Daily Archives: February 21, 2022

The amount of financial content available online is staggering. Along with articles and videos, there are countless podcasts devoted to

The amount of financial content available online is staggering. Along with articles and videos, there are countless podcasts devoted to helping you pay off debt, invest wisely and retire comfortably.

Personal finance podcasts are available on apps such as Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts or through music streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music. Topics can range from money basics to advanced investment strategies, and these podcasts can be formatted in a variety of ways. They may feature listener questions, expert interviews or casual banter between hosts.

If you feel overwhelmed by your choices, here are a couple top picks to get you started. Of course, which show youll like depends largely on your interests and preferred format.

How to Money

The Financial Confessions

Beginner to Buyer

ChooseFI

Robinhood Snacks

Marriage Kids and Money

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Your Money Briefing

Jill on Money

How I Built This with Guy Raz

[SEE: 10 Best Money-Saving Apps.]

How to Money

Listen for: Money advice and information geared toward millennials.

Published as part of the iHeartPodcast Network, How to Money is a good choice for anyone who is trying to get a handle on their finances for the first time. Millennial friends Joel Larsgaard and Matt Altmix talk about issues such as navigating credit scores, negotiating a higher paycheck and buying a home, often while enjoying a beer together.

How to Money publishes multiple episodes a week, and most run between 30 to 60 minutes. Some shows are dedicated to answering listener questions or delving into a single topic, while others include special guests. For each Fridays episode, Larsgaard and Altmix review the weeks financial headlines.

The Financial Confessions

Listen for: Practical tips and an inside look at how others manage their money.

The Financial Confessions comes from website The Financial Diet, which pegs itself as a destination for women to talk about money. However, the podcast largely covers topics that are applicable to everyone, and episodes have delved into cryptocurrency, resumes and travel hacks.

We started using The Financial Diet because it was one of the few sources that felt like it acknowledged our finances realistically as a whole, says Lizzy Vela, a listener from Jenison, Michigan. For instance, she appreciates that the podcast doesnt take a strict no-debt stance and recognizes that everyones situation is unique.

Hosted by Chelsea Fagan, most episodes of the The Financial Confessions clock in at just more than an hour and feature an interview with an expert.

Beginner to Buyer

Listen for: A rundown on the homebuying process for newbies.

If youre ready to jump into the housing market as a first-time buyer, Beginner to Buyer is the podcast for you. Presented by Chase and hosted by Nadeska Alexis, episodes include a mix of interviews with actual home buyers and real estate experts.

Beginner to Buyer does a good job of succinctly relaying information. Each of its 10 episodes focuses on a different part of the homebuying process, and all are about 30 minutes in length.

ChooseFI

Listen for: Advice and inspiration to achieve financial independence.

FI, which is short for financial independence, is a movement focused on optimizing finances so people dont have to be tied to a job to pursue the interests they want. In the ChooseFI podcast, hosts Jonathan Mendonsa and Brad Barrett share their personal experiences while also discussing topics related to achieving financial independence.

Most episodes run from 45 to 60 minutes, and many feature guests. These include interviews with finance professionals as well as people who have achieved their own financial independence.

[READ: Comparing Financial Strategies: FIRE, 50/30/20, Bogleheads and Ramseys Baby Steps.]

Robinhood Snacks

Listen for: Latest headlines about publicly traded companies.

Originally founded as MarketSnacks in 2012, this podcast was acquired by investing platform Robinhood in 2019. Rebranded as Robinhood Snacks, it retains its original format and hosts.

Each day, Jack Kramer and Nick Martell run through three business stories using a quick and snappy format. Episodes run for only 15 minutes, making them a quick listen during a short commute or when listeners have a few minutes to spare. Although the podcast is not intended to guide investment decisions, anyone buying and selling stocks is sure to find it interesting.

Marriage Kids and Money

Listen for: Financial content from a parent in the trenches.

Raising kids can add a wrinkle to money management, and the Marriage Kids and Money podcast addresses some of the special challenges faced by parents. However, much of the advice offered on this show can also apply to singles and couples without children in the picture.

Host Andy Hill started the podcast after his job underwent a significant change. At the same time, as a young father, he was looking for an outlet where he could connect with others as well as grow personally. Thats when Marriage Kids and Money was born, Hill says. My goal, then and now, is to help families build wealth and happiness.

With more than five years of podcasting and 300 episodes behind him, Hill has tackled topics ranging from paying off a mortgage early to becoming a young millionaire. Plus, there is advice on managing money as a couple and raising money-smart kids. Episodes can run from 45 to 60 minutes, and many shows include expert interviews.

[What Parents Should Know About Children and Taxes]

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Listen for: Big-picture discussion about financial topics.

With more than 1,300 podcast episodes under her belt, Farnoosh Torabi has plenty of shows about everyday topics such as buying a house and saving for college. However, where So Money really sets itself apart from other podcasts is in its willingness to have deeper discussions about the financial landscape. These include shows dedicated to building wealth in the black community, the education gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of the marijuana industry nationwide.

Torabi has hosted guests such as singer and actress Queen Latifah, fashion consultant Tim Gunn and businessperson Barbara Corcoran. Each week, the host publishes a show dedicated to answering reader questions. While So Money packs a lot of content into its episodes, they run only about 30 minutes, which makes them easy to fit into listeners busy schedules.

Your Money Briefing

Listen for: Short and sweet explanations of economic and finance topics.

Produced by The Wall Street Journal, Your Money Briefing tackles a different topic every day. In 10 minutes or less, host J.R. Whalen talks with Wall Street Journal reporters and other experts to address issues such as inflation, student loans and job hunting in a pandemic. A new episode is issued every week day.

Its a favorite podcast of Elizabeth Reidel, managing director and national director of SIFMA Foundations Stock Market Game Program, which teaches children the fundamentals of investing.

For our Stock Market Game participants, we value Your Money Briefing because it breaks down seemingly complicated personal finance topics into easy-to-understand segments, Reidel says. It also reinforces our curriculum with experts insights into the financial markets in an approachable, digestible format.

Jill on Money

Listen for: No-nonsense answers to real-world financial questions.

Published daily, most episodes of the Jill on Money podcast sound like a call-in radio show with host Jill Schlesinger providing financial advice to listeners. These short shows can be heard in 10 to 20 minutes, making them good fillers for when you have a little extra time in your day.

Schlesinger, a certified financial planner, covers topics such as investing, buying rental properties and evaluating financial advisors. Some shows include interviews or commentary about financial news. The Jill on Money podcast will likely be most beneficial for listeners with higher incomes and asset levels.

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Listen for: Inspiring stories about entrepreneurs who found success.

This is another of Reidels top picks for a financial podcast. Guy Raz interviews the founding entrepreneurs about their rise to prominence and the roadblocks that forced some to start from scratch, she explains. Reidel recommends it to teachers and students participating in the Stock Market Game since financial markets play such a key role in many entrepreneurship stories.

However, anyone who is interested in starting a business could benefit from adding How I Built This to their playlist. Episodes are typically 60-80 minutes and featured business owners from a cross section of industries, such as Brian Armstrong of Coinbase, Roxanne Quimby of Burts Bees and Stacy Madison of Stacys Pita Chips.

More from U.S. News

Personal Finance Ratios to Know at All Times

Important Financial Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

Red Flags That Could Trigger a Tax Audit

Some of Best Personal Finance Podcasts to Listen to in 2022 originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 02/17/22: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

Original post:

Some of Best Personal Finance Podcasts to Listen to in 2022 - WTOP

ALBANY One immigrant community has reached out to welcome another through a universal language:

Members of Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple in Niskayuna prepared and served lunch to Afghan refugees at an Albany-area hotel on Monday.

People came down and briefly mingled in the impromptu soup kitchen before loading up their trays and heading back to their rooms.

Paul Uppal, president of Guru Nanak Darbar, said refugees who were relocated to Albany following the collapse of the Afghan government last year face the same issues as anyone else who has been quickly forced to flee their native soil: Loneliness, social isolation and a lack of clothing, personal care products and financial independence.

Its the typical problem of trying to assimilate in a land far away from home, Uppal said.

On Monday's menu was vegetarian Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

The lunchtime banquet was a collaboration with the Troy YMCA, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, the Albany Hindu Temple and Tri-City India Association.

Volunteers at the Sikh Temple prepared their food out of love and respect for their refugees, Uppal said, and they will continue to provide assistance.

Organizers also made colorful garb available to youngsters, who happily darted throughout the hallways.

Fifty-one Afghan refugees are being temporarily housed at the location before they can be placed in other lodging, officials said.

Guru Nanak Darbar parishioners and officials also make periodic drops of uncooked food to other families in the Capital Region, said Gurinder Garcha, a volunteer who helped organize Mondays event.

The Albany field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) has resettled over 300 Afghan evacuees since September.

Yet their escape from the war-torn country, in many ways, was only the beginning of the path to security. Evacuees have only been issued temporary status that expires two years from their date of arrival.

USCRI officials said the lack of a direct path from temporary status to permanent residence leaves them vulnerable at the end of that two-year period.

Finances also remain a challenge beyond immediate resettlement needs.

As an antidote, advocates and politicians are lobbying for the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bill being floated around Congress that would create a pathway to permanent status for Afghan evacuees.

Fatima Mukhtar, board member of the Al-Zahra Islamic Center in Voorheesville, said the new arrivals are integrating into U.S. life with the help of the center.

The recently-resettled people, she said, benefit from gleaning experience from people who arrived at different times, and thus are at different stages of the assimilation process. Weekly programming is also available at the location.

Mukhtar emigrated to the U.S. three decades ago. A subsequent wave of refugees came in the early- to-mid 2000s.

They have various different levels of experience that they can build off of and that strengthens the community a lot, Mukhtar said.

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Sikh community reaching out to Afghan refugees through hot meals - Albany Times Union

The BitQT app is an exclusive and unique tool that can help you manage your cryptocurrency profits and losses. It is a feature-rich platform with a sleek and simple interface.

In recent years, Bitcoin has surpassed many other financial and digital assets to become the worlds most popular cryptocurrency. Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $65,000 in April 2021, and it is expected to hit $100,000 by the end of 2022. As a result, trading cryptocurrency is clearly a viable alternative for anyone trying to make money.

Despite the various potentially profitable opportunities in the market, it can be difficult to trade Bitcoin and effectively and efficiently appraise the markets if you do not know how to trade Bitcoin. Heres a solution that can help you solve this problem: BitQT App that you can easily access from this link https://thebitqtapp.com/de

BitQT App: What is it?

The BitQT app is a cryptocurrency auto-trading robot that assists users in locating the finest transactions in the cryptocurrency market. This is true for both trading specialists and people with no trading abilities or understanding.

The BitQT App has helped many individuals achieve financial independence, and you can now use it to earn significant profits on your investment. Simply depositing a minimum of 250 and investing for 30 days utilising this approach may earn you up to 1,267.

The BitQT app enables traders and investors of all levels to profit handsomely from Bitcoin investments. Using the sophisticated and advanced programme, you may easily double, treble, and even quadruple your assets. The BitQT app enables all traders to generate a real income passively by using the multiple possibilities available in the Bitcoin market.

How Does the BitQT App Make Money?

The BitQT app is a very popular, award-winning, and creative Bitcoin trading programme. Its success is due to its exceptional accuracy in anticipating Bitcoin price changes and generating successful transactions on a regular basis.

BitQTs automatic traders are always active, evaluating the cryptocurrency market to identify attractive trading positions, ensuring that you get the most out of your crypto investments.

You just need to sign up for free today and start making money on a daily basis. Join the thousands of traders across the world who use the BitQT App to trade cryptocurrencies and have already improved their financial life.

What is the Big Deal About BitQT?

You can earn money by trading cryptocurrencies and take advantage of special BitQT features. They are committed to your success, which is why they have ensured that this programme has the most advanced trading capabilities available today.

1. Software with an Easy-to-Use Interface

Their software interface was created to be as user-friendly as feasible. Even individuals with no prior trading expertise will find the interface simple to use.

2. Security and Safety

They have put in place top-notch security methods and systems to reduce the danger of fraudulent behaviour. You may be certain that your savings are well-protected at all times.

3. Trustworthy Broker Partners

They have researched the trading brokers with whom they have agreed to collaborate. Their broker partners list only includes trustworthy brokers. This guarantees that their customers have the greatest trading experience possible and that their investments are safe and secure. Furthermore, their broker partners provide a variety of benefits, such as educational materials, high-level customer service, and innovative trading tools.

4. Completely Free

There is no fee to use this advanced trading programme. There are no transaction fees or hidden costs.

5. Cryptocurrency Exchanges that are open 24/7

The bitcoin markets are open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With its automatic trading system, which executes successful transactions on your behalf 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they ensure you dont miss out on any possibilities.

6. There are a plethora of cryptocurrencies available

You will be able to pick from a wide range of cryptocurrencies.

7. Customer Support

Their customer support team is widely regarded as one of the best in the business. You may be confident that all of their personnel will be informed, professional, and eager to assist you.

What Are the Benefits of Trading Cryptos Through the BitQT App?

You may begin trading Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies with no prior understanding of cryptocurrencies or trading expertise with the BitQt app. Here are a few advantages to think about:

One of the most significant benefits of trading with the BitQT app is that you may achieve financial independence in the shortest amount of time. Some of their clients made their first million dollars within the first few months of investing with them.

Profits can be made as soon as you make a deposit. You can make at least 1,000 every day with the BitQT app.

Trading for Passive Income Bitcoin is automated using the BitQT programme, which means you can earn money while doing very little. Make a deposit, and the app will take care of the rest.

The BitQT App allows you to trade Bitcoin on your mobile phone with simplicity. As a result, you may enjoy the apps ease and flexibility at any time and from any location.

Steps for Registering with the BitQT App

It is simple to sign up on this platform. Simply provide your full name, email address, and phone number, as well as a password, to get started. After you enter these data, you must validate your email address and log in to your account. You will then have immediate access to the BitQT trading interface, letting you to become acquainted with the system.

You cannot, however, begin trading cryptocurrencies with BitQT until you have deposited the required minimum of 250. These funds act as your trading capital, allowing you to start trading and benefiting from a wide variety of cryptocurrencies.

It is simple to become a member of the BitQT community. Without any prior understanding of cryptos or trading expertise, you may begin trading Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies. So, begin your path to financial independence now by registering using your phone, computer, or tablet.

This article and website does not offer financial advice. It is offered for information purposes only.

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BitQT App Review Is it Worth an Investment? - Robotics and Automation News

Life, especially family life, is impossible without financial planning. Money and its distribution play an important role because there are unforeseen expenses in addition to current costs, and there are also wants and goals in the long run, which will not earn themselves.

A family budget is the total of a familys actual income and expenses over a specific time. Payment includes all sources of income: wages, benefits, pensions, part-time jobs, interest on deposits, rental income, cashback on bank cards, support from relatives, etc. What if you need $2000 fast? Then you can take advantage of current offers from lenders.

Expenses are everything a family spends money on, from required mortgage payments and utilities to public transportation. Expenses are divided into:

Also, expenses can be systematized by frequency: annual, monthly, weekly, daily, seasonal, etc.

Personal expenses of each family member are also considered in the family budget.

The main thing in managing a family budget is the ability to negotiate. All family members must understand the importance of financial planning and participate in it. You also need to determine who will be the chief accountant. It is the first step.

How U.S. families manage their budgets? Americans spend an average of $21,409 on housing 30%. Transportation takes away $9,826 14%. Other spending items:

When it is possible to reach an agreement in principle, decide how to divide the family budget. It can be done in any of the following ways, considering the income structure and possible reasons for conflicts.

All money is shared.

Pros:

Cons:

Conditional Joint Budget: All family members incomes are added up for everyday expenses, with some of the money earned each keeps for themself.

Pros:

Cons:

Each family member manages their income. Ordinary expenses are paid in turns or shared.

Pros:

Cons:

Misunderstandings or low responsibility may result in someone not being willing to meet their following financial obligation. In the case of unequal income, this model can lead to conflicts.

Only one member of the family earns.

Pros:

Cons:

If some budgeting format doesnt work for you, you can try another.

Preferably yes. Drawing up a family budget considering its members personal needs will help maintain a comfortable psychological climate because everyone will be able to spend a certain amount of money in their way. On hobbies, gifts to loved ones, different wants. Children need pocket money, even in small amounts, so they learn how to handle it.

So, you have decided to engage in financial planning. The algorithm is as follows:

The most important thing to do is to fix income and expenses.

Despite the similarity in the structure of income and spending, the situation in families may differ. However, some universal tips will help you save money:

Working with the family budget is a means to an end, not an end usually.

Talk about what youre unhappy with while trying not to shift all responsibility for the cause of the disagreement onto partners. Coordinated management of family money will reduce the degree of tension.

Be sure to keep personal money for each family member: even if hes not working, hes still entitled to some financial independence. Look for additional sources of income.

A large percentage of families dont keep a budget for a good reason. It allows you to establish financial stability and meet your goals. Systematizing expenses and income is not as difficult as it may seem. The main thing is to agree on whether the budget will be shared in whole or in part, choose common financial goals, and regularly monitor cash flow.

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Top Bits of Advice for Couples to Manage Finances - The UK Time

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (IRT) (NYSE: IRT), a multifamily apartment REIT, today announced its fourth quarter and full year 2021 financial results.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

Full Year Highlights

2022 Guidance Highlights

Included later in this press release are definitions of NOI, CFFO, Adjusted EBITDA and other Non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of such measures to their most comparable financial measures as calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Management Commentary

2021 was an exceptional year for IRT underscored by outsized organic growth across the portfolio, as well as the completion of the STAR merger that cements our position as a leading multifamily REIT focused on the high growth U.S. Sunbelt region, said Scott Schaeffer, Chairman and CEO of IRT. We delivered fourth quarter and full year same store NOI growth of 15.1% and 11.4%, respectively, supported by improvements in average occupancy rates and rental income. In addition, we continued to advance our high return value add program and drive accretive growth through asset acquisitions and dispositions, as well as joint venture relationships in new multifamily development.

Looking ahead, we are excited for our next phase of growth, having doubled our property and unit count through our merger with STAR. Our integration efforts remain on-track, with our property and revenue management systems now fully implemented across all properties. In addition, we expect to achieve at least $28 million in annual synergies and effectively improve our leverage position. These advancements, along with our plans to continue to drive strong operating results, well position IRT to realize attractive growth in the multifamily sector for years to come.

Same Store Property Operating Results

Fourth Quarter 2021 Comparedto Fourth Quarter 2020(1)

Full Year 2021 Compared toFull Year 2020(1)

Rental and other property revenue

10.2% increase

8.4% increase

Property operating expenses

1.8% increase

3.8% increase

Net operating income (NOI)

15.1% increase

11.4% increase

Portfolio average occupancy

90 bps increase to 95.7%

230 bps increase to 95.7%

Portfolio average rental rate

9.7% increase to $1,266

5.9% increase to $1,209

NOI Margin

280 bps increase to 65.6%

170 bps increase to 62.7%

(1)

Same store portfolio for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021 includes 47 properties, which represent 12,838 units.

Same Store Property Operating Results, Excluding Value Add

The same store portfolio results below exclude 18 communities that are both part of the same store portfolio and were actively undergoing Value Add renovations during the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Comparedto Fourth Quarter 2020(1)

Full Year 2021 Compared toFull Year 2020(1)

Rental and other property revenue

8.5% increase

6.1% increase

Property operating expenses

5.3% increase

4.0% increase

Net operating income (NOI)

10.4% increase

7.4% increase

Portfolio average occupancy

80 bps increase to 96.6%

180 bps increase to 96.6%

Portfolio average rental rate

8.4% increase to $1,254

4.5% increase to $1,203

NOI Margin

100 bps increase to 64.6%

80 bps increase to 62.5%

(1)

Same store portfolio, excluding value add, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2021 includes 29 properties, which represent 7,034 units.

IRT and STAR Merger

On December 16, 2021, we completed our merger with STAR. Through the STAR Merger, we acquired 68 apartment communities that contain 21,394 units and two apartment communities that are under development and approved for 621 units in the aggregate. We acquired assets totaling $4.8 billion, assumed liabilities totaling $1.9 billion, and issued an aggregate of 99,720,948 shares of common stock and 6,429,481 IROP units in our merger with STAR. Leading up to and after the closing of the STAR Merger, we also successfully delevered the combined balance sheet through a combination of our July forward equity raise of $271 million on 16.1 million shares, the disposition of three STAR properties in November 2021 for a total sales price of $107 million, and the disposition of six IRT properties between December 2021 and February 2022 for a total sales price of $297 million.

Same Store Comparisons and STAR

As discussed above, we completed our merger with STAR, which more than doubled our property and unit counts. We will continue to follow our previous definition of same store and will formally add STAR to the same store pool on January 1, 2023 in accordance with our current same store definition. However, in 2022 we will begin presenting a Combined Same Store portfolio to help investors understand the larger same store portfolio. Weve included two new appendices this quarter. Appendix A shows the impact of consolidating STARs business for 2021. To aid in future modeling, we have added Appendix B, which provides the 2021 quarterly property operating results for the 2022 Combined Same Store portfolio. The following Operating Metrics and 2022 Guidance are presented considering these new same store portfolios. See the Definitions section of this release for full definitions of these new same store portfolios.

Operating Metrics

The table below summarizes operating metrics for the noted same store portfolios for the applicable periods.

4Q 2021

1Q 2022(3)

IRT Same Store Portfolio (47 properties / 12,838 units) (1)

Average Occupancy

95.7%

95.4%

Lease Over Lease Effective Rental Rate Growth (2):

New Leases

22.3%

20.3%

Renewal Leases

8.0%

11.3%

Blended

15.2%

14.3%

Resident retention rate

42.6%

48.4%

STAR Same Store Portfolio (62 properties / 19,860 units) (1)

Average Occupancy

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Independence Realty Trust Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results - Business Wire

A proto-state, a socio-political movement, the beast all names given to a single group that, at its height, seemed to embody the wests worst nightmare.

Islamic State appeared to be a motivated, well-led insurgency group dedicated to building its own "caliphate in conquered areas across the Middle East. Now, the recent violent death of its leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi, in northern Syria, has left analysts wondering whether the group has largely been neutralised. But thats doubtful, as IS has been able to change over the years to suit its circumstances.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, aka ISIS, emerged as an al-Qaida splinter group in 1999 and achieved the peak of its international notoriety in 2014, following the conquest of the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.

Although its ideology is not especially innovative grounded, as it is, in a mixture of the offshoot Islamic creeds of Salafism, Qutbism, Wahabism and Takfirism IS embodies a significant evolution in jihadi terror organisations. Its different to al-Qaida and more ambitious in several key ways. Osama bin Laden and his disciples never called for the establishment of a global caliphate. They were more focused on taking the fight against the western infidels.

IS dared to go much further, creating a pseudo-state with more than 30,000 fighters and a sophisticated authoritarian system of government. As militants joined the group from all over the world, IS expanded across northern Iraq and Syria. By doing this, it was able to seize control of considerable natural resources principally oil to give it financial independence.

Former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis bold declaration of a caliphate on June 29 2014 was a spur for many to join the cause. But, as American journalist Graeme Wood noted, IS had a broad appeal to everyone from Sunni Arab pragmatists to foreign soldiers of fortune. This suggests the group wanted to appeal to a diverse membership, not all of whom were motivated by religion. It has been reported that copies of Islam for Dummies and The Koran for Dummies were circulated among the groups foreign fighters to give them an idea of the ideology they were fighting for.

IS rhetoric on social justice and a sense of revenge against a corrupt and unjust western establishment were very appealing for many who decided to join the group. Through its sophisticated propaganda distributed on social media, the IS communication department continues to disseminate ad hoc messages and videos with Hollywood-style effects. These dont only focus on violence, but also touch on the welfare and care IS insists it will provide to all members. The IS-affiliated Al Hayat Media Center generates media content aimed specifically at non-Arabic speakers particularly younger audiences, who represent a core recruitment pool for the organisation.

Al-Qurayshis death he killed himself and his wife and children during a raid by US troops in northern Syria is unlikely to shift the loyalty of many members or lessen the appeal of the group. And he and his family will, for many, be seen as martyrs in an ongoing war.

Since 2017, IS has lost 98% of its territories. It has accordingly shifted its strategy from becoming a quasi state to a decentralised ideology focused on encouraging solo attacks around the world. The loss of territory and the capture and killing of its leaders is unlikely to damage the groups appeal or its emotional significance for those who have joined the cause and those who would still like to.

IS has been home for many second-generation Muslims and a safe place for disenfranchised individuals. IS has been able to able to fill the void in the lives of thousands of young people who dream of joining a greater cause and fighting against any form of oppression they have encountered in their apparently comfortable western lives.

So IS has evolved into a post-territorial group which represents a sort of wide resistance against the establishment depicted as former colonial western powers. Touching on different social, economic, political and religious grievances, IS has managed to gather individuals from various backgrounds and unite them under the shahada flag (which proclaims a faith in Islam). It might have lost most of its territory and suffered the deaths of successive leaders but the ideological ground and the grievances the group rests upon remain undiminished. It is likely that the terror group will continue attracting supporters and followers for the foreseeable future.

Efforts to prevent this should focus on what the founder of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), Peter Neumann, refers to as everything that happens before the bomb goes off. This is the radicalisation process: when individuals are attracted to a certain set of ideas but have not yet engaged and acted upon them. More research should focus on the variety of non-violent but vocal extremist groups whose ideological assumptions appear similar to some terror groups but who do not espouse violence as a viable methodology.

Al-Qurayshis death may be forgotten over time, but the group he led still represents a considerable danger. While the actual territorial presence of Islamic State has been annihilated, for those people (and their children) who called the caliphate home, the proto-state exists in the massive diaspora who dreamed of what the caliphate could fulfil. The danger for the west is that the strength of IS doesnt depend on its leader but on the emotional significance it has for its supporters. Until this is addressed there will always be a beast threatening the west.

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Islamic State: death of leader is big step towards becoming a different kind of terrorist organisation - The Conversation UK

BRIAN CONTRERASLos Angles Times (TNS)

When she was growing up in New Jersey, Alexia Del Valle had a mural of the Hollywood sign on her bedroom wall. She dreamed of making it out to Los Angeles.

She doesn't need paintings anymore. Now that she's part of the Familia Fuego, an all-Latino TikTok collective living high in the Hollywood Hills, she can have the real deal whenever she wants.

"I got here and looked outside our window, and there's the Hollywood sign," said Del Valle, 23. "I literally was crying."

A world-class view is one of the many perks that come with being part of the Familia. Del Valle moved into the group's $2.2-million shared home last September. Ever since, she has been brainstorming ideas, collaborating on videos and advancing her budding entertainment career alongside four other young social media stars: Leo Gonzalez, Monica Villa, Jesus Zapien and Isabella Ferregur. With the backing of DirecTV and the influencer marketing firm Whalar, the quintet have gone from working service industry day jobs to doing shots with Neil Patrick Harris, watching the Chargers alongside Roddy Ricch and living down the street from Quentin Tarantino.

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As both Hollywood and the influencer economy wrestle with questions of diversity and representation, Familia Fuego is the rare project that's unabashedly, wholeheartedly Latino. How many other influencers could get 50,000-plus likes on a video about pozole? That they're based out of a city that's nearly half Latino, but in an extravagantly wealthy neighborhood where that proportion is closer to 10%, further colors the uneasy task the TikTokers have of representing their heritage while also making inroads into historically white career fields.

"It's definitely challenging" being a high-profile Latina influencer, said Del Valle, who's of Puerto Rican descent and has 1.5 million followers on her personal TikTok account (the shared Familia Fuego page has another 127,000). "But it's also special, because it's giving us an opportunity to represent where we come from. It seems more rewarding, in a way. We're putting ourselves out there, and our people out there also."

People often assume that influencers are all rich or have limitless resources, Del Valle added, but she doesn't think she'd have been able to move to California without the help of Familia Fuego's corporate sponsors. "People don't see that we really came from humble backgrounds."

Social media can sometimes be dominated by conspicuous displays of wealth: designer outfits, globe-trotting vacation selfies, Michelin-rated food porn. The Familia Fuego doesn't entirely reject those signifiers in some posts, they practice their red carpet struts or cross paths with celebrities but they're also more interested in "mocking the daily struggles" of service industry work, as Zapien puts it, than most influencers. A recurring sketch series in which they impersonate retail employees finds them wrangling nightmare customers and fighting over who gets the worst shifts. Other bits center around flaky co-workers, callous HR reps and overfamiliar recruiters.

It's a perspective rooted in personal experience. Before the Fuego house, Zapien, 24 and Mexican American, worked at Walmart, Disneyland and then a bank. "I was super shy," he said. "And then I was like, 'I'm too broke to be shy.'"

Now he does TikTok full-time, while his sponsors support him with things such as studio space, housekeeping service and staple food deliveries: "It's nice to get paid to do what you love."

Del Valle worked at Disney World before graduating from college in 2020. Of all the TikTok collectives in L.A., Familia Fuego may have the highest proportion of members who can instinctively show you how to do a "Disney point," the special hand gesture park employees have to learn.

The rest of the crew followed their own winding paths toward influencerdom. Villa, a 24-year-old Chicana, used to work at a catering company. Ferregur, 21 and from a mixed Mexican Cuban family, did boat rentals. Gonzalez, 27 and also Mexican American, hoped to become a television reporter. He worked at broadcast stations across California and Nevada before a TikTok of him parodying a newscaster blew up and he decided that social media might be a "less traumatic" career.

"I've never been able to call myself an influencer," Gonzalez said when The Times spoke with him and the rest of the Familia. All five sat around the house's dining room table; Gonzalez had recently passed two million followers on his personal account, and they were celebrating over croquettes and guava pastelitos. "But after a content house, maybe you're an influencer."

"I still cringe," Ferregur said. "I don't call myself an influencer."

"In Ubers, I always tell people I'm a freelance video editor," Gonzalez agreed.

If the two are uneasy with their newfound celebrity, they aren't alone. None of the members think of themselves as famous, Villa said: "We'll still go to the store, and if someone's looking at us we're like, why are they looking at us?" She and others also said they sometimes struggle with self-doubt or imposter syndrome.

Being Latino in the public eye presents further challenges. Ferregur dealt with racist bullies while growing up in Carlsbad, but now online critics call her "whitewashed." And Villa has struggled to find an audience for Spanish-language TikToks; she instead focuses on making English and bilingual ones.

"It's a little harder for Latinos to actually grow if you're not doing something super mainstream," she said.

But their heritage has also made it easier for the Familia Fuego to bond with one another. TikTok content houses are common in L.A. the most famous of them, the Hype House, recently became a Netflix show but Gonzalez said a lot of them feel weirdly inauthentic, superficial or careerist.

"They do their video, and then they're just on their phone," he said. "Here, we have talked about our fears and dreams. We've been vulnerable. We've cried together and prayed together."

The difference, Villa and Zapien agreed, is that the Familia is built around a shared Latino identity every member can relate to.

Los Angeles is as good a place as any to do that. According to Brendan Nahmias, a manager at Whalar who helps oversee the house, all of the Familia members had enormous Angeleno followings even before they moved in together. Del Valle, the New Jerseyan, had a slightly larger following in New York; but the other four have always had their biggest fanbases in L.A., even when they weren't living in the area.

"Our demo is here," Gonzalez said. "Whenever we go to any sort of public place where it's Latinos we all have people there who know us."

The location also gives them easy access to Hollywood's Latino elite. Members of the Familia have been able to collaborate with Eva Longoria; eat dinner, while starstruck, with Mexican comedy powerhouse Eugenio Derbez; and attend the premieres of Latino-centric projects such as "West Side Story" and "Gentefied."

"When I was in high school, we had those fake Hollywood red carpets" at events such as homecoming, Del Valle said. "But to be on a real one was surreal."

As full-time influencers, the Familia Fuego are doing what is a dream job for many Americans. It's a dream that few people are able to realize, even as more and more money flows into the social media sector.

Were it not for DirecTV and Whalar recruiting them via an email everyone initially assumed was a scam; "Don't get too excited," Ferregur's parents warned her the Familia members might not have been able to pull it off, either.

"I wanted [social media] to be my job, but it wasn't, really," Ferregur said. "It was very unstable. I was just taking things day by day; I wasn't sure where it was gonna lead. But after coming into the house and being managed by [Nahmias] and Whalar, now it is a stable job."

The Familia aren't the first cohort to get that opportunity. Whalar previously ran an all-Black TikTok collective, The Crib Around the Corner, in partnership with DirecTV's then-parent company AT&T. (Sinda Mitchel, a senior vice president at Whalar, declined to say whether a third house is in the works, or what demographic it might focus on were one to happen.)

But the houses aren't charity projects. Both the all-Latino Familia and the all-Black Crib focused on fast-growing segments of DirecTV customers that are nevertheless "notoriously hard to reach through traditional channels," chief marketing officer Vince Torres said in an emailed statement. The houses were "developed to give DirecTV the ability to reach them in an authentic way."

Aside from slightly more pressure to do good work, all five Fuego members had only positive things to say about their relationship with DirecTV and Whalar, and were optimistic that their time in the house would set them up for future success. The financial underpinnings of their role free housing, food and travel stipends, production equipment, a studio and a paycheck, all in exchange for a fixed number of branded posts each month seem as benign and equitable as they could hope for. And it's easy to be enthusiastic about any effort to diversify the influencer landscape, which has been criticized for under representing and under paying creators of color.

"They're not just doing a cute Hispanic Heritage Month commercial," Gonzalez said. "They're literally funding the livelihoods of five creators."

Yet it remains unclear whether this blend of patronage and boutique sponsorship could scale up to the point where it would make a real dent in the broader platform dynamics that still make financial independence a far-off dream for most aspiring influencers, Latino or otherwise.

"The creator economy needs a middle class," venture capitalist Li Jin warned in 2020. Long-time social media creator Hank Green recently criticized TikTok for using a pay-out model untethered from corporate profits, making it hard for many users to earn a living. Even going repeatedly viral on the app isn't always enough to break even.

Even if more companies took the same hands-on approach to finding and funding emerging talent that DirecTV and Whalar have, they'd still be tackling the problem at a rate of five TikTokers every six months. TikTok, meanwhile, reportedly has more than a billion users and grows larger by the day.

Though it might not be a systemic solution to creator income inequality, the Familia Fuego project has at least given each member an individual career boost. Now, with just a few weeks left in their residency, they're looking to the future and to opportunities beyond TikTok.

Segueing into more traditional film and television work is everyone's "end goal," Ferregur said. She and Del Valle also hope to get involved with the fashion and beauty industries; Villa and Zapien are more inclined toward music. Gonzalez is currently working on a memoir.

But for the time being, TikTok is all of their main gig; and even if they see it as more of a stepping stone than a permanent position, it's still a welcome alternative to what they were doing beforehand.

"I don't expect for it to be forever but if it can be, that'd be so nice," Gonzalez said. "It's never felt like it could be a long-term thing, but right now it does."

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Five Latino TikTokers traded 9-to-5s for a Hollywood Hills house. This is how they live - Arizona Daily Sun