a behavioural therapist or a psychologist.

4. Drinking, smoking, drugs and gamblingThese are all serious addictions that are typically hard to get rid of and often require professional help. These also have extreme financial consequences. If your spouse is in the grip of one, it is best to seek medical help and therapy. On your part, you will first have to seek financial independence by getting a job. Next, ensure that the partner does not have access to your funds through your bank account or via Net banking. As a next step, seek the help of a financial counsellor, who can ground you in the basics of saving and investing for your and your childrens goals. These self-help measures will ensure that till the time your spouse gets back on track, or even if he doesnt and you need to separate, you will be well-versed in financial planning and will be able to take care of yourself and your financial goals.

If you have a wealth whine, write to us...All of us have been in a financial dilemma when it comes to relationships. How do you say no to a friend who wants you to invest in his new business venture? Should you take a loan from your married brother? Are you concerned about your wifes impulse buying? If you have any such concerns that are hard to resolve, write in to us at etwealth@timesgroup.com with Wealth Whines as the subject.

Disclaimer: The advice in this column is not from a licensed healthcare professional and should not be construed as psychological counselling, therapy or medical advice. ET Wealth and the writer will not be responsible for the outcome of the suggestions made in the column.

Excerpt from:

Money and relationships: Spouse's addiction draining your wealth? Deal with it this way - Economic Times

We like to think that we have had some profound, timeless thoughts that have helped the readers as well as our clients survive the volatility that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will let you be the judge of that as what follows are some that we have added to our journal over the past couple of months along with quotes from others that we believe are quite perceptive. However, we would first like to start with the following statistics regarding the U.S. stock market as represented by the S&P 500.

Since 1928 the rolling ten-year return of the S&P 500 has been higher approximately 95% of the time and lower just 5%. The more an investor meaningfully alters their asset allocation model in response to market downturns, the percent chances of positive returns over the aforementioned ten year period decreases.

Since 1950 the S&P 500 declines an average of 5% about three times per year; 10% or more approximately once per year; 15% or more about once every four years and 20% or more about once every six years. It is not a question of if another bear market will occur it is question of when.

Every market bear or bull has a catalyst. Quite often those catalysts are unprecedented which is why investors fall into the trap of thinking that it is different this time and that the financial markets will not recover. To date, that stance has always been incorrect. Today, what does your investment strategy say about what you believe?

A skilled T. Rowe Price portfolio manager once wondered aloud, How do you deal with the stress of markets? If you seek comfort, you are in trouble. You have to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. (David Eiswert, Portfolio Manager, T. Rowe Price Global Stock Fund)

We have complete confidence that the U.S. Financial Markets have been the most direct route for most investors to obtain financial independence and have no reason to believe that this time is any different.

Historically, the rallies such as the one we are experiencing off the March 23rd lows fade which result in an ultimate retest of those lows. Although likely, this time may be different as the catalyst behind the bear market was different. It was not looming economic weakness brought about by a foreseeable economic event but rather by an abrupt shock to the economy. Investors have to plan for either outcome a retest of the lows or a market that approaches new highs.

It was the rapidity of the decline in the stock market as well as the depth that was most unnerving to investors and what resulted in a pervasive sense of doom.

Eventually there will be a new normal. Over the short- to intermediate-term investors should prepare to look for opportunities in a world where there is less brick and mortar retail and more online; less recreational and business travel (although business will most likely rebound to a certain extent first); less but more costly air travel; more videoconferencing; less need for office space as more people work remotely; when they resume fewer attendees at sporting events, concerts and other public events and more online gaming. Spacing, Spacing, Spacing.

Those that panicked may very well have fatally compromised their long-term financial well-being.

If you have some of your own, please feel free to email us at investment@faganassociates.com Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe. Be well.

Please note that all data is for general information purposes only and not meant as specific recommendations. The opinions of the authors are not a recommendation to buy or sell the stock, bond market or any security contained therein. Securities contain risks and fluctuations in principal will occur. Please research any investment thoroughly prior to committing money or consult with your financial advisor. Please note that Fagan Associates, Inc. or related persons buy or sell for itself securities that it also recommends to clients. Consult with your financial advisor prior to making any changes to your portfolio. To contact Fagan Associates, Please call (518) 279-1044.

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Financially Speaking: Observations that helped navigate portfolios throughout this pandemic - Troy Record

By Dr William Tayeebwa

The coronavirus pandemic, known as Covid-19, continues to wreak havoc that is best captured in numbers of confirmed cases, deaths and recoveries. There is, however, a different data set that should not escape our notice especially on World Press Freedom Day. The pandemic has constricted revenue streams for media organisations, forcing some print titles to suspend operations (Ennyanda) and several others to contemplate cost-cutting measures (such as laying off and furloughing journalists).

Both outcomes are deeply disturbing; if anything, because a robust press takes up a central place before, during and after a pandemic. It is not a stretch to conclude that access to verified and accurate information can mean a matter of life and death. A robust press is an indispensable source of information. It provides a trusted sieve that nips the infodemic of misinformation and disinformation in the bud.

The act of newsgathering and investigation, the researching of stories which are layered with different complexities, is a costly endeavour. Doubly so with restrictive measures, such as public and private transportation that have come in place to stave off the inescapable Covid-19.

If there was any doubt that there cannot be press freedom without financial independence, then its taken covering an unprecedented public health crisis to crystallise this time-honoured truth. The press cannot hold those in power to account if its finances are not on a sound footing. The domino effect in such a scenario is one of loss perpetuating loss.

Either the media organisation will not have the financial capacity to advance investigative journalism or the transition from watchdog to lapdog will subsume its content with puff pieces and officialdom. Neither is a good place for the press to be. It essentially leaves the press in shackles at the whims of those with power.

As it were, the mass media in Uganda are heavily reliant on advertising revenue. This hardly makes them independent because, as an old dictum reminds us, he who pays the piper calls the tune. And its not just corporate interests at play here. The manner in which the National Association of Broadcasters reportedly sought to dip its fingers in governments cookie jar ostensibly for relaying official Covid-19 messages was telling in more ways than one.

The projection of Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) as a vulnerable poor was also equally telling. It is not reassuring if journalists are propped by those they are supposed to hold accountable.

Clearly, the financial model on which independent media in Uganda operate leaves them susceptible to being lapdogs. This squarely leaves press freedom in retreat. This should worry us all because a free, healthy press remains a fundamental test of democracy and open government.

As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, the need to front a financial model that wont impel the press to make a sacrifice at the altar of survival is greater now more than ever. Its not just humanity that has been brought very low by a very humble assailant in Covid-19. The presss existential threat has also surged to the fore.

It is never comfortable if you are trapped between a rock and hard place. Yet that is exactly where the Ugandan press finds itself. Consumers are evidently reluctant to pay for access to content. It is not just the sales model of revenue generation that is perilous; the advertising model is also in decline. A mixed revenue model has also proven to be hardly helpful. So where does the press go from here?

Options like crowdfunding should be explored; as should grant income and philanthropy. Al Jazeera satellite TV network for instance traces its roots back to grant funding. It started with a $150 million grant from the Emir of Qatar in 1996 and has since proceeded to diversify its income streams.

However, public funding is also a welcome option to all media established media outlets in form of tax exemptions and other forms of assistance.Dr. William Tayeebwa is the Head, Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University

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There can be no press freedom with no financial independence - Daily Monitor

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are busy carving out a new life for themselves in the City of Stars. At least, theyre living on someone elses dime in someone elses mansion in LA, anyway. Now, the Duke and Duchess have reportedly managed to bag the help of Rebecca Mostow.

Mostow might look like your average woman, but shes a 70-year-old celebrity whizz. Rebecca has already proved shes a dab hand at helping a British couple adjust to life in Los Angeles. Victoria and David Beckham hired her to get them used to the American life when they skipped England in 2007.

For all intents and purposes, Rebecca has the kind of resume youd want from an assistant. Shes used to being in the inner sanctum of celebrities, but is hiring her just another desperate attempt to look the part?

Its been a few months now since Meghan and Harry announced their desire to leave Britain behind. After bouncing around Canada, theyve landed in LA. But, where is this ever-elusive financial independence they talk of?

Despite numerous reports of the Sussexes eyeing up properties to buy, theyre shacked up in Tyler Perrys mansion. Are they paying rent? Unlikely, as the arrangement was set up by their mutual friend, Oprah. Plus, Perry has expressed his sympathy for how Meghan has been treated since she married into The Firm. He even flew them in on his $150 million private jet.

Meghan and Harry have a combined net worth of around $30 million. This lifestyle of living in a home that usually costs $200,000 a month to rent isnt going to be sustainable. Charity is all well and good, but it wont be long before patience wears thin. Lets face it, they cant afford the lifestyle they want to lead right now. So, why have they hired an assistant like Mostow?

Its all smoke and mirrors. Its part of the great ploy, the great facade. Everything is crumbling on the inside. But, Meghan seems to think that if you put on a pair of Louboutins and hire a well-known assistant, then the deception will turn into a reality.

Its clear that both Harry and Meghan have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Every single move they make at the moment is an attempt to be something that theyre not. Harry, for his part, looks like a lost little boy navigating a world he has no idea how to handle.

Even Meghan, the cold, calculating seductress, is grasping at straws to find a way to keep this fantasy alive. Is Rebecca Mostow the key to gaining the trust of Hollywoods elite? Or, will she just end up on the long list of people used and abused by a Z-list actress that married a prince?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.

This article was edited by Samburaj Das.

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Meghan & Harry Hire Beckhams Hollywood Aide But Theyre Beyond Help - CCN.com

Dear Mom,

I wish you did not have to let go of that job because of motherhood. I remember how while I was growing up you kept reiterating that I can do anything I want to once I get a job. Little did I know what financial independence for women meant at that time or how earning money can make you feel liberated. How when you are economically independent the world looks at you differently. How earning money gives you a say in things you do.

I remember how angry you got about some joke my friends made regarding me getting married. We were all teenagers then, and all my life I had never seen you overreacting like that. You shouted, All of you should get a job first. Now, after becoming a mother myself and after having quit my job because of maternity I realize what you would have gone through that day when you had to return that appointment letter just because you were pregnant. Just because you were new to the city and commute would have been difficult, and what if something happens to the baby. You could have gone to places is what I can think.

I know you have brooded over that decision. I know how cherished that job offer was for you. It wouldnt have been easy for you to crack that job either. You didnt just move cities but moved cultures when you got married. I know how much you struggled with speaking Hindi, still do. I know you still have a copy of that letter saved. To carry the weight of unfulfilled dreams on your shoulder without being bitter is not easy.

Also Read:Dear Mom: Thank You For Not Leaving Your Job Under Family Pressure

Thank you for not letting me lose focus when it would have been very easy to do so. In writing this, I redeem myself a bit, by acknowledging your tremendous sacrifice, in giving me life.

Photo by Praveesh Palakeel on Unsplash

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Dear Mom, I Wish You Didnt Have To Give Up Your Job For Motherhood - SheThePeople

For primary care physicians already saddled with student debt obligations, volume-based performance demands, declining reimbursements, increasing administrative challenges, and overall burnout the spread of COVID-19 has been a pressure test. It has exposed weaknesses in the financial, clinical and operational aspects of primary care, and left thousands of doctors scrambling to save their practices. More than 70% of practices reported a decrease of 50% or more in patient volumes; fewer than half feel they have sufficient patient volume or cash-on-hand to remain open.

Independent primary care providers, in particular, find themselves at a critical point: Do I join a health system or large practice, or can I sustain my business as an independent practice?

For physicians committed to their independence, the good news is that the same factors that made concierge practices strong enough to survive dramatic health care reform have enabled them to withstand the current COVID-19 crisis.

Financial benefits

Concierge practices are better equipped to weather the current environment with more reliable cash flows from annual membership revenues, between $1,800 and $2,000 on average, that provide cushion against a sudden cash crunch. Additionally, concierge patients are reluctant to leave their physician, which creates a more consistent patient base Specialdocs average patient renewal rate is 96%.

Clinical benefits

The size of traditional primary care patient panels has presented clinical difficulties in the current crisis. On average, an Internal Medicine or Family Medicine physician cares for over 1,600 patients. With panels this large, doctors have limited time to manage care, communication and outreach. Adding in the number of COVID-19 questions and cases has proven overwhelming, making efforts to educate patients on procedures for office or telehealth visits challenging.

In contrast, a concierge physician typically has between 250 and 600 patients, making outreach, communication and care much more manageable. During the COVID-19 emergency, Specialdocs concierge physicians promptly and effectively utilized digital communication and telehealth to serve patients, especially the elderly and those with chronic conditions, and both patients and physicians report high satisfaction as a result.

Operational benefits

Operationally, traditional primary care practices are not well positioned to weather crises like COVID-19. Recent surveys show that 48% of independent physician practices have temporarily furloughed staff, and 22% have permanently laid off staff. Even when the current emergency abates, traditional practice models designed to treat 1,600 patients may not fit the new environment.

Concierge practices are lean by design, typically consisting of one physician who manages up to 600 patients with two or three staff members. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, no Specialdocs physician has implemented staff reductions.

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is still unfolding. Systems that worked previously can no longer be depended on. Concierge medicine is an important piece of reshaping the primary care system by offering more flexibility and stability, personalized care and greater satisfaction for physicians and their patients.

Dave Farr is vice president of business development at Specialdocs, a pioneering concierge practice transition and management company established in 2002, helping physicians nationwide transform their practices with the industrys most customized and sustainable concierge model.

UPCOMING FREE WEBINAR: The Resilience of the Concierge Medicine Practice. Learn about an economically sustainable alternative to withstand COVID-19 and future challenges in healthcare. REGISTER HERE.

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Why the concierge model is resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic - Medical Economics

The question was in French, and there was a simultaneous translation, but Finance Minister Bill Morneau made a point of answering in both official languages. Thats because they mostly speak English on Bay Street.

We see the independence of the Bank of Canada as critical, he said at a press conference he organized on May 1 to announce he had chosen Tiff Macklem as the central banks next leader. Its something that has enabled our economy to be successful over previous decades.

It was good the minister did that, and it was helpful that Macklem subtly stated he was no ones puppet. Im confident the government will respect our independence in order to meet the targets that we set out jointly, he said. This is where accountability starts.

I see no reason to doubt either mans sincerity, though I tend to give even the most powerful people the benefit of the doubt at first. Not everyone is so generous these days. A critical mass of cynics has assembled on social media over the past decade that strongly believes we can skip past the evidence stage and get straight to the hangings.

This Twitter-empowered group is ruining public discourse, but no more so than the decline of authentic communication under the message-obsessed regimes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his predecessor, Stephen Harper. Trust is earned, and the political class is borrowing against our fond memories of a time when politics was different.

You can tell the Bank of Canada is worried about the general state of political discourse. It watched in relative horror as the U.S. Federal Reserve became a political punching bag in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The American public woke up to the central banks vast power and, even though the Fed stopped a terrible recession, many decided they disliked unelected officials having so much influence over their lives.

The well of trust in institutions runs much deeper in Canada than it does in the U.S., but the Bank of Canada has opted against taking that more docile polity for granted. One of Governor Stephen Polozs legacies will be the steps he took towards transparency, turning a black box into a translucent one. Among his innovations is an ongoing series of articles, The Economy, Plain and Simple, by central bank staffers that try to explain various economic issues, creating a neutral ground in the highly charged policy wars that take place daily on social media.

Of course, that only works if the public continues to believe that the Bank of Canada is neutral.

Central banks might have prevented a global depression a decade ago, but that hasnt kept politicians at bay. Governments in India and Turkey have dumped central bank leaders they disliked, and Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, became a target of Brexiteers for warning that divorcing the European Union could hurt the economy.

In the U.S., President Donald Trump made a show of making your own mark by replacing Janet Yellen, the widely respected Fed chair, with Jerome Powell, a less experienced member of the central banks Washington-based board of governors. Trump then proceeded to aggressively harass Powell on Twitter and in the press when the Fed refused to cut interest rates. Powell eventually lowered borrowing costs, and some on Wall Street assumed he had succumbed to political pressure.

At the very least, Trumps Fed tweets caused the markets expectations for monetary policy to adjust in the direction favoured by the president, according to a report last year by Antoine Camous, an assistant professor in the Economics Department at the University of Mannheim in Germany, and Dmitry Matveev, an economist at the Bank of Canada.

Central banks are being watched closely by economists and the broader public to understand whether, or to what degree, their decisions are influenced by outside pressures, the pair wrote, citing other research that showed 39 per cent of 118 central banks sampled had faced at least one pressure event between 2010 and 2018.

Trudeau is no Trump, and not even the rowdiest member of Canadas Parliament could dream up the abuse that Carney endured on a regular basis in London.

Still, our passive-aggressive natures are capable of creating pressure events, both real and imagined. Bloomberg News, citing multiple unnamed sources, characterized Macklems hiring as the finance minister protecting his turf, a pushback against those in the Prime Ministers Office who would have preferred Carolyn Wilkins, the Bank of Canadas senior deputy governor.

Macklem is extremely qualified and almost got the job in 2013, but that didnt stop Catalyst, a non-profit that works to level the playing field for women in business, from muddying the waters by describing Morneaus choice as another example of women being overlooked for top jobs.

The Bank of Canada must maintain the publics trust, because it has taken the most radical turn in its 85-year history by committing to create hundreds of billions of dollars to buy federal bonds and provincial debt. The reason is to keep credit markets flush with cash when otherwise they would be deserts. Still, there will be ongoing suggestions that the central bank is simply printing money to monetize the Liberal governments debt and to keep provinces from going bankrupt.

The Bank of Canadas actions are far more complex than that. Still, its new, has an air of incredibility and, therefore, invites skepticism. Morneau and Macklem will have to do more than reiterate their conviction that the central bank should operate at arms length from cabinet. They will have to prove the convention remains in effect, and do so often.

Email: kcarmichael@postmedia.com |

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Affirming the Bank of Canada's independence has to be more than just lip service - Financial Post

Renewing your career after motherhood is a challenging milestone; one that presents several dilemmas for women as professionals.

Quite often it is the woman who has to bear the brunt of sacrificing her career post marriage and subsequently childbirth. In todays age, issues like renewing career, providing maternity benefits and child-friendly workstations or facilities for working mums are of importance.

Women make up 48 percent of the Indian population but have not benefitted equally from Indias rapid economic growth. Sixty-five percent of women are literate as compared to 80 percent of men. India has among the lowest female labour force participation rates in the world, says a report by World Bank Group published last year. Female child mortality is still a grave concern, with over 239,000 girls under the age of 5 dying each year.

About 40 per cent of working mothers want to quit jobs to raise their kids, noted a survey conducted by ASSOCHAM under the aegis of its Social Development Foundation. At the study conducted, ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation had interacted with a total of about 500 working women including 200 working mothers in 10 cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune during the course of the past fortnight to gauge their career related goals. A whooping 80 out of 200 respondents who are working mothers quoted motherhood and lack of quality time being spent with family were the primary reason to quit jobs.

At such a crucial juncture, what will it take to give a much-needed push and bolster women to return to careers post motherhood or even start a career is they hadnt before?

My suggestion to women who want to get back to work is three-fold: Look for a role that excites you, and one in which your mind will stretch and learn new things. The personal cost of balancing work, life and children is tough, and beyond the very important role of financial independence, our jobs and careers nourish our minds and imaginations. Many women leave jobs, or struggle to keep them, after becoming mothers because boring jobs, or ones in which they are not growing, dont seem worth the effort, if you are fortunate enough financially to have a choice not to work, believes Shreyasi Singh, Co-founder and CEO, Harappa Education.

Along with getting a strong picture of current skills and ambition which is required to sustain in a specific industry, a holistic approach of looking at the situation and evaluation will help a long way, say experts. This includes getting a strong understanding of your own skills and ambitions. What do you really want to do? What could help you get to the long-term future you can see for yourself?

Start somewhere, dont wait for the perfect job. Figure out your non-negotiable, if thats commute from home, compensation or the industry/role you want. Or, is it flexible time schedules? For example, the post-Covid work environment, especially remote WFH, can really be an important enabler for working mothers. Dont be afraid to suggest, now of all times, the schedule that might work for you. Now more than ever, employers wont judge you. This can actually be a good time to experiment, especially if you didnt love the job you were in before. Keeping an open mind and stepping out of your comfort zone can be very powerful enablers in this phase, adds Singh.

The lockdown necessitated by the spread of COVID-19 has disrupted the normal life of people all around the world. While the situation is challenging for all, it specifically puts great demands on the women in the family, as they not only look after the work at home, but also at their respective offices.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that women are now doing two full-time jobs without even a weekend break. Indian women have always been multi-taskers and power-workers, balancing the needs of their family and job. Along with kids and family around in the same space, the work-life balance during the Covid-19 and amidst the lockdown has taken on a whole new meaning, agree experts.

Managing kids, work and the household - within lockdown, and the anxieties on both personal life (health, lifestyle) and professional life (Working from home, anxiety about job), I have seen it manifest in my house, with my wife trying to navigate as a working woman, a mother and a wife. Stress is a natural consequence, and new experiences that can be tried out at home, can help counteract that. Be it working out as a family (with kids), or cooking as a family (encouraging kids to become little Masterchefs), or trying out online yoga - my wife has been at it since day one. Going through this experience has helped us/her assuage the stress effectively, says Irwin Anand, MD, Udemy India.

We find ourselves looking to pick up new skills, whether its gardening, a musical instrument, or drawing/coding with kids in part because being challenged the right way can be a new source of delight for everyone! The coming weeks and months will shape the new normal in the day-to-day life of women, and I hope everyone understands how hard it is for them, and to support them however possible, adds Anand.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. )

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Heres how one can renew their careers post motherhood - Hindustan Times

The coronavirus hasnt upended Steve and Courtney Adcocks life when it comes to social distancing measures they live in the middle of the Arizona desert. But the market SPX, +1.15% volatility associated with the spread of the infectious disease has shaken their ground.

The Adcocks are part of the FIRE movement short for financial independence, retire early. The couple, who retired in their 30s after working technology jobs, had saved more than $1.2 million, but now has around $1 million because of market volatility linked to the coronavirus, as well as fears of a shuttering global economy and oil price wars.

They know what not to do check their portfolios incessantly.

We dont need that constant feedback and we dont want it, Steve said. We are not glued to our net worth. We dont care too much about how our numbers are going down in the short-term because we know this is a blip. Normally, they check their accounts once or twice a month.

See:Is quarantine like early retirement? These people think so

And they know what they need to do use their emergency savings, of which they have three years worth of living expenses socked away, and dial down discretionary spending.

This doesnt mean checking in on investments is a bad thing. Some people rely on those regular check-ins to feel better about where they stand financially. It is a risk to never look at it, he said. For us, we tend to look every couple of weeks just to get a feel for where its going.

For them, and others on the path to FIRE, the key is to focus on the long haul. When you invest in any investment stock market, real estate or business they tend to be long-term investments, Steve said, noting this is especially important for retirement savers, as theyre saving for decades of their life.

Some argue this pandemic may extinguish the FIRE movement. People who pursue this lifestyle are often investing much of their assets into equities, which are riskier and can severely lower an account balance during volatility. But Adcock said he thinks this will rejuvenate the movement. This environment has shown a lot of people there is more to life than making money and having a good job, he said. Im sure this time last year, people losing jobs and getting sick was the last thing on their minds, but as we have seen, things can change on a dime.

Also see: The coronavirus stimulus package raised 401(k) distribution and loan limits. But which if any should you take?

The coronavirus crisis has caused mass chaos and distress for millions of Americans. Many workers were already underprepared for retirement, but the pandemic has led to record high levels of unemployment, lost or lowered wages and a nightmare health scare. Some wonder if the market downturn and the wavering economy will derail their retirement goals.

People will have to make changes about how they spend, save and invest but they will do so with the long-term picture in mind, Adcock said. For them, quarantining is relatively easy given they live so far apart from their neighbors, but theyre tweaking their lifestyle in other ways. Aside from passive income, they have side jobs in blogging and freelance writing, including as a contributor for MarketWatch. Theyve also pared back their discretionary spending. We have a good baseline understanding of what will make us happy and we will spend handsomely on those things, he said.

FIRE is not for everyone, Steve said, so he doesnt try to push the concept of early retirement on others. But he does encourage everyone try to accomplish the financial independence part, which can help during dark or uncertain times. If you no longer like your job next year and if you are financially independent or close to it, you can choose to do something else with your time, he said. You have no idea whats going to happen in the future and if you are financially independent, that gives you a lot of choices.

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These early retirees saw their investments plunge more than $200,000 but still manage to stay calm - MarketWatch

We all want the best for our kids. We want them to do well in school, find things they are passionate about, maintain healthy relationships and establish financial independence. We also want them to find careers that will provide stability and a sense of satisfaction.

Childrens exposure to careers is relatively limited in scope. They are aware of the jobs held by their parents and relatives; as well, they are exposed to doctors, teachers, firefighters, public safety and dentists. At Youthentity, we believe that widening kids understanding of available opportunities will help them continually narrow their focus as they get older, with the hope that eventually that interest manifests into a part-time job in their field of interest or enrollment into a career exploration program such as our Career Academy program in high school.

One of the hardest things to do as an adult is not to project our beliefs of what is a successful career onto kids; instead, allowing them to explore different paths that match their individual interests and strengths.

Youthentitys Junior Career Academy program (formerly known as My Career, My Life) gets kids thinking about careers early by introducing them to the paths that are possible. Facilitated in elementary and middle schools, area professionals representing various fields cosmetology, biology, architecture, culinary arts, journalism, construction and many more show kids what its like to be in their industry, talking about their path into the field, including certifications and degrees needed, and then executing a hands-on learning assignment for a day in the life perspective so students can understand what the job entails.

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Before students participate in a Junior Career Academy program, they take a test to determine their interests and career personalities. The results show kids the different clusters they most closely align with depending on their answers. For example, students usually find three of the following Career Oysters make up their career code or personality:

Realists like to do things such as caring for people and animals, flying planes, running restaurants and constructing buildings.

People in Artistic careers like to create things and develop new ideas, and often work in areas involving design, communication, performing, creating art and helping people, too.

Those who fall into the Investigative category typically like to explore, understand and solve problems. They enjoy studying and caring for humans and animals, research and teaching.

People in Conventional career areas like to work with numbers, records or machines in an orderly way and they value success in business. They are good at following plans.

People in Enterprising career areas like to lead and persuade people, and to sell things and ideas. They also value success in politics, leadership or business.

People in Social career areas like to do things to help people such as teaching, nursing or counseling. They value helping people and solving social problems.

(You can take the test at http://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip to find out what cluster you or your student falls into.)

Kids are unlikely to know what they want to be when they grow up. Even as adults, many of us struggle to pinpoint the careers that spark interest and utilize our individual strengths. Certainly, having a clear career path from a young age is not a requirement for success, but we can help students now by showing them the possibilities through in-school career experiences.

Kirsten McDaniel is executive director of Youthentity.

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Youthentity column: Kids & careers how to spark interest in jobs and opportunities - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Napolitano looks at volatile times.

Your review meetings with your financial advisor should be about a lot more than your portfolio. Anyone can review investments and tell you why they went up or down. That service alone is not often worth the price of admission.

A productive review meeting will have a detailed agenda to ensure that your whole financial plan is on track. This will include a review of all aspects included in the original financial plan. The items to go over should include a risk review, from your property and casualty coverage to your life, health, disability, and long term care coverage. It should include a retirement plan review and a forecast for your financial independence. An analysis of the estate plans to determine if the current plan is up to date. It should include a conversation about tax planning. While most people focus on tax planning at year-end and again when filing their returns, a tax savvy way of life would cause your advisor to be vigilant for ways to efficiently manage your tax situation. And, of course, an investment discussion is imperative.

Why would these items need eyes on them at all times? To put it simply, life happens and things change. Just like any other plan, if you monitor it closely youll be able to make mid-course adjustments to avoid gaps and get back on track as soon as possible.

In times of volatility, as were now experiencing with COVID-19, perhaps a dedicated conversation about your portfolio is warranted, but that conversation shouldve been had many times already throughout your tenure as a client. In the review meetings about your portfolio, your advisor should discuss your risk tolerance, how the portfolio is invested in terms of the level of risk being taken, the long term objectives of the portfolio and the consequences of volatile extremes on your financial objectives. In short, know the range of possibilities with the level of risk youve taken and dont get too cute trying to time when things will go up or down. And if your advisor thinks they have a handle on when things will happen either give me their name or fire them immediately.

It is during volatile times when this thinking comes front and center. Investors look at their statements and may ask did I need to pay you to lose money? In some cases yes, and in some cases no.

The case for no is when all you get is investment advice.

Todays top advisors act as fiduciaries, and are actually obligated to advise you on everything reasonably included in a financial planning engagement as discussed above. That is, if your advisor is capable and willing to spend that much time with you. Understand, for example, that many advisors are constrained by their firms when it comes to giving fiduciary advice regarding tax planning and insurance. If all you get is pressure to buy another policy or another exotic investment, it may be time to move on.

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MAKING CENTS: Get the most out of your financial review - Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times

Tasha Cochran has come a long way from her time as a single mom earning $14,ooo annually while serving in the Marine Corps. Now, the mom of Alexis, 18, and Reeves, 4, is a lawyer and wealth expert who runs a popular YouTube channel and personal-finance blog, One Big Happy Life.

Her path from the military to helping others secure financial independence was anything but linear. Cochran always knew she wanted to go to college, but wasn't clear on how to pay for it, so the G.I. Bill, which helps cover tuition costs for veterans, led her to join the military. During her time in Marines boot camp, Cochran got pregnant with her daughter, Alexis, and started to focus on her finances in order to budget for a baby. Before Alexis was born, Cochran rented a tiny apartment off of the military base in Quantico, Virginia for $300 a month. She also enrolled in night classes at the local community college using her active duty discount to pay for the credits.

After completing her courses at the community college, Cochran made the difficult choice to leave the military for civilian life. She decided to go to Yale Law School after research into its loan repayment assistance program, and became a banking and finance attorney. Along the way, she got married, then divorced, met her partner, Joseph, and had another child. Cochran's family, financial, and professional lives have shifted immeasurably since she was that 19-year-old single mom.

In whatever spare time Cochran could cobble together between being a lawyer and mom, she worked on her YouTube channel and blog. Centered on sharing the lessons that she and Joseph gleaned throughout their journey, One Big Happy Life now helps others achieve financial independence. Here's what she's learned along the way.

"As tempting as it is to buy into little tidbits of advice or one-size-fits-all plans, that is not going to be the best way for you to create the life that you want to live," Cochran says. "We all only get one life, and money touches on all of it." That's why it's so important to figure out what you want your life to look like. Then, consider: How much money do you need to have in order to create that life?

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Once you know that, you can create a financial plan that's custom-tailored to yourather than trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

This advice applies to retirement saving, as well. "What do you want out of life when you're not working anymore?" Cochran asks. "How much do you want to spend when you retire? Now you know how much of a nest egg you need to have, and then you can backtrack into your minimum savings rate."

When Cochran decided it was time to leave the military and continue her education, her financial situation probably would have scared others off from following through. After leaving military housing, she was making around $25,000 per year, and she had a young child. But Cochran's approach to budgeting during this time was unique, and it's something she still advises people to follow today.

"When you're planning a big financial change, a big life change, just looking at your first month of expenses is not going to cut it," Cochran says. Instead, she looked ahead a whole year and asked: How will I survive for an entire year?

"This process makes it feel like it's something that you can do and sustain year after year. Because if you can do it for one year, you can do it for multiple years. And that's exactly what I did."

As a lawyer, Cochran worked for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with small banks and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulating large banks. It was through these jobs that she developed her financial expertise. It was also where she realized many people are afraid of utilizing financial instruments like mortgages and credit cards.

"All of that experience prepared me for One Big Happy Life. I teach people how to really take control of their financial destiny by helping them understand personal finance, instead of fearing all of these financial instruments," she explains.

Cochran believes understanding how these tools work instead of being intimidated can allow people to optimize them. From there, folks can begin to build wealth and also create a life that they lovenot one based on deprivation or fear.

"A lot of people already have it in their head that debt is bad," Cochran says. "So they come at the problem already dismissing potential solutions or seeing some solutions as worse than others." Of course, it's important to make educated decisions about taking on debt, but it shouldn't be an automatic no-go.

And when it comes to paying off loans or other debt, Cochran has some helpful advice: "Do not prioritize paying off debt over building your financial stability. There are things that you can do to navigate your debt and financial uncertainty, but you have to have money to survive."

Most people grumble and groan when trying to stick to a budget. But Cochran has a fresh perspective. "It is entirely possible to live a life that you love while you're budgeting."

The key is getting clear on what you want (Rule #1!), and then ensuring your budget lines up with that. "Do you want to go to Hawaii this year or do you want to eat at your favorite sushi restaurant 50 times? It's just about deciding what your trade-offs are."

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How This Teen Single Mom Went From Earning $14,000 a Year to Hundreds of Thousands in YouTube Revenue - Yahoo Lifestyle

The coronavirus crisis has hit almost all aspects of our lives, and at this stage, no one knows how long it will take to heal all the wounds it has inflicted to our social lives, health, finances and much more.Regarding the economic impact, in addition to the dramas caused by many being sent on unpaid leave or indefinite unemployment, In Jerusalem presents a picture of what has happened to women who dared to open their own businesses, strived to consolidate and develop them, and despite all their efforts, were defeated by an enemy they couldnt even see.

This is the story of three Jerusalemite businesswomen and what happened to their dream over these last three months.

Leah, hairdresser, Taltal Salon

Leah (last name withheld at her request), 49, was born in old Malha to a modest family who made aIiyah from Kurdistan in the early years of the State of Israel. Livelihood in a large family was not easy, and Leah went to work as an apprentice in a salon before she turned 18. Even after marrying and giving birth to two children, she continued all those years to work in hairdresser salons. Then, she began to dream of a place of her own.

After so many years of experience and a list of loyal customers, she began to cherish the idea of becoming her own boss. With lots of butterflies in my belly she recalls, she decided to manage the salon where she worked after the owner retired. Leah says it was hard work keeping all the longtime customers, adding new ones and running the salon alone. I couldnt afford an employee, she recalls, and I had to do everything by myself, from shampoo to dying hair or combing a wig.

Leah admits that a few times, she felt it was too much to carry on. I doubted if I could go on alone. At the beginning it wasnt a question of making a profit I just tried hard to keep my nose above the water. And then, in December, the landlord announced he was going to raise the rent. It drove me crazy, I felt that just when things began to improve, he wanted to exploit me. After one night of insomnia, I decided to buy the salon. I felt strong enough that my business was good now, and I decided to take one more step to my financial independence.

Leah went to the bank, obtained a good credit rating and a mortgage, and within less than two weeks, she became owner of the salon. I had a good reputation, customers came in from other neighborhoods, I felt I could do it.

That was at the end of December 2019 and then came the coronavirus. At the beginning, Leah says she was not too worried, like most people. But then she had to close the salon, and until last week, she remained at home, glaring at the bills from the bank, which, she says, blurred her eyes.

Asked what her expectations are now that she is allowed to reopen, Leah says she is still not capable of imagining the future. The help provided by the government is a bad joke. My customers came back immediately, but the hole at the bank is such a threat to my dream it could just fade away.

Moran Shmouelof, communications consultant

Moran Shmouelof, 34, has been employed for years, at the Knesset among other places, but says she always dreamed of having her own business. I would naturally help anyone with my skills, but after a while, I realized that I could go farther, that I could be more than a successful consultant employed by a group or one person.

It took her a few more years, but last year was the year she took the bold step, registered her own business and began to give professional advice as an independent consultant. Those were days of hope, hard work, intensive investment of time and skills and developing a large network to establish herself in the field. For a while in the beginning, out of caution, she kept a part-time job until she became confident enough to go completely solo.

Everything seemed to be going in the right direction, but then the coronavirus landed here, and the rest is history, she says sadly. Shmouelof worked not only with individuals who required her professional guidance in communication and media, but also with bodies and agencies that needed her skills to run large-scale events, and with the coronavirus they are all shut down, nobody knows until when.

Naomi Lawson, fashion shop owner

Fashion shop owner Naomi Lawson, in her early 60s, says her overwhelming feeling these days is fear. I am scared I dont know how we shall all overcome this crisis, and for me, since this is something I built over the years with love and faith in my business, it is even harder.

Lawson says that she was moved by the empathy, understanding and patience regarding the payment she owes the fashion designers/creators in Tel Aviv. They were so ready to give me time, to make it easy for me, but the bottom line is that I have to face my commitments and this is not easy. Lawson also imports outfits from abroad, where there was much less understanding, and payments went as planned, causing pressure on her finances. But the pain caused by the lockdown and the shutting of the shop is hard on her.

My customers were happy to come immediately as I opened, some of them expressed their concern that I might give up and decide to close, she says, adding that her shop is so dear to her that she will do anything in order to not have to reach that point, but she repeated that she is scared. I love what I do here, I love all my customers, I know them and this is a place I have created to make women feel comfortable. I love helping women feel good about themselves, but I lost two of the best months of the business, especially during Passover all the merchandise I have ordered is here, while most of it should have been bought. Its not easy.

Lawson says that her problems are the same for so many here and everywhere, but she adds that as an owner of a small business, she does not feel that the government really cares about businesses like hers.

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Women-run businesses: Another price of the coronavirus - The Jerusalem Post

Before the pandemic, my life was all ladders, no chutes. The future held a formulaic promise: Make good grades; get into college; graduate with a degree; land a job.

Countless aspects of my life (the identities I hold, my supportive family and my access to higher education) have set me up to succeed. I recognize the privilege of such a predictable fate.

Earlier this year, even as COVID-19 swept through China, the only nebulous thing about my future was which career path Id choose. Should I pursue writing as an MFA student or something more practical?

Then, over spring break, while my friends and I contemplated whether to spend our afternoon at a watering hole or on a wine tour, we got the email: In-person classes were canceled for the rest of the semester, and the university advised that we return home immediately and prepare for online courses.

The catch, of course, is that St. Louis feels like home. Im a college senior. My parents, siblings and a handful of friends are back in Dallas, but Ive created a whole life for myself in St. Louis.

So I decided to stay. I moved from my on-campus dorm into an apartment with three other displaced college seniors, and for the first few days we stayed positive. We felt lucky to be young and healthy. This crisis would blow over before we knew it.

The weight of the situation hit us soon enough, though, and realization after realization gave us whiplash. Young, healthy people were dying though by and large fewer and farther between than elderly people or those with pre-existing conditions.

And who were we, anyway, to have nearly written off the pandemic as a nonissue, just because we thought it couldnt kill us? My mother is immuno-compromised. What does that mean for her? Could I return home knowing I might inadvertently put her at risk? How many people will lose parents, best friends, soulmates? How many people will die alone?

We worry over global welfare, wondering how many people will be infected and how long the world will seem so unfamiliar. We consume books and movies contemplating apocalypse, wondering if this is the beginning of the end times.

The urgency weve felt all semester as seniors, to make every second count, has become insurmountable, because what if? What if these goodbyes are forever, and what if the view from the interstate becomes skeletons of abandoned cars, and what if grocery stores run out of food, and what if? Everything was changing before, and everything is changing now, only not in any way that we could have prepared for.

But we know that structures are such that the world wont unravel in a night. What does feel more imminent is a recession. Article after article circulates among my peers. The abruptness of the descent, writes Nelson D. Schwartz in a recent New York Times article, is unheard-of in advanced economies.

Unemployment rates are already skyrocketing, and the pandemic hasnt even reached its peak in the United States.

Im no longer wondering which career path Ill choose, but rather if Ill be able to swing an interview much less a job during this chaos.

Im not attached to growing up, on principle. If I had to work odd jobs to make ends meet for a while, I would be happy doing it. But playing Peter Pan and paying off my student loans are mutually exclusive.

My three college roommates and I wade through worry in the comfort of our apartment, where a fully stocked fridge, the routine of online classes, access to health care and innumerable other factors soften the blow of the pandemic. Our privilege mitigates so much risk of the situation. And still we grapple daily with uncertainty and fear.

We worry about the state of the world about the sociopolitical and economic implications of the pandemic. We mourn for lives already lost and those that COVID-19 has marked to take. We mourn for families fractured and for those displaced because of personal economic crises. We fear for the stability of our futures, of our financial independence.

Then, there are those nuances of the 20-somethings experience. Were mourning those, too. Not even a month into quarantine, Im missing sharing drinks at our local college pub. I miss my friends saying, Try this, as they watch my face pucker when the alcohol hits.

I miss out-on-the-town conversations that break social barriers between school friendships and something more. I miss making plans to meet in the library, where we will study for 10% of the time and socialize for the rest.

When these revelations of missing such experiences first came about, I wondered what kind of person it made me, to spend time mourning these things.

Was it melodramatic to say that it feels a little like heartbreak, to realize it might be months before I next sway against strangers bodies in a bar or house party? Or when I considered the projected timeline of the pandemic and realized that this might be a summer of no first kisses?

But what we are losing, and what we have lost already, is not inconsequential. It is right that we grieve global tragedy. And it is valid to mourn the little things.

Were never getting this time back.

My friends and I are still growing up and away from being college seniors, a time that has been described to us as the best time in your lives by countless adults for as long as we can remember, even as the world takes a pause from what is normal.

Throughout this time, the only way that my peers and I have maintained some semblance of positivity is through solidarity. The weight of the world is especially heavy right now, but its important to remember that none of us is carrying it alone.

Originally posted here:

Graduating into the pandemic world: Fear, uncertainty and a sense of sadness for experiences lost - The Dallas Morning News

With an ending like that, Amazon better have a second season planned for Greg Daniels' tech satire 'Upload.'

This post contains spoilers for Amazon'sUpload.

The very end of Greg Daniel's new Amazon series Upload, a tech satire about a digital afterlife under capitalism,is a doozy of a cliffhanger. Just as Horizen "angel" Nora (Andy Allo) confesses her feelings to the uploaded tech entrepreneur Nathan (Robbie Amell), who is now residing in the depressing 2GB basement of the bougie Lakeview afterlife, Nathan runs out of his monthly data allotment and freezes. On top of that, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) has uploaded herself to win back Nathan (and, presumably, to get away from her vengeful, angry father) and pays for 1GB of data to tell Nathan her big news. But in a fit of understandable confusion and anger, Nathan's emotional reaction depletes the entire gig, and we're back to a frozen Nathan with Ingrid calling out to tech support. Cut to credits.

It would be downright cruel to end a series like that with so many unanswered questions left on the table around Nathan's suspicious death and Ingrid's even more suspicious involvement. Let's attempt to address some of those here -- especially...

I know, right!!! With a cliffhanger like that, you'd assume that the series had been given a two-season greenlight at the outset of Amazon picking up the show. But no! As of May 7, its renewal is still up in the air -- and it's difficult to predict how production would play out in this pandemic-affected landscape. If Amazon does order another season (or more), it likely wouldn't hit the streamer until late 2021, but even that might be an ambitious timeline given the uncertainty around when crews will be allowed back on sets.

But why end the season like that without the certainty of renewal? Daniels told CinemaBlend, "I mean, I want there to be a Season 2, and I want people to be thinking about what is going to happen in Season 2." I get wanting to build anticipation, but honestly, fuck you, Greg!

From the clues planted throughout all of Season 1, it's clear that Ingrid's father, Oliver Kannerman, definitely put the hit out on Nathan, who had back-channeled with Oliver to sell proprietary code that Nathan and his business partner Jamie were working on that would undermine the lucrative, multi-billion uploading industry. Suspicious that the crash came just before Oliver paid Nathan the hefty sum! Even more interesting that Jamie was hammering Nathan about finishing his pieces of code right before his death! (Was there double crossing going on before Jamie opened Freeyond? What a name.) How the pieces were set until Nathan's near-fatal car crash is less clear, as everyone who investigates the circumstances around Nathan's death or was somehow connected to his groundbreaking project mysteriously dies. But not Jamie! On top of sleeping with Ingrid, was there something else he was trying to hide? It's not out of the question that Oliver would approach both of them independently, work with whoever was most willing to play ball, and discard the other.

One thing we do know is that Ingrid knew about the plot to kill Nathan and rewired some of the settings on his malfunctioning self-driving car to "prioritize the passenger" just before the crash, giving her time to upload his consciousness, despite his physical improvement once he had reached the ER. Based on the exchange that Ingrid had with her father in the season finale where she admitted to changing the car's setting reveals two things: One, she probably started dating Nathan to infiltrate his budding tech company until she actually developed (obsessive) feelings for him, and, two, she has a motive for her sudden upload.

Dramatic tension! Yes, the daughter of the wealthy business scion, who probably owns a chunk of upload technology and is definitely responsible for Nathan's attempted murder, essentially committed suicide to join her ex-boyfriend in the afterlife. After Ingrid admits to intervening in the plot to kill Nathan, Oliver tells Ingrid, to paraphrase, that "it's on" and he won't protect her anymore for betraying his trust. Likely to get ahead of whatever retaliation was to come for her, Ingrid opted to escape reality for eternity at Lakeview and keep an eye out for Nathan, who still seems to be in some sort of hot water with Papa Kannerman despite being an already dead guy.

Presumably with Ingrid there to bankroll his pricey stay at Lakeview, yes, Nathan will almost definitely not be stuck in that sad, white-walled basement forever. Still, the reason he moved down there in the first place was to cut himself off from Ingrid, having broken up with her, trading a cushy life at the pay-to-play Lakeview for financial independence with a couple thousand dollars he borrowed from Jaime when he finally returned one of Nathan's many calls. But Ingrid might not be the only money pool he could draw from. What about asking fellow resident billionaire David Choak, who bragged about feasting on black rhino, for a chunk of change to stick around? Choak does still need a golf partner, after all.

If there's one thing Greg Daniels is exceptional at, it's drawing out a will they, won't they relationship scenario between characters with palpable chemistry. First we had Pam and Jim in The Office, then there was Leslie and Ben in Parks and Rec, and now it's Nora and Nathan in Upload. Even though the season closed with two one-sided confessions -- Nathan told his feelings to Nora's avatar, which was being controlled by her boss during her workplace suspension, and Nora told Nathan she loved him while his data trickled down to nothing exactly when she asked if he felt the same -- it's almost a given that one day they'll reconnect. Who knows, maybe relationships between uploads and the living won't be so taboo eventually!

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Amazon's 'Upload' Gave Us the Most Brutal Cliffhanger in TV This Year - Thrillist

Andersen Ross Photography Inc

People once yearned for retirement. They would hope to quit at 65, get a gold watcha dubious gift for someone who no longer has a scheduleand move someplace warm to play golf and eat dinner at an increasingly early hour. During the first tech bubble, young entrepreneurs cashed out and retired before 40, drifting off into travel, philanthropy, and the occasional vanity project. Everyone planned to retire. The contest was who could do it earliest.

Today, a tumbling stock market might have upset the plans of the millennials of the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement. But the secret weapon for some of the world's most successful people is that retirement was never an option.

When Jayson Adams retired in 1997 at 29, after selling his company Netcode to Netscape for more money than he would ever need, his plan was to spend the rest of his years surfing and playing guitar. When I ran into him a few months back, it was at the Google offices in Santa Monica. Where he was working.

Gary Hershorn

No one chooses to retire anymore if they can help it. Warren Buffett, whose personal net worth is more than $90 billion, is 89 and still working. Henry Kissinger, 96, runs a consulting firm that advises world leaders by drawing on his extensive knowledge of human history, most of which he has lived through. Elaine May, 87, could rest on her beloved-comic laurels but is instead gearing up to direct her first feature film in 32 years. New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams, 89, will surely call her when it comes out. Sheldon Adelson, 86, not only runs the Venetian hotels, he also advises our President Trump, who is 73.

This coming November that president is likely to run against a 77-year-old Joe Biden or a 78-year-old Bernie Sanders. Rupert Murdoch, who packages all of this as blood sport, is 88. Robert Caro, 84, is rushing to finish his Lyndon Johnson biography before his own biographer gets to work, and Netflix recently scooped up the rights to a movie starring 85-year-old Sophia Loren. When I had lunch with Carl Reiner, 98, at his house not long ago, he brought me upstairs to a room where he toiled with two employees on several books he was writing.

Graydon Carter, 70, left Vanity Fair in 2017 and started spending part of the year in Provence, but he didnt take up petanque, he started the new weekly publication Air Mail. His advice? First of all, never, ever, actually retireat least not in the not-working, checkered golf pants, Republican-voting, dinner at 5 p.m. sense of the word. Cut back on your workthats a must. And leave plenty of time for reading and mulling a final chapter. When Miuccia Prada, 70, recently announced that Raf Simons was to be her cocreative director, she was adamant that it wasnt a prelude to retirement. Oh no, she said, to do better, to work harderIm very interested in this.

Never, ever, actually retire. Cut back on your workthats a must. And leave plenty of time for reading and mulling a final chapter. Graydon Carter

All of these people have enough money to retire. Which is, oddly, the norm for people who keep working past 70. While the age at which Americans intend to retire has indeed gone up by six years over the last two and a half decades, to 66, according to Gallup polls, most of that change comes among college graduates. Four decades ago people with a BA retired six months later than people who had only a high school diploma. Now theres a three-year disparity.

Retirement has become so uncool that more than a third of the members of AARP are still working. Which is why the lobbying group officially changed its name in 1999 from the American Association of Retired Persons to an acronym that doesnt stand for anything. In fact, when AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins was asked by the Washington Post for her advice about retirement, she said, My first piece of advice is: Dont retire.

Its as if the NRA declared that hunting knives are where its at.

Thats because work isnt merely what successful people do, its who they are. If you ask most people how theyre doing, theyll say fine, but if you ask a member of the cosmopolitan elite, shell say busy. In our brief moments of not working, we are listening to audiobooks while getting our steps in. We dont sit by a pool. We dont play card games. We dont golf. We crush it.

I cannot imagine ever chilling under a mango tree. I get much more joy from my work than from cruising in the South of France, says Arianna Huffington, who is 69 and started a new company, Thrive Global, four years ago. But others may get more fulfillment from cruising or golfing. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Except, of course, that they are losers who are never getting invited to Davos.

Age 89

Warren BuffetOCCUPATION: Omahas oracle is at Berkshire Hathaway dailyand has chicken nuggets for l.

Age 70

Miuccia PradaOCCUPATION: The designer recently took on partner Raf Simons, but not to lighten her workload. Instead, she said, it was to work harder.

Age 98

Carl ReinerOCCUPATION: Comedian, director, and Twitter must-follow Reiner isnt resting on his laurelshes busy writing books.

Age 89

Cindy AdamsOCCUPATION: New Yorks gossip queen not only writes a column four times a week, shes about to be the subject of a Showtime series.

Age 77

Judith SheindlinOCCUPATION: Sheindlin is wrapping up Judge Judy after 25 years, but she isnt ditching her robes. She plans to launch a new series in 2021.

Age 96

Henry KissingerOCCUPATION: The elder statesman of American diplomacy is still active in foreign policy circles and on the New York City society circuit.

Age 85

Sophia LorenOCCUPATION: The 1960 hit Two Women was Lorens breakthrough. This year Netflix will air her latest, The Life Ahead, directed by her son.

Huffington points out that the word retire means to withdraw or retreat. Not only dont the elite retreat, they have nothing to retreat into. Even if theyre wrong, people dont feel as though they have time in life to have avocations, says Laura L. Carstensen, director of Stanford Universitys Center of Longevity. Theres a big drop in how much time we spend with our neighbors. Were less socially engaged in our communities. So people think, What would I do? Because theyve done nothing else for 40 years.

The transition is so tough that the Harvard School of Public Health found that retirees are 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during the first year of retirement than people who keep working.

Cavan Images

When 27-year-old Alfonso Cobo sold Unfold, the social media template tool he co-founded, to Squarespace at the end of last year for enough money to last at least a lifetime, he didnt consider so much as a weekend at the beach. Id honestly do it for fun, Cobo says about his job. He swears hell never retire. Id rather work than go clubbing.

Sterling McDavid, a 31-year-old former Goldman Sachs analyst who co-founded the fashion line Burnett New York, tells her employees that shell never retire. It honestly gives me total anxiety, she says. Sitting on the beach with my pia colada? I can barely do that on vacation. Retiring at 65 and thinking I had to do that for 30 years? I cant imagine.

Her dad, David McDavid, a 78-year-old former co-owner of the Dallas Mavericks, retired young. For a month. Then he started a new business. Sterling says that both she and her dad learned a lesson during that time. You have only one life, she says, and shes going to spend as much of it as she can working.

NBC

The privileged members of society have never embraced being idle; knowledge economy workers disgust at idleness is the same thing that every aristocracy has felt. Landed gentry didnt technically work, because paid work was awful: hoeing, manuring, smithing. But they did spend their time productively, doing things that are jobs today. They were naturalists, geographers, historians, writers, artists, harpsichordists, and, from what I remember from The Cherry Orchard, billiard players. To cease to contribute was to concede that you werent important. It meant you werent busy.

I do have one friend who retired at 40 eight years ago and has kept to it. Ive heard about these people who cant seem to walk away from work, fearing irrelevance and boredom, he says. Fortunately, Im not one of them. I guess my career was just a small facet of my identity.

My friend is a throwback to his parents generation. Carstensen points out that the retirement age dropped unnaturally in the second half of the 20th century, back when Goldman partners famously got out young. People kept retiring earlier and earlier. There was a culture of boasting about retiring early, Carstensen says. That has really changed. Some of it is discovering that you can play only so many rounds of golf in a week for so many years without realizing youre bored.

kafl

The most successful non-retirer of all time may be Norman Lear. Last fall, Lear, 97, reupped his first-look deal at Sony for another three years. Hes got a show on Pop TV (One Day at a Time), he won an Emmy last year for Live in Front of a Studio Audience (which ABC renewed for two more specials), and he has several other projects in development. If retirement were a game, it would be one that Lear was never asked to play.

I cant imagine not having a place like this to come to with people I care about to talk about things that interest me, Lear says from his office on the Sony lot. He thinks so little about retirement that a sitcom pilot he created was called Guess Who Died?.

The fallout from this trend could be a more difficult job market. While the likes of Elon Musk and Andrew Yang worry that robots will take our jobs, they will much more likely be taken by dotards who refuse to retire. To keep the unemployment rate from skyrocketing, Stanfords Carstensen advocates that people of every age work fewer, more flexible hours. I could see us going to 30-hour or even 25-hour workweeks without this idea that were going to retire for 25 years, she says.

Carstensen knows firsthand how tight the job market could be if we dont do this, but shes not going anywhere. Shes 66, and shes tenured.

This story appears in the May 2020 issue of Town & Country.

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No One Retires Anymore - TownandCountrymag.com