Daily Archives: January 9, 2022

Interview: Zeynep Pamuk on the Case for Creating Science Courts – Undark Magazine

Posted: January 9, 2022 at 5:05 pm

Science and politics intersect on many levels. Many scientists depend on public funding to conduct their research an inherently political process and political leaders depend on scientists to inform their policy decisions. As well, the ethical ramifications of scientific research bear directly on ordinary citizens, who depend on governments to determine what lines of scientific inquiry are supported.

Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society, by Zeynep Pamuk (Princeton University Press, 256 pages).

But Zeynep Pamuk, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, feels the interplay between these two worlds science and politics has only begun to be properly explored. Pamuks interest in this relationship began early in her career, when she started to examine the discourse surrounding climate change. I realized that there was great scholarship on climate change, but it didnt get a lot of uptake, Pamuk told Undark. So I became interested in why that was the case. What is it about the intersection about science and politics thats become so pathological? She eventually saw that there wasnt as much scholarship on that question, especially from within political science.

In her new book, Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society, Pamuk outlines new directions that she believes the relationship between science and politics might take, rooted in the understanding that scientific knowledge is tentative and uncertain. Among her proposals is the resurrection of the idea of a science court, an idea first put forward in the 1960s.

The interview was conducted over Zoom and has been edited for length and clarity.

Undark: Much has been written on the importance of scientific literacy, and, especially in the last few years, on the problem of science denial and on the trust, or lack thereof, in science and scientists. But you frame your investigation very differently. What was your starting point?

Zeynep Pamuk: Theres a lot of discussion about denial of science, why citizens are so ignorant, why they dont understand science. And I wanted to change the conversation, by understanding how the way science is done, how scientific research is conducted, how the choices that scientists and science administrators make at far earlier stages of the research process shaped the uptake and framing of the debate. So I think the contours of the debate were too narrow.

UD: In your book, you talk about the idea of scientists taking responsibility for their research. Thats an idea with a long history one thinks of the atomic bomb, for example, and genetic engineering. How do you see this issue of responsibility for scientists?

ZP: Im interested in the question from the perspective of how a democratic society deals with the presence within it of this knowledge-producing but fairly autonomous community of scientists. So when I say that scientists need to take responsibility, I dont mean it in the way that a lot of people said about the atomic scientists that they could be held morally responsible.

Sure, I dont disagree with that. But I was more interested in what society could do to regulate these kinds of high-risk scientific endeavors. And I didnt think that the answer that scientists have to be morally responsible, to examine themselves and restrain themselves the idea that they self-monitor, that they can be trusted to do that was a sufficient answer.

UD: Are you saying that science requires more regulation or oversight?

ZP: In certain kinds of very high-risk scientific research, these decisions should be made collectively, or at least by authorized political representatives. They should have more public debate around them. The Obama administration at one point put a moratorium on lethal pathogen research. Theres some coverage, not a huge amount of discussion; and then it reversed its decision three years later. Its very difficult to find any paper trail about what happened. What was the discussion? What was the reasoning? Did they decide it was now safe?

Its very hard to know what happened. And it seems like this is hugely consequential on a global, planetary level. So there has to be more discussion around it. This kind just kind of risk decision should not be left purely to scientists. We can assign them responsibility but it doesnt mean that they should they alone should be responsible for making this very consequential decision.

UD: Should governments be able to tell scientists that certain lines of inquiry are off-limits?

ZP: I think the answer is yes. Im not going to say this area should be restricted or that area I think this is a collective decision. My opinions are my personal opinions as a citizen of a democratic society. But I think more debate is appropriate. And in certain cases, there might be a lot of support for undertaking risky research, because people imagine that it will bring a better world but in other cases, there are no conceivable benefits. Im thinking maybe of killer robots, as one example. Or maybe that the benefits dont justify the risks. So its something that would come out of debate. But I think there can certainly be areas where limits should be placed on research.

UD: One very interesting idea in your book is the notion of a science court. What exactly is a science court? How would it work, and what would its purpose be?

ZP: I stumbled upon this idea as I was looking at debates around science in the 1970s. This was a period where there was a lot of debate, because scientists were very influential; the glow of the World War II victory was around them. They had direct influence over politics. And but of course, they disagreed among themselves. And a scientist called Arthur Kantrowitz suggested a science court, basically to adjudicate between disagreeing scientists, so that the public confusion that this caused would just come to a stop.

But he had a strict division of facts and values: This would be the factual stage, and then the values would be discussed later. And for the reasons I just mentioned, I didnt think that that would make sense. You cant debate the science independently from the context of policy context or the context of use. And also, I thought this was a fairly elitist institution, with only scientists participating.

UD: But you feel there was something of value in Kantrowitzs idea?

ZP: I wanted to reimagine it. I took his structure, with different, disagreeing scientists making a case for their own views; but I wanted to have citizens there, and I want it to be a more overtly policy-oriented institution. So the way I imagine it, there would be a scientifically-informed policy debate like, for example, should we have strict lockdowns, or a less strict Covid-19 policy?

So it would have two clear sides and then scientists for both sides would defend their views. They would ask each other questions that would help reveal the uncertainty of their views, the evidence that theyre marshalling. And then the citizen jury would be randomly selected. They would bring their own political beliefs, they would listen to the scientists, and they would make a policy proposal, selecting one of the two positions.

UD: But scientists and politicians already argue a great deal. How would a science court be an improvement on the current system, in which theres already a lot of debate?

ZP: Its true that scientists constantly argue among themselves, but Im not sure the scientists have unmediated arguments in front of a public audience. I think that is discouraged within current advisory systems. Maybe the climate experience led to this. But even before that, in the 70s and 80s, there was this norm that scientists argue behind closed doors within scientific advisory committees, but then they present a united front when they give advice.

So theres one authoritative scientific advisory body, and that basically gives a consensus recommendation. So publicly-oriented scientific disagreement is seen to be something that undermines trust in science that emphasizing the uncertainty will mean anything goes, that scientists dont know anything. And I wanted to push back against that. I thought a properly organized institution, where scientists are facing one another directly, and not necessarily mediated by politicians who have their own agenda, and who just want to cherry-pick the science that serves it that could have healthy effects for clarifying the factual basis of this political decision making for the citizenry.

UD: When we think of scientists struggling to present a united front on a topic of great public interest, the current coronavirus pandemic certainly comes to mind. But you argue that a lot of those disagreements were hidden from view?

ZP: We saw this during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the masking advice in the U.S. It was initially presented as, This is our position: masks do not help; do not wear them. Fauci said this, the Surgeon General said this, [former White House adviser] Deborah Birx said this they were unanimous in this. And we did not hear from anybody within the scientific community.

And of course, debates were happening within the scientific community about the evidence for the benefits of masks, but we did not hear the opposing side: people saying Oh, masks are probably very effective, or at least, We dont know that masks are effective, and this is our level of uncertainty. We didnt hear the opposing view at all.

And I think that hurt the case, because it made the reversal very difficult; it made people not trust the masking advisory when it came in, in April 2020. So that was a good example of the kind of thing where a science court would have helped.

UD: But on the other hand, if the public had a greater window onto scientific arguments as they unfolded, maybe they just wouldnt listen to scientists at all. As you suggested, they might think, Oh, look they cant even agree among themselves.

ZP: Yeah, I think thats true. Thats the risk. If people see disagreement, they might think scientists cant agree. But that usually is the case. But the one thing I will say is, that when you see scientists disagreeing, you also see the scope of disagreement. For example, you dont see scientists saying vaccines are ineffective, or vaccines are hugely dangerous. So you see what sorts of things theyre disagreeing on, and that gives you a sense of where the debate is at.

If you overstate what scientists know, where the consensus lies, then there is a chance and this happens all the time that it will turn out to be wrong. And I think that undermines public trust even more than a candid admission that, at this point in time, scientists are disagreeing on a certain point.

UD: But, wouldnt having ordinary citizens act as arbiters in scientific disagreements bring us back to the issue of scientific literacy? For example, if some members of the public dont understand the difference between a virus and bacteria, then theyre in a very poor position to evaluate strategies for fighting infectious disease right?

ZP: Yes, I agree with that completely. I think improvements in scientific literacy would be critical for an institution like this to succeed. Then the question is, how much literacy? I think we can have a citizenry that is more literate about the scientific method, about the difference between viruses and bacteria. But that still wouldnt mean that theyd become experts, or that they would need to have a Ph.D. to participate in the science court.

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Interview: Zeynep Pamuk on the Case for Creating Science Courts - Undark Magazine

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Science Museum boards up display on early human migration because it is ‘non-inclusive’ – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted: at 5:05 pm

It is understood the display contained a hula girl figurine - an object that has recently been criticised for presenting a stereotypical view of Polynesian people - and genetic studies relating to the San people in South Africa, who in 2017 devised a code of ethics for scientists studying them.

A spokesman for the museum said: The How did I get here? display in the Who Am I? gallery is currently covered while curators review content that is more than a decade old relating to migration, race and genetics which no longer reflects current scientific thinking.

We are planning to update the Who Am I? gallery on a rolling basis, where resource allows, to reflect areas where there has been fresh research or a shift in scientific understanding.

The changes follow the earmarking of the Who Am I? gallery for updates, with The Telegraph previously revealing that a cabinet on gender differences titled Boy Or Girl? was also up for review following complaints about a lack of mention of transgender.

The proposals were criticised by Maya Forstater, executive director of campaign group Sex Matters and winner of a prominent employment tribunal relating to her gender-critical views, who said: It is concerning that a place dedicated to science is being swayed by cultural trends in this way.

Sir Gregory Winter, the Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist, said that influence from cultural trends was in some ways inevitable for scientific organisations

He told The Telegraph: Science is driven mainly by scientists seeking an understanding of ourselves, our world, and our past, our present and our future. It is also driven by scientists seeking to use this information for practical and - often commercial - purposes.

Inevitably scientists have had to engage with the public and with the zeitgeist.

For example, science has been shaped by the zeitgeist, as in the regulations relating to embryo research and the genetic engineering of organisms. Scientists have also shaped the zeitgeist - spectacularly with climate change.

As for museum curators, they also have to engage with the public and the zeitgeist. It is entirely possible to explain the same science in different ways to the public, and it is not unreasonable for curators to review their efforts in the light of new research or other considerations.

As far as I am concerned, the key test for a museum exhibit is whether it represents the underlying scientific consensus in a clear and engaging manner to a wide constituency.

I would have liked to use the word truth rather than consensus - but sometimes, as in evolutionary studies with sparse data, it may be impossible to establish a truth.

Of course, organisations should not pander too much, but they should engage.

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Science Museum boards up display on early human migration because it is 'non-inclusive' - Telegraph.co.uk

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We Asked 10 People About Their 2022 New Years Money Resolutions. Here Are Their Goals, and How You Can Meet Yours – NextAdvisor

Posted: at 5:02 pm

Editorial IndependenceWe want to help you make more informed decisions. Some links on this page clearly marked may take you to a partner website and may result in us earning a referral commission. For more information, see How We Make Money.

Delyanne Barros has a goal to reach a net worth of $1.5 million in 2022, something she never thought was possible when she had $150,000 in student debt in 2008.

All my life I assumed that I would be working full-time until I was 65 years old, she says. Changing that narrative is like having a second chance at life.

If you want 2022 to be a better year for your money, a New Years money resolution might be a good place to start.

New Years resolutions arent for everyone, and theres a lot of space between being thousands of dollars in debt and growing your net worth to $1 million. But for some people, resolutions can be a way to kickstart a new year especially when it comes to money.

If youve got a New Years money resolution in mind, you can help yourself by keeping your goals realistic with specific numbers attached to them and being compassionate with yourself if you fall off the horse at any point. Simply get back on, but maybe approach it differently, says financial therapist Carrie Rattle.

It takes a little while to build self-awareness, Rattle recently told NextAdvisor in an interview on how to stick to New Years money resolutions. Go back to the triggers or the event that derailed you, or the size of your goals. Is it too much? You took your best guess, and now lets try something new.

In the final weeks of 2021, we asked 10 people to share their money resolutions for 2022. Heres what they said, along with some tips you can apply in your own life.

Point of View: Personal finance expert and founder of the Money Coach

2022 Resolution: Reach FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) goal of $1.5 million

How: Barros plans to achieve financial independence through her business and investments, which she says generated 7-figures in 2021. Barros says shes diligent about not inflating her lifestyle too much and funneling most of her money toward her investment accounts, which are primarily comprised of index funds and ETFs.

What You Can Do: FIRE is a movement that encourages people to live below their means, so they have more money to invest toward early retirement or part-time work. Determining your own personal FIRE number is easy, and can be a instructive way to orient your investing goals.

Point of View: Money coach and founder of Money Boss Mama

2022 Resolution: Max out Roth IRA for the first time

How: King plans to increase her direct deposit to her Roth IRA by reducing some nonessential items in her budget and increasing her income through her money-coaching business and side hustles. I am working on a new course that will increase my income and will continue side hustling throughout the year, she says.

What You Can Do: A Roth IRA is a popular retirement savings tool that allows you to grow your wealth over time tax-free. Opening a Roth IRA can be done in just a few minutes, and is a great first step in many peoples investing journey.

Point of View: Personal finance expert and author

2022 Resolution: Continue to educate others on their financial language

How: Jackson wrote a book called The 4 Financial Languages: The Secrets to Communicating About Money, which focuses on figuring out which financial language you identify with the most to help you communicate with your partner when talking about money. She wants to continue to educate people on the topic because it controls how youre going to need to communicate about money, how youre going to deal with money, how youre going to leverage money, and even debt.

What You Can Do: Your mindset and communication style both play big roles in how you manage your money. If you have a negative mindset around money, you can shift it to be more positive by doing a few things, such as changing your money script, having intentionality with your money, and figuring out the balance between self-worth and net-worth.

Point of View: Financial advisor and founder of Bone Fide Wealth

2022 Resolution: Not applicable (Boneparth says hes not a huge believer in New Years resolutions

How: Boneparth isnt a fan of New Years resolutions. He says you shouldnt wait for a specific time in the year to begin pursuing a money goal or aspiration. Instead, you should pursue it when it makes the most sense for you and your financial goals, because theres never a bad time and its never a one-time thing, he says. I know its very different from what people are going to tell you, but Im not a huge believer in New Years resolutions, especially when it comes to money. If this [New Year] is your calling, awesome. But also dont forget this is something you continue to work on.

What You Can Do: If youre not big on New Years resolutions either, here are 40 smart money moves you can make right now or any time from starting a passive income stream to having a money talk with your partner to buying an index fund.

Point of View: Writer at The Points Guy

2022 Resolution: Start paying off her student loan debt

How: Shon has been taking advantage of the federal student loan repayment pause over the last two years, but once it expires, she plans to start chipping away at her student loan debt. She says one challenge will be figuring out how to factor her upcoming loan payments into her current lifestyle, which involves a lot of travel. Im really trying to strategize, pay the lowest interest possible, and fit that into my everyday budget, she says. Its not about paying them off immediately. Its about figuring out a sustainable plan that fits into my whole lifestyle.

What You Can Do: If you have federal student loans, you have a few months until repayment resumes. The pause on federal student loan payments has been extended until May 1, 2022. But there are a few things you can do now to prepare, such as updating your account information, rethinking your repayment strategy, and having a back-up plan if you cant afford payments.

Point of View: Financial therapist and founder of Behavioral Cents

2022 Resolution: Shift her money mindset

How: Rattle wants to work on shifting her mindset around money, because her husband is thinking about retiring. She says they may start using some of their assets, which theyve been saving for their entire lives, and shell have to adjust her mindset to accept not having as much income coming in. Its going to take work for me, because I grew up thinking money is security.

What You Can Do: There are three things you can do right now to end up with the retirement you envision: starting saving, turn saving for retirement into a habit, and a set retirement savings goal.

Point of View: Personal finance expert and founder of popular Instagram account, Personal Finance Club

2022 Resolution: Find more opportunities to donate to charity

How: Schneider reached financial independence at 36, meaning he can live indefinitely without having to work for an income. Because hes still young, he says hed like to continue to grow his net worth through his investments so he can accomplish his goal of donating more to charity. The end goal of money shouldnt be to die with the most in your bank account; rather to maximize its utility while were still here, he says. In short, I think the point of life is to be happy and help people, so Id like to do those things whenever I can.

What You Can Do: An effective way to create change and uplift others is financially supporting nonprofits and companies that are making a difference. And you dont have to look far for example, you can support small businesses in your local economy or even donate your credit card rewards to your favorite charities.

Point of View: Financial advisor and founder of Mitlin Financial

2022 Resolution: Gain a better working knowledge of crypto, Blockchain, and NFTs

How: Sprung says he finds this area fascinating and wants to understand it better, especially since hes receiving more questions from clients about it too. He plans to open an account with Coinbase and educate himself as much as he can by reading and speaking to people who have crypto expertise to learn from them.

What You Can Do: Crypto was a hot topic in 2021, and everyday investors are curious about how and if it can fit into their portfolio. But experts say you should resist the hype, and approach crypto with the same mindset you bring to your regular investment strategy. If youre interesting in investing in cryptocurrency, start by asking yourself these four questions.

Point of View: Personal finance blogger and founder of Save My Cents

2022 Resolution: Sell her New York City home (without a sellers agent to save on commission)

How: In 2022, Saavedras life will change drastically as she moves from New York City to Southern California with her family. It will be a huge transition for our family of three, she says. She plans to accomplish her 2022 goal by talking to others who have sold their own homes in the past to better understand the keys to success.

What You Can Do: Getting the best deal when selling a house is all about making your home stand out while spending as little additional time and money as possible. If youre trying to sell your home like Saavedra, there are several things you can do to optimize your strategy, such as timing your sale appropriately, setting the right price, and making essential repairs, among other things.

Point of View: Personal finance YouTubers

2022 Resolution: Grow their net worth by 50%

How: The Millers want to grow their net worth as quickly as possible in 2022, because they want to become work optional. Their net worth doubled over the last 12 months, and they want to continue doing the same things they were doing in 2021 in 2022: Working, learning, investing, and trying to earn money in ways that arent dependent on their time. They currently have a few sources of passive income, including YouTube. Mike says how quickly they can grow their net worth in 2022 will largely depend on how the stock market performs. We want to be an example that you dont have to work 40 years to be able to retire, he says.

What You Can Do: You can make money in your sleep, literally. Its called passive income, which allows you to have the freedom to live and work anywhere and not rely on staying in one place to earn a paycheck. Here are seven ways to successfully earn passive income.

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We Asked 10 People About Their 2022 New Years Money Resolutions. Here Are Their Goals, and How You Can Meet Yours - NextAdvisor

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The Average Retirement Age in Every State – Yahoo Finance UK

Posted: at 5:02 pm

skynesher / iStock.com

Retiring early seems to be on everyone's minds these days. The growing popularity of the so-called FIRE movement -- short for financial independence, retire early -- is a testament to how much everyone seems to be craving a slice of "the easy life." The good news is that in many U.S. states, what most people would call an "early" retirement is within reach. Although "full retirement age" for Social Security purposes isn't until age 67, the average retirement age in every single state -- with the exception of the District of Columbia -- is below 67. On average, retirees in the U.S. hang up their work boots at age 64, according to Money Talks News.

Read More: Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments Aren't Enough To Pay Higher Costs for SeniorsFind Out: Here's Exactly How Much Savings You Need To Retire In Your State

Of course, to truly live a comfortable retirement takes more than desire -- it also takes a large chunk of cash.

Check out when you can expect to retire, based on your state of residence.

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

Average retirement age: 62

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $49,099

Retirement savings needed: $883,790

Save More: Savings Tricks From Regular People Who Are Sitting on Millions

wanderluster / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 61

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $79,249

Retirement savings needed: $1,505,740

Watch Out: 14 Key Signs You Will Run Out of Money in Retirement

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 63

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $58,327

Retirement savings needed: $991,560

Related: What Is a Roth IRA?

Tizod / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 62

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $47,836

Retirement savings needed: $861,053

Read: 17 Biggest Budgeting Mistakes You're Making

EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

Average retirement age: 64

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $83,279

Retirement savings needed: $1,332,457

Helpful: 19 Effective Ways To Tackle Your Budget

Shutterstock.com

Average retirement age: 65

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $60,357

Retirement savings needed: $905,350

Story continues

Check Out: Best Cities To Retire on a Budget of $1,500 a Month

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 65

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $70,817

Retirement savings needed: $1,062,257

Read: Tips To Keep Your Finances in Order Without Sacrificing What You Want

benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 63

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $58,418

Retirement savings needed: $993,101

Related: 17 Dumb Home-Buying Mistakes That Hurt Your Wallet

zorazhuang / iStock.com

Average retirement age: 67

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $94,248

Retirement savings needed: $1,225,222

Try: 50 Easy Things You Should Do To Save Money

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 64

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $56,382

Retirement savings needed: $902,116

Stop Now: 50 Terrible Ways To Try and Save Money

SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 63

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,066

Retirement savings needed: $851,122

Find Out: Things To Cut Out Right Now To Save Money During the Health Crisis

zorazhuang / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 66

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $120,909

Retirement savings needed: $1,692,722

Read: 25 Tips for Saving Money With Your Spouse

KingWu / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 64

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,962

Retirement savings needed: $847,388

Helpful: 16 Effective Ways To Trick Yourself Into Saving Money

Randall Runtsch / Shutterstock.com

Average retirement age: 64

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $54,657

Retirement savings needed: $874,507

Good To Know: 16 Splurges That Save You Money in the Long Run

traveler1116 / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 63

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,697

Retirement savings needed: $861,848

Keep Reading: 25 Ways To Save 20% More of Your Paycheck Without Even Trying

benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 65

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,399

Retirement savings needed: $785,982

Try: Cutting Out These 25 Expenses Will Save You $16,142.08 a Year

Sean Pavone / Getty Images

Average retirement age: 65

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $50,223

Retirement savings needed: $753,339

Learn More: Surprising Ways Gen Z and Millennials Are Worlds Apart Financially

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

Average retirement age: 62

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $51,082

Retirement savings needed: $919,469

Exclusive: Americans' Savings Drop to Lowest Point in Years

Susanne Neumann / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Average retirement age: 62

Annual cost of a comfortable retirement: $52,695

Retirement savings needed: $948,503

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The Average Retirement Age in Every State - Yahoo Finance UK

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Teji Mandi Explains: 7 ways to save and invest more in 2022! – Free Press Journal

Posted: at 5:02 pm

The year 2021, was full of surprises and shocks. For some, this year gave them everything they wanted to achieve, while for others, the year wasnt that great. From an investing standpoint, the stock markets experienced a record bull run with a pinch of volatility, making investors happy.

As we welcome 2022 with open arms, here are 7 investing goals to achieve in the new year:

Pay Off Debt

If you have resorted to debts/credit cards in the past and have any amount outstanding, it should be your first goal in the new year to repay all of them. Taking loans will put you in a vicious cycle of paying EMIs from which escaping gets difficult as time passes. Hence, pay off your loans and start paying positive EMIs (starting investments via SIPs).

Segregate Goals According to Tenure

While making investments, it is better to segregate them according to your goals such as short, medium, and long-term. This will help you in deciding the right investment avenues for each tenure. For instance, short-term goals can be fulfilled by investing in debt instruments, whereas investments for the longest terms can be channelled to equities, as temporary declines in stocks in the near term wont affect your goal.

Stay Away From Fancy Investments

In this era, everyone is running behind fancy investments like cryptocurrencies. You should not get swayed by these themes and refrain from investing in them. The primary reason for this is that these are unregulated investment avenues. And their prices are easily manipulated by several influential people and the fundamentals of the basis of their pricing are also not yet clear. Keeping it simple is the key!

Aim for Financial Independence

If you are young, you should aim to get a step closer to achieving financial independence this new year. Financial independence is a state where an individual no longer needs to worry about his/her expenses. Passive income from investments is enough to take care of the monthly expenses. It is a state where one is free to willingly work and pursue various hobbies.

Do Not Buy Stocks Only Based on Price

One of the most severe mistakes that investors do is to trade stocks solely based on price. This is more prevalent with penny stocks where investors tend to buy a particular stock just because its price is quoting in single digits. But one aspect everyone seems to forget is that 100% capital will be lost whether a Rs 5 share or a Rs 200 share goes to 0! Hence trading stocks based only on price is a dangerous mistake.

Never Stop Learning

The stock market is an avenue that requires no qualification or degree. But here, you must never stop learning. The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing. To let your thought process evolve each day, reading or viewing credible stock market resources should be done on a continuous basis. A more difficult thing is to unlearn old things but relearn the new ones.

Do Not Try To Make Quick Money

The year 2021 in the stock markets has seen a record bull run. And due to this, many newbie investors have jumped into the sea in hope of making some quick bucks. One thing you as an investor should know is that there is no easy money to be made in the stock markets. The stock market is a machine to transfer money from the impatient to the patient, says Warren Buffett.

These are the investing goals you should aim to achieve in 2022! Determine your investment objectives as early as possible in life, as hesitating might lead to issues that are difficult or impossible to solve.

(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)

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Relationship Dilemma: I love him but my family says I’m too educated to be a second wife – The Standard

Posted: at 5:02 pm

Cecilia is in love but her family says he is too educated to be a second wife. [File, Standard]

Our social lives and relationships are faced with a number of challenges; especiallywhen a major decision is supposed to be made.

On Wednesday, January 5, (after our series took a break during the holidays) we published, on our Facebook page Standard Digital a relationship dilemma by a woman who met a new man, whom she feels more comfortable with, a month after her engagement.

Hi-Standard,First, Happy New Year.My name is Cecilia, I am 32 years old.I dont have a job yet, but my partner, who is married, has been paying my bills, including rent, food, upkeep and leisure. He has been doing that, without fail, for almost 5 years now.For context purposes, I would say he spends almost Sh80,000 on me every month.I love him, but my family says Im too educated and beautiful to be a second wife. I recently met a young man; he is 34 years old. He loves me so much. He has asked for my hand in marriage. Id really love to have a man of my own, but Im not sure if Ill get the same level of financial comfort and peace from the new man.Im confused on whether to break things off with my current partner, or to reject the new mans proposal. Please help.

READERS RESPONSES

Charity Gitobu: That imagination that you are beautiful and educated has failed you in life. If at all you are educated why can't you utilize that education to make your own money and leave other people's husband's alone? Opportunist is your other name.

Jackie Bob: Marriage has become a mere contract. All statements here are full of transactional elements and lack in emotional features. This is a financial advisor needed, not normal people like us.

Juliet Mboya: Get married as a second wife and give us feedback. Where is that 34-year-old we tell him to stay away from you because if you're cheating on him now then you're definitely not good for him.

Bellah Rose: Sh80,000 for 5 years yet you dont even have a business running? You are in your comfort zone.

Humble Guy: Start by saying you're a second wife for us to figure out how to advice you. It seems you are stuck between the Sh80,000 monthly and a new guy whom you're not sure of. Make a decision wisely before you start being a motivational speaker.

Calvin Agesa: This is a case of a woman who has settled her mind on being a married man's playmate, to put the term politely, where he even knows he can use, abuse and dump her when he feels like. The one holding the purse strings is well aware that she is attracted to the money like a bee to a sunflower's nectar. The gentleman with no job stands no chance, given these circumstances. Sad tragedy.

Paulz Nguruson: You're too educated and beautiful to be independent.

Gee Ndichman: Stop being ignorant there is nothing like my own man in male kingdom

Angela Mwareri: Unless you want to become a motivational speaker, stick to your partner. Assume the 34-year-old and continue with your life. Love is important but money is also very important.

Macreen Hazel: My dear since you are well educated you can get a job or even start a business for your financial stability, accept the Second guy.

EXPERTS RESPONSE

Dr Karatu Kiemo is a sociologist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

Cecelia you are a lucky person to have two people who love you and want to be in your life.

What we normally find is person A who loves person B but who doesn't reciprocate to A but is pursuing C and C is pursuing A but A is only interested in B.

If love is what your heart desires, then you are OK. But marriage is another thing altogether.

You cannot marry the two men peacefully. If you want a man of your own as you say, then the answer is obvious.

If that happens then you have to kill the first relationship to avoid love triangle that has caused many deaths as we all know too well based on media reports.

Killing the first relationship may not be easy and you require some wisdom and tact.

I mean it's not going to be easy for a man to let go where he has been investing 80k per month and investing his emotions.

To avoid the so common love tragedies of our times, please consider visiting a professional counsellor.

Finally, dear Cecelia gets a job, self-employ or enrol in some training program. Your dilemma is to a large extent caused by your lack of financial independence.

I suppose that if you could afford to pay your own bills, then you would not have to bother whether or not to be a second wife. Invest in yourself and in due course the pieces of your life will hold together.

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Relationship Dilemma: I love him but my family says I'm too educated to be a second wife - The Standard

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Six Pillars For Building An Intentional Life In This New Year – Forbes

Posted: at 5:02 pm

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Feeling dj vu as you translate your wants into resolutions this new year?

Year after year, the same pattern repeats: we resolve to change our ways. Well read more, save more, and exercise regularly. Well drink less and skip social media. Well declutter our closets and our minds.

Whether your resolution is to volunteer regularly, learn something new every day, plant more trees, or make new connections, you are not alone. Millions around the world are doing the same.

But most will give up by January 19, now dubbed Quitters Day. Surveys indicate only 4% of people will fulfill all their resolutions by the end of the year. The best of intentions will be swayed by temptation, or will crash to the wayside.

We get busy. We succumb to whims. We get tired. And we give up.

When erecting tall, strong buildings, structural engineers know that pillars are essential for withstanding heavy gales and intense earthquakes. The same principle applies to building an intentional life to create and achieve new year resolutions.

Developed by my colleague Sarah Wolek, the director of the Intentional Life Lab at the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets at the University of Maryland, the six pillar approach creates a grid for your decisions, both practical and profound.

Each of the six pillars is essential if one is missing, it weakens the structure. The three me pillars Purpose, Wellness and Prosperity connect our goals to ourselves. Together, they create self-responsibility and self-accountability. The three us pillars Relationships, Community and Nature connect our goals to our world. Together, they create consonance with the people in our life, and the places we inhabit.

Defining your Purpose identifies the values that guide your life. It enables development of character and integrity, guides your actions, and guards against inner and outer conflicts. Attaining Wellness fosters both physical and mental health. It integrates goals related to self-help and self-care, guides choices of activities and lifestyles, and provides the mainstay for relationships with others. Achieving Prosperity defines yardsticks for measuring success. It integrates goals of financial independence and self-esteem, serves to harmonize reasons with rewards, and optimizes on your aspirations and ability.

Sustaining meaningful Relationships begins with identifying who you choose to have in your life, professionally or personally. It honors each individual as an independent equal, fosters kindness over niceness, and provides win-win benefits for a healthy, long-term partnerships. Creating a Community focuses on shared values. It integrates individuals across race, religion, ethnicity and national origin, and provides opportunities for organizations and societies to learn and grow together. Connecting with Nature creates harmony with our surroundings. Nature nourishes us as we nourish our physical world, guides activities that create emotional, physical, and intellectual wellbeing and provides the space to integrate the other pillars of our life.

These six pillars provide the scaffold upon which you can develop, organize, and achieve resolutions by enacting the following three ideas.

Build Out the Why Behind Your Wants

A laundry list of best resolutions does not provide the impetus for long-lasting behavioral change unless each connects to a deeper why.

Ive seen this idea in action through the struggles my husband and I had with weight loss. Like many others, we fixated on fitting in smaller clothes, and rode the roller-coaster of losing and gaining the same pounds, rising to cheer and falling to despair.

Achieving success required us to think not in terms of size and scale, but of our life and purpose. Being able to hike in the woods, keeping pace with our daughters and dogs. Holding hands as we grow old. These whys now sustain us through the why-nots of food temptations and get us off the couch on rainy or bitterly cold days.

As Sarah Polite, a guest we met during our bi-annual stays at Hilton Head Health notes, remembering the why divorces self-worth from what the scale may say, and affirms reasons for wellness in a meaningful, connected life.

Construct the Hierarchy of Your Wants

Resolutions often compete with each other to demand your time and effort, so creating a hierarchy among them is the next building block to an intentional life. Choosing what is more vs. less important begins with owning the right and the responsibility of making critical decisions rather than leaving it for others no matter how benevolent or well meaning they may be.

Ive lived this idea in action, as a daughter and now a parent. Bearing the painful estrangement from my father led to self-esteem earned by defining and achieving my own success. Recognizing my daughters need to chart their own course led to respecting the tradeoffs they deem important. In each relationship, rocky starts have resulted in stronger bonds among independent adults.

As I noted previously on creating work-life balance, knowing what is personally important is key to reducing stress and achieving a balance of mind. Working on chores or saving for a rainy day is less burdensome when it provides financial security for you and your family. Volunteering is not a sacrifice when it is in a community representing your values and vision for the world.

A hierarchy of wants gives you the comfort to say no and the luxury to say yes to yourself and to the people in your life.

Form Consistencies Across Your Wants

While tradeoffs are a reality of life, creating consistencies across wants can provide solutions and optimize effort.

As a simple example, goals related to wellness, relationships, community or nature can be achieved simultaneously with a friend you seek to connect with, if you plant trees or work towards a common cause instead of rich and liquor-laden dinners.

More broadly, Ive taught this idea in action to life-long learners at the Smith School of Business. Accepting the false dichotomy between profit and purpose, students often frame their choices as an either-or, unfairly bashing business as antithetical to social value creation. In the Intentional Life Lab at the Ed Snider Center, we instead encourage students to be enterprising in their own world to solve grand challenges at scale and scope.

As I note in previous columns, doing so preserves human dignity and harmonizes the me and us pillars through win-win outcomes.

Regardless of past failures, this new year goal setters can avoid being a dismal statistic.

Not giving up or giving in when pursuing wants can be bolstered through the six-pillar approach to link our goals to ourselves and our world. Connecting to the whys, and creating hierarchy and consistency in our wants can motivate and animate us to invest the hard work, develop clear strategies, and chart effective implementation plans.

For the payoff of achieving happiness is very worth your time.

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Shkooby Coming Out Of Stealth Mode | Bitcoinist.com – bitcoinist.com

Posted: at 5:02 pm

SHKOOBY REBRANDA New Beginning

Shkooby has been developing and building its products in stealth mode. According to reliable sources, they are now ready to deliver a staking dapp and a fully-fledged metaverse.

According to Shkooby Inus official Medium and reliable sources, they rebrand their logo, website, and narrative. In addition, they have revealed a working product of their staking dapp and metaverse.

About a month ago, Shkooby Inu was released. The project had an explosive launch day, going from $10,000 market cap to $150,000,000 market capa 1499900% increase in one day. However, the momentum slowed down as the Shkooby team focused their efforts on development. They have now revealed that they are ready.

SHKOOBY will deliver a unified metaverse experience, integrating DEFIs most delicate chances by enabling users to harvest tokens and NFT prizes while using them inside the ShkoobyVerse. According to the Shkooby team, their objective is to dominate the meme market with undeniable utility.

Metaverse

Shkooby is building the next-generation metaverse and meme-token. According to their Medium, the Shkooby team has been researching, developing, and hiring talent to achieve their extensive roadmap and goals for 2022. With their main goal being, The main aim is to develop, build and expand upon our own Virtual world and metaverse, the ShkoobyVerse. We are convinced that this is where the future of business, finance, education, gaming, and of course, cryptocurrency lies.

Combining the beauty of cryptocurrency and the metaverse within these computer-generated environments. Shkooby is giving every individual a fair shot at financial independence in a fun and interactive manner.

Shkooby is devoting all of its efforts to building the next-generation metaverse, which will combine the thriving community of a meme token with the functionality of a genuine product.

The SHKOOBYVERSE (metaverse) will comprise different components that will create an exciting virtual world containing exciting events and games. Everything in the Metaverse is accessible for $SHKOOBY token holders, giving its native token a massive use case. They will have a dedicated Events Room in the ShkoobyVerse, where live music events, DJs, celebrity meet-and-greets, exclusive parties, and premiere streaming events will occur.

Their self-proclaimed metaverse, SHKOOBYVERSE, will include an exclusive events room, community networking room, games room, and Elite SHKOOBYGANG Room, for the top 200 SHKOOBY holders.

DAPP

The Shkooby DAPP will allow anyone to earn passive income from one of the most lucrative and highest APY pools on the market. The only requirement is to stake SHKOOBY tokens. Top contributors will be highlighted on the dedicated leaderboard.

One Step Further

The Shkooby team chose to take it a step farther than just establishing a metaverse. The team has declared that they recognize the communitys and future generations interests in accumulating financial prosperity and breaking free from the systems shackles. Shkooby has embraced that idea and is developing a virtual environment that will enable individuals to earn passive income and build wealth while doing what they desire.

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SASI encourages people to find additional incomes and increase savings – SABC News

Posted: at 5:02 pm

The South African Savings Institute (SASI) is encouraging people to find an additional income and increase their savings capacity this year.

The organisation is offering tips that can be implemented in January, to help improve financial well-being for the year ahead. Prabashini Moodley reports

South Africans have fallen on challenging times in the last two years, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, businesses were torched and damaged, stock was stolen and lives were lost. This was yet another blow to many suffering financial hardship.

Now, in Janu-worry after all the festive season spending, the South African Savings Institute says, smart financial planning now can mean less stress in the year ahead. SASI Acting CEO Gerald Mwandiambia says with motivation levels high in January, its a great time to set in motion a savings plan for the year.

The best savings technique is really to have a financial plan or goal. January is a great opportunity for you to set those goals for the year ahead. This includes, how you going to manage your budget and specific savings goals for the year ahead. Each individual has their own personal economy and that your goals and your lifestyle are specifically for yourself.

Mwandiambia says discipline is a cornerstone of a healthy savings culture. By activating stop orders and joining stokvel movement savings will become a monthly bill that needs to be paid. He details the most effective ways to meet your financial commitments and save at the same time.

In order to save, you need sacrifice, commitment and discipline. Sacrifice is saving money you could do something else with. Commitment in terms of having the plan. You need to try and save using automation. That helps with discipline. This is setting up stop orders, so money goes to the right places. Something very important is a stokvel. This helps with the discipline as well the group forces you to comply and stick to certain standards.

Its that time of year when families are facing large annual expenses that many have not prepared for. These include school fees and uniforms. Mwandiambia is encouraging South Africans to look outside the box and make 2022 the year that they increase their savings with an additional income.

Many of us work 8 hours but after that 8 hours, it leaves 16 hours to do something else. Its very important to have secondary or tertiary incomes and look at how you can make that extra R100 a week. At the end of the day, when you annualise it it ends up being real money. South Africans limit themselves to earning a salary but you can increase your earning potential. So I say, make 2022 that year when you find that additional income to help you save.

Stokvel a means of saving

Its not all doom and gloom though, and resourcefulness is rewarded. Sixty-year-old Surie Govender from Verulam in KwaZulu-Natal initiated a new stokvel scheme in November last year, before the December spending frenzy.

She has been running the stokvel movement for women in her family and friends in her area for the last twenty years. She says, over the years women have gained financial independence through the savings scheme.

They like a lump some of the money where they can use it to do something in the house. Some of them say, they just want to buy a TV cash if they buy from the shop, they will pay interest. Here, you take a lump some and there is no interest. You got no choice, you cant use the money for something else, the money has to be paid. This is a saving because you pay towards it every month. What I did, the bathroom, the kitchen, our outbuilding, the shower.

For a sound financial year ahead, experts advice is to make saving a priority.

Re-evaluating wasteful spending habits, monitoring electricity and water usage and paying off debt faster are other money-saving tips to implement in 2022.

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How this woman-led organic brand aims to democratise good food while building a community of women – YourStory

Posted: at 5:02 pm

Anamika Pandeys father was a businessman, and growing up, she closely witnessed how each generation was involved in making peoples lives better. Her grandfather fought for the rights of teachers; her father was making education affordable across Eastern UP.

Having spent most of her childhood across Lucknow and Gorakhpur, she discovered there was a big divide between men and women. She was the first girl in the family to step out of the city for graduation. After completing her graduation from NIT Warangal, she worked with BigBasket before deciding to start Naario, a food brand that offers organic cereals, condiments, and beverages.

The pain point was simple but the main aim was to change mindsets and bat for inclusivity of women in every way. And thats why the name.

Naario combines the essence of two words - naari (woman) and opportunity - and aims at democratising good food while building a community of women who are more than ready to tie their creative talents to their identity.

Anamika explains: I grew up believing in people and their power. I had multiple internships with startups during my college days, and this allowed me to get a hang of the culture. While I was back home, celebrating my birthday in December 2019, I asked my mum a very simple question over chai Why do you not launch your Lucknowi masala as a product? I see people getting crazy about homemade food these days. My mom crushed me with her reply, Log kya kahenge ki ab Pandeyji ki bahu ko paise kamane ki zaroorat lagi hai (What will people say? Pandeyjis daughter-in-law now has to work to earn money?)

This problem statement that led her to start Naario from her hometown, Gorakhpur.

Anamika says she wanted to marry health and taste in everyday food items, and amid COVID it had become all the more imperative to follow a healthy lifestyle.

She got together a bunch of women, including her mother, and ran a small workshop in Gorakhpur at the end of January 2021 to understand what they had to offer. Six homemakers turned up with different products, out of which four were a major hit.

The next step was to start a small Facebook group to connect with like-minded women. This led to a business model where women who were passionate about food could launch their products under Naario and others who liked the thrill of business could head distribution in their respective localities. All this would contribute to financial independence.

Naarios products range from breakfast cereal and beverages to condiments and are priced from Rs 100 onwards.

The product might be a 200-year-old rose sherbet recipe or a very rich and cultural take on muesli. The team brainstorms with a large number of people to understand what they actually need in a product, what should the packaging look like, and more. The manufacturing process on ground involves more than 70 percent women while the packaging pays homage to Indian heritage by focusing on varied textiles and fabrics.

The spices are made by women in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, the jaggery powder and 9in1 flour in Lucknow, and the muesli and filter coffee in Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu.

The audience in Tier II cities, however, are mums, young and old. These are women who take ownership of their familys health and wellbeing. Their identity is very closely linked to what they cook and feed their family, and who in some way are trying to create their own identity.

Naarios impact is not just aimed at financial independence of women.

Anamika elaborates, Recently, a Naario partner lost her husband. She was a homemaker from Lucknow. We took her on payroll as a business development manager because of her consistently great performance. If Naario, as a brand, is able to bring this impact to womens life where they dont think they are alone after a major setback in life, half my work is done.

While competition in this segment is intense, Anamika believes in collaboration over competition.

The solo founder chose to go the angel investments route for funding of Naario in the pre-seed stage. She claims the brand has been growing consistently since its launch with a monthly growth rate of 25-30 percent.

The future seems bright for anyone who is betting on their own health, right? We are looking to expand our product subcategories and our presence across the country, and also start listings on multiple platforms so we are there when and where our consumer decides to buy Naario, Anamika says.

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