Category Archives: Financial Independence

We are at a crossroad moment now, Stella Avramopoulos, CEO of Good Shepherd told Neos Kosmos, in an interview about the Summit on Womens Safety and what we need to focus on, as we prepare for the next 10-year National Plan to end the violence against women and children.

Last week, more than 400 people took part in the virtual discussions, of the summit that was announced earlier in the year, after women took to the streets demanding change. The tipping point had been the public allegations of former Liberal staffer, Britanny Higgins, that she had been raped in Parliament House, and that the Morrison government was treating her complaint as a political problem.

If were serious about ending family and domestic violence, womens economic security has to be a major prevention strategy. Stella Avramopoulos said in the statement released by Good Shepherd, ahead of the Summit on womens safety. She sees these issues daily, and understands deeply the problems women face when they become victims of violence.

A parliamentary inquiry earlier this year found that the rates of family, domestic and sexual violence has not decreased over the life of the current National Plan. On the contrary, it has increased.

It is unprecedented. The numbers are startling. COVID has exacerbated the situation, with the various lockdowns. We have high incidents of neighbours calling because they are hearing the family violence happening next door, which is adding to the numbers that are getting reported.

Going into the summit I certainly feel that we are at a crossroad moment now. The pressure on the government, and on us, as a society, to really start making a fundamental shift to the numbers, must happen. And I think everyone who participated, had a very strong sense that there has to be a plan that really activates a change. Because everyone has had enough.

READ MORE:The crisis of Domestic Violence on the agenda of the Greek Community

In your statement you propose investing in the financial security of women so they can exit abusive relationships before violence escalates without financial fears.

Yes, and also investing in crisis housing for women fleeing family violence. We know that one of the highest presenting issues for women, apart from the family violence, is financial abuse and financial stress.It is the reason the women dont leave, and sometimes, unfortunately, it is the reason women feel forced to go back.Significant investment and a multifaceted approach needs to go into supporting women to leave, and into their long-term recovery. When we talk about giving refuge in crisis housing, the time is too short. Women need to stay there for four- to- five months to be able to understand properly what is happening to them and build a road map. Certainly for us we want to see economic abuse as a priority in the next national plan.

Isnt the government and states already providing financial assistance. Crisis housing and financial support through Centrelink. Or is the support just not enough?

Women can only stay eight to 12 weeks in crisis housing. It is very short term. That is why financial security is so important. Imagine having to run out of your house, change everything from your Medicare card to your bank account and the forms for your kids, and keep yourself safe. That is a massive task. And on top of that you are dealing with the trauma that the abuse has caused, and making sure your children are okay.There are more women needing refuge, than houses available and there is a long waiting list. Last year during the pandemic we were getting calls from women who were sleeping in their cars. The only thing they could take was their car, their children and a few things.

Doesnt Centrelink provide some financial assistance for women escaping domestic abuse?

Centrelink have some funding for women. There are now 100,000 more women on Jobseeker since the pandemic started. However, these programmes do not help women in their long-term recovery. They also have got to go to court for custody, and about the assets. And women give up, the whole system is re-traumatising them and making the recovery, and their sustainable financial position, impossible.

I will never forget what one woman told me after she gave up fighting her husband in court. She had spent $50,000 in the family court fighting her husband who was a very successful rich businessman. And she gave up. She said I wish I was with child protection because at least then, the government would have to help me.

READ MORE:Banks adopt new guidelines to counter family and elder abuse issues

So there is really no justice in the end, in the way the system works.

If this was a child, the system would not allow services to re-traumatise a child in a counselling programme. But unfortunately, the journey for a woman leaving family violence constantly re-traumatises her and it is one of those rare scenarios where a victim is re-abused, as she herself is trying to seek help. And the perpetrators yes, the perpetrator gets intervention orders but they get to stay in the house often. It is the woman that has to leave her house with her children. She has to re-establish her whole identity, she has to constantly worry about whether she is being stalked on her mobile phone, she has to worry about where her ex-partner is. All of the onus of the recovery and her safety is on her.

I understand that many agree that the family court is broken, and sometimes it may take years for a victim to get their case heard.

Certainly. At the summit, the head of the family court presenters, gave us some good news. There seems to be significant reform in the family court to help expedite separation matters. It is early days and we will be watching closely to see how that plays out, if it is more efficient, safer and more respectful for people to navigate.

But I think we all agree that family violence is a multidimensional and multifaceted issue. No one sector, not the government alone, not the services alone can do it. We all have to have a cross-sector collaborative approach to this, at both prevention (when men are children), and also all the way through to recovery and post-family violence and how we facilitate the recovery for women, and at every life stage.

There were presentations about senior women, who are now the greatest at-risk cohort of homelessness in Australian. There are some very, very sad stories of Greek women, where there has been elder abuse. Women who came to Australia, and in their lifetime owned 2-3 houses through the work they did in the factories. They give the houses to their children, or and when their husband dies, they go bankrupt, as their children have put them as a guarantor on a failed business or a car loan. And we have women in their seventies, without superannuation, living on couches.

It is very difficult for me to hear that as a Greek person, and having been raised in the same house with my grandparents. I find those stories about senior women and elder abuse very difficult and confronting, because as Greeks, we pride ourselves on how we respect and care for our elders and especially those elders who came and worked in factories so that we can have a better education and a better life. It is a shame on us, and as a community, I believe we need to look at that specifically.

Women usually become dependent from the moment they decide to start a family. I know many women who at 45 struggle to get back into the workforce after taking a break for 10 years to raise their children.

And that is why our superannuation is so low. Women have lower super at the same age as men. That is why we asked at the summit that women should have access to free childcare. That is why family payments from Centrelink are so important. We need a social protections law about basic income that supports women, some of those basic economic security blankets and policies. We need the superannuation funds to look at women differently. We are raising children at home. We actually should have double the points on our superannuation in that period, for all that.I am very proud of being Greek, but in our culture, in our patriarchal approach, there is a lack of equality for women and we have to address that as Greek people and as a society. I think that there is a little work to do in that regard. We have a long way to go actually.

READ MORE:Greek mothers desperate plea for help, after fleeing domestic violence

Are you optimistic?

I started off in my twenties as a corrections officers in the jail and I used to supervise men who were perpetrators. Even though I knew they were perpetrators there was not much I could do with the violence that was going on at home.

Now, as a CEO in 400-year-old womens organisation, I can see the impact it has on women. This is an organisation that has been doing this in Australia since 1863.

I do have hope because this is the first time I am hearing all sectors demanding change. I am hearing it from different government departments, I am hearing it from the corporate sector who invite Good Shepherd to help them develop family violence policies. I am hearing it from the community.

And most importantly, I dont believe that the young women of the next generation are going to accept this in the future. And that gives me a lot of hope.

I know we are not going to go backwards, I know there is a shift, but we have to stay vigilant. That is why we are so adamant about womens independence. Womens financial security, which is the key for their independence.

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Women's financial independence is crucial if we want to keep them safe - Neos Kosmos

The Alabama State Treasurers Office and the Alabama Savings Board awarded the first 101 qualified Alabama ABLE Savings Plan account owners with a $101 contribution into their newly opened Alabama ABLE account.

The official Alabama ABLE Savings Plan launched on May 17, 2021, to provide those in the disability community with a savings tool that makes gaining financial independence achievable without impacting their public benefits. Individuals are able to save up to $100,000 in an ABLE account and still keep their benefits such as SSI and Medicaid.

We want to encourage individuals to take a look at the benefits of the newly launched Alabama ABLE Savings Plan designed specifically for Alabamians. The promotion helped with this, and highlighted the new state tax deduction on contributions, explained Alabama Savings Plan Director Anita Kelley.

ABLE participants may use the savings for a wide range of qualified disability expenses from medical costs to education, assistive technology, service animals, housing, transportation, basic living expenses and more.

For more information about the Alabama ABLE Savings plan or to enroll, visit alabamaable.gov or call 833-711-2253.

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Alabama ABLE Savings Plan awards the first 101 accounts with $101 - alreporter.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2020, a record number of Americans retired, adding to the 46 million already retired. According to Pew Research Center, the number of Baby Boomers retiring doubled over the previous year.

"Retiring is a complex and difficult task today, even more challenging with the global economic unrest. Very different than even a decade or two ago. There are major obstacles that retired business owners, executives and professionals must overcome to enjoy a lifestyle of freedom and preserve, protect and pass on their hard-earned wealth," saidMarc Goldstein, RICP, AIF a nationally known financial educator, author, speaker and wealth planner.

"Retire Abundantly", a new book co-authored with Marc Goldstein, offers business owners, executives and professionals, wisdom, advice and principles on how to reduce income taxes and estatetaxes to enjoy a greater lifestyle and legacy.

The new book educates and equips successful individuals and families against the little-known mistakes and costly missteps that can derail their lifestyle in retirement.

Goldstein said, "As a result of widely-held myths about investing and protecting money, many retirees are unknowingly making some costly mistakes. It is my professional responsibility to provide leadership and guidance in helping successful individuals and families cut through all the misleading, conflicting information that causes so much confusion."

For example, Goldstein says, running afoul of IRS retirement account rules can cost a bundle, according to Fehr. The Wall Street Journal reported that, "Uncle Sam is about to get a lot tougher on individual retirement account mistakesand that could trip up investors who aren't careful." The IRS levied over half a billion dollars in fines in just a two-year period for missed retirement plan withdrawals and contributions that break the rules.

The easy to read book is not laden with technical jargon but is filled with real world wisdom on wealth preservation and protection. It begins by exposing how and why the wealth and retirement planning industry has left many adrift, along with the myths that many have been led to believe. It also details the three major retirement mistakes that many are making.

The book details the twelve biggest wealth obstacles that hinder those who have successfully accumulated wealth from preserving, protecting and passing on that wealth to future generations and causes they care about deeply. The book concludes outlining the solutions, including an enlightening case study that illustrates the concepts detailed in the book. The book also includes a set of real-life stories of wealth failure and success, along with how to take the next step in your lifestyle and wealth planning.

"Financial independence in retirement is not once-size-fits-all. It means very different things to every single person, so the cookie-cutter approach being offered by so many advisors and financial firms will not do. Without proper planning and protection, life's uncertainties can derail peoples' lives and businesses. That's our mission. We help business owners, executives and professionals enjoy an abundant retirement by having their wealth protected against life's uncertainties and leave a lasting legacy to those they care about most." says Marc Goldstein, MBA.

AboutMarc Goldstein

Marc Goldstein, RICP, AIF is a nationally known Financial Educator, Author, Speaker and Wealth Planner. As the Founder and CEO of Marc Goldstein Associates, Marc and his team have been helping successful business owners, executives and professionals preserve, protect and pass on their wealth, along with many fine non-profit organizations, since 1992. Their commitment to their clients is, "Knowledge you can count on. Advice you can trust." Marc lives in Harrison, New York with his wife, Beatriz, their daughters, Julia and Sofia, and their dog, Kai. He enjoys coaching his daughters' soccer teams, playing golf and donating his time to enrich the lives of those less fortunate.

ContactMarc Goldstein(212) 989-5700[emailprotected]

SOURCE Marc Goldstein

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One of New York's Top Wealth Planners, Marc Goldstein, Co-Authors New Book to Cut Taxes and Avoid Retirement Mistakes - PRNewswire

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

The information provided in Item 7.01 below is incorporated by reference intothis Item 2.02.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

The slide presentation attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and incorporated hereinby reference, may be used by Independence Realty Trust, Inc. ("IRT") in variouspresentations to investors beginning September 13, 2021.

The information in this Current Report, including Exhibit 99.1, is beingfurnished and shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of theSecurities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to theliabilities of that Section. The information in this Current Report shall not beincorporated by reference into any registration statement or other documentpursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

About Independence Realty Trust, Inc.

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: IRT) is a real estate investment trustthat owns and operates multifamily apartment properties across non-gateway U.S.markets, including Atlanta, Dallas, Louisville, Memphis, Raleigh and Tampa.IRT's investment strategy is focused on gaining scale within key amenity richsubmarkets that offer good school districts, high-quality retail and majoremployment centers. IRT aims to provide stockholders attractive risk-adjustedreturns through diligent portfolio management, strong operational performance,and a consistent return of capital through distributions and capitalappreciation.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within themeaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-lookingstatements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminologysuch as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe,""seek," "outlook," "assumption," "projected," "strategy", "guidance" or other,similar words. Because such forward-looking statements involve significantrisks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are not within IRT'scontrol, actual results may differ materially from the expectations, intentions,beliefs, plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by suchstatements. These forward-looking statements are based upon the currentjudgments and expectations of IRT's management. These risks include, but are notlimited to the risk that we may not complete any potential acquisitions, otherinvestment opportunities or other transactions in a timely fashion or at all andthose risks and uncertainties associated with IRT's business that are discussedin IRT's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including thoseunder the heading "Risk Factors" in IRT's Annual Report on Form 10-K for itsfiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and IRT's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q forthe quarter ended June 30, 2021. Dividends are subject to the discretion ofIRT's Board of Directors, and will depend on IRT's financial condition, resultsof operations, capital requirements, compliance with applicable laws andagreements and any other factors deemed relevant by IRT's Board. IRT undertakesno obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events orcircumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence ofunanticipated events, except as may be required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with its announced merger transaction with Steadfast ApartmentREIT, Inc. ("STAR"), on August 17, 2021 IRT filed with the SEC a registrationstatement on Form S-4 (which has not yet been declared effective) to registerthe shares of IRT Common Stock to be issued in connection with the proposedmerger transaction. The registration statement includes a preliminary jointproxy statement of IRT and STAR that also constitutes a prospectus of IRT, whichpreliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus, after being filed in definitiveform by IRT, will be mailed or otherwise disseminated to IRT stockholders andSTAR stockholders when it becomes available. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OFIRT AND STAR ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THERELATED JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS ORSUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THESEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGERBECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holderswill be able to obtain free copies of these documents and other documents filedwith the SEC by IRT and/or STAR through the website maintained by the SEC athttp://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by IRT will beavailable free of charge on IRT's internet website at http://www.irtliving.comor by contacting IRT's Investor Relations Department by email at IRT@edelman.comor by phone at +1-917-365-7979. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC bySTAR will be available free of charge on STAR's internet website athttp://www.steadfastliving.com or by contacting STAR's Investor RelationsDepartment by phone at +1-888-223-9951.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Participants in Solicitation

IRT, STAR, their respective directors and certain of their respective executiveofficers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies inconnection with the announced merger transaction. Information about thedirectors and executive officers of IRT is set forth in its Annual Report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC onFebruary 18, 2021, and its proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting ofstockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 2021. Information aboutthe directors and executive officers of STAR is set forth in its Annual Reporton Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SECon March 12, 2021, and in its proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting ofstockholders, which was filed with the SEC on June 14, 2021. These documents canbe obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additionalinformation regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and adescription of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings orotherwise, is contained in the preliminary joint proxy statement of IRT and STARthat also constitutes a prospectus of IRT and other relevant materials to befiled with the SEC when they become available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation ofan offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in anyjurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful priorto registration or qualification under the securities laws of any suchjurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of aprospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC. : Results of Operations and Financial Condition, Regulation FD Disclosure, Financial Statements and Exhibits (form...

Thirty years ago this week, the Kumeyaay Indian Viejas Band opened a $ 4.5 million casino on the Interstate 8 settlement near Alpine.

San Diego Union-Tribune, from Saturday, September 14, 1991

Bob Roland, Staff Writer

In the crimson dragon room, a thin layer of smoke hung low. There, a high roller who flashed a Rolex clock and won a smile threw a $ 100 bill at a researched chaotic green felt table.

At the High Stakes poker table across the casino, a half-dozen men in T-shirts and jogging pants drank soft drinks, fingered a pile of nickel ($ 5 chips), and made a quiet noise. I talked about. Destined to win or lose.

Hundreds of high rollers and hard rock (experienced gamblers) yesterday with a curious audience eager to taste Las Vegas to open a new $ 4.5 million casino and turf club on the Viejas Indian Reservation. I had it with me.

Located on a rolling brown hillside dotted with 100-year-old oak trees, the 24-hour arcade offers Pai Gow Poker, Seven Card Stud, and Texas Holdem fans a cool, sparkling paradise. Offers. In addition to the Las Vegas-style cardroom, the complex features automatic joker poker machines and video slot machines, as well as a 20,000-square-foot turf club for off-track betting.

Thoroughbred Racetrack is beamed in year-round by satellites from Delmar, Hollywood Park, Los Alamitos and Bay Meadows.

Major domestic races such as the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup will also be transported via satellite to the Viehas Center.

The plan is to complete the largest 52,000-square-foot Bingo Hall in the county next year.

At yesterdays ribbon-cut ceremony, many hope that tribal members will sing traditional luck songs before opening the casino door and become a new chapter in the story of the Mission Indians Viehas band. I showed you.

Im very confident in this venture, and I can say its beneficial to stand here today, said tribal chairman Anthony R. Pico.

For 240 residents of the Viejas Settlement near Alpine, financial independence (the dream of an Indian Kumeyaay pioneer) depends on the success of the new casino complex.

Here, arcades are considered the cornerstone of a tribal master plan that requires spending about $ 1 million to upgrade reserved groundwater systems and rebuild sewage treatment facilities. Revenues from the casino will also be allocated to new homes and schools for Viejas residents.

Pico said yesterday that it is now impossible to estimate how much income a casino will generate. But his optimism doesnt seem to be dominated by fierce competition with the Siquan Indian Gaming Center, about six miles east of El Cahon, which has been steadily gaining popularity since it opened last fall.

I think there are ample opportunities for both operations, Pico said. And competition always brings better quality, so in the end the customer wins.

Viejas Casino may have one decisive advantage over nearby competitors. Its a place.

Just a few miles from Interstate 8 on Willows Road, the Viehas Center can be seen by passing the driver on the freeway. To reach Sikuan Casino near Dehesa, patrons outside the town must drive along the winding two-lane road that was the site of many accidents.

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From the Archives: Viejas reservation casino opened 30 years ago - California News Times

Over 100 key global and local enterprises, entrepreneurs, and academics, among others, delivered valuable insights into the future of retail, while also showcasing new innovations and ideas shaping the retail landscape at the two-day premier edition of Converge conference by Walmart Global Tech India.

The India Innovators Showcase a specially-curated collection of inspirational talks, featuring stories of India's leading retail innovators and changemakers turned the spotlight on six entrepreneurs whose path-breaking concepts are moving the innovation needle with a lens on inclusive progress. Here are the highlights from the showcase.

Beckn for digital commerce is what HTTP is for the World Wide Web and SMTP is for emails. It is a common method that allows basic interoperability of commerce interactions on a digital medium. Plainly speaking and at the risk of oversimplification, the Beckn protocol allows a computer to understand and speak'' commerce like select an item from menu, place an order with another computer anywhere on the internet by exchanging open, standardised, machine-readable information.

Open innovation can supercharge the retail sector and unleash a cambrian explosion of innovation, said Sujith Nair, Co-founder and CEO, Beckn Foundation.

Beckn specifically caters to location-aware local commerce businesses that are small and severally available within a region like a city. Examples of such business include mobility, final mile delivery, restaurants, hotels and healthcare. Beckn by design however could cater to potentially any commercial or non-commercial interactions in a gig economy.

As India's first app-based platform that powers financial independence for women, Basis turns latent users outside of India's formal financial system into active, informed consumers. Its community-driven product leads with financial education, and offers curated advisory tools and recommendations for financial products and services tailored for urban Indian women.

By creating a women-only community, we provide a safe and candid space for women to discuss all aspects of our lives that impact our financial independence. Conversations cover relationships, careers, and starting and running businesses, as well as picking the right investments and insurance plans, said Hena Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Basis.

The community is the first step towards getting women to get comfortable talking about money. The next logical step is to help them make informed decisions, explains the founder. Womens lives and careers are vastly different from those of men. Thats why they need to manage money differently. But, it is difficult to find resources that can guide them by taking into consideration womens realities and goals, she added.

Cities in India (and the world) are exploding, and so is the waste they create. An Indian family of four, in fact, produces an average of 2.2 kg of waste each day. Only 60 percent of that waste is organic material (kitchen and garden waste), which can easily be composted into nutrient-rich manure at home.

Poonam Bir Kasturi, Founder, Daily Dump has made home composting a habit for thousands of people across the globe with Daily Dump, India's first home composter for urban spaces, which she designed back in 2006, before Swacchh Bharat became a popular phrase.

Daily Dumps products and services, designed and built in-house, offer pioneering solutions for decentralised waste management in homes, communities, offices and public spaces. Its range of composters, segregation products, books, services, and awareness material enable change in people's behaviour and mindset to help conserve the environment.

Its signature terracotta kambha has become a much-loved symbol of pride in customers' homes. Aaga, the community composter, is India's first hot pile compost that does not use electricity, and is designed to be easily managed and maintained by urban apartment communities for decentralised community composting.

Our home composting solutions have saved over 50 tonnes of organic waste daily through 75,441 happy families, and added 45,000 kgs of compost to the soil. said Poonam.

Ahmedabad-based e-mobility startup LightSpeed Mobility Pvt Ltd builds e-bikes that can at once be pedalled or battery-powered.

Their e-bikes are the ideal lifestyle statement for fitness enthusiasts and those looking for alternative personal mobility devices. You can warm your way up to your destination with a resistance setting and cool down while coming back assisted by the battery.

LightSpeed aims to design the best electric vehicles for urban Indian sensibilities in the pursuit of sustainability. The uniqueness of LightSpeed e-bikes, according to founder Rahil Rupawala, lies in the pedal boost system, portable e-battery and noiseless motor work. LightSpeed e-bikes are currently available in two variantsthe LightSpeed GLYD and the LightSpeed DRYFT. With its three-level pedal booster, GLYD can cater to the people in urban areas, giving them the required support in all types of traffic conditions. DRYFTThe Adventure Companion is for the adventurous, and comes with a five-pedal boost and front shock absorbers. Both have a range of 50 km and a top speed of 25kmph, said Rahil.

Saathi is a purpose-driven manufacturing company that makes eco-friendly hygiene products that are good for the body, environment, and community.

Banana fibre uses six times less water per ton produced than cotton, and 10 times less fertilisers. Most importantly, since bananas are an existing food crop, no extra land is being taken up by the production of this fibre. There are already 9 million hectares dedicated to banana farming worldwide. By trailblazing the use of banana fibre as a consumer product raw material, Saathi hopes to champion its expanded use, said Tarun Bothra, Co-founder, Saathi.

Saathis lead product pads are biodegradable and compostable, using plant-based materials for the leak-proof outer layers of the napkin. Many consumers have issues with irritation or rashes from the plastics or chemicals in standard pads. The average conventional sanitary pad contains 3.4g of plastic. This means that over her lifetime, the average woman will generate 60kg of plastic from sanitary pads alone. In 2016, there were 150,000 tons of sanitary pad waste in India. When disposed of, Saathi pads degrade within six months - 1200 times faster than plastic pads. Since Saathi pads dont contain chemicals, they provide a rash and irritation free experience.

As one of the worlds leading home textile solution providers, Welspun is steered by a robust team of 20,000 people. Its strong presence in bed, bath and flooring in over 50 countries makes the branda top global retailer. The company is on track to meet the changing consumer preferences, driven by its differentiation strategy based on branding, innovation, sustainability, along with sustained focus on the domestic market.

We weave comfort with art at our design studios in India, the US and the UK; backed by strong consumer research. Our industry-defining and multi-level traceability system known as Wel-trak enables consumers to trace back a finished product to its raw material source, said Dipali Goenka, CEO and Joint MD, Welspun India Ltd.

As a thought leader in home solutions, we have 30 patents in our portfolio, the highest in the industry. 42 percent of our sales come from innovative products. We have global collaborations on innovations with universities, technology partners and industry associations. Our patented hygrocotton technology provides great value to today's s consumers, Hygrocotton itself has achieved over $1 billion worth of business in the last 15 years, and is now an integral part of the home linen program of all major retailers, she added.

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Meet the entrepreneurs whose innovative ideas are shaping the future of retail - YourStory

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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI), a leading next-generation financial services platform, announced that it will meet with institutional investors at the 11th Annual Financial Technology Conference hosted by Goldman Sachs. SoFis Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Noto, will participate in a moderated fireside chat discussion. Full session details for the conference appearance are as follows:

Goldman Sachs 11th Annual Financial Technology Conference

Date:

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Time:

12:30 1:10 PM ET

Following the event, an archived webcast will be made available for on demand viewing. To view the webcast, please go to the Investor Events section of SoFis Investor Relations website at https://investors.sofi.com/.

About SoFi

SoFi helps people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. Our products for borrowing, saving, spending, investing and protecting give our more than two million members fast access to tools to get their money right. SoFi membership comes with the key essentials for getting ahead, including career advisors and connection to a thriving community of like-minded, ambitious people. SoFi is also the naming rights partner of SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. For more information, visit https://www.sofi.com/ or download our iOS and Android apps.

SOFI-F

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210909005733/en/

SoFi

Investors:Andrea ProchniakSoFiaprochniak@sofi.org

Media:Rachel RosenzweigSoFipr@sofi.com

Source: SoFi Technologies

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SoFi to Participate in the Goldman Sachs 11th Annual Financial Technology Conference - StreetInsider.com

The fallout over the destruction of Western Australia's Juukan Gorge rock shelters is being felt at another mine in Queensland's remote north-west.

A group of Indigenous elders is trying to stop the proposed excavation around a sacred site known as Magazine Hill, located on the edge of the New Century zinc mineat Lawn Hill, about 250 kilometres north-west of Mount Isa.

"I'm never going to work in the mine, no way in the world, because they're the dirtiest bastards on the earth," said Clarence Walden, one of a number of Waanyi elders fighting to save the site.

"It's really, really dangerous, and that's why the old people didn't want us to take it before they even put a shovel down there.

"It's so sacredthat our life depends upon it."

Supplied: Google Earth

Unlike the Juukan Gorge controversy, the authorised Indigenous corporation has agreed to mine work adjacent to Magazine Hill, in exchange for compensation and a mine services employment agreement through a joint venture with the Downer Group.

"This is something that will, I guess, bring about economic development and financial independence, [moving] away from not just waiting for handouts," said the chair of Waanyi Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Alec Doomadgee.

However, Mr Doomadgeesaid, negotiations forthe Waanyi community over the mining proposal had been "very painful" for its members.

"Because what happens is the system when I talk about the system, I mean big business, mining companies, the state government, Im talking about all the powers that be they create confusion and division and ugliness between First Nation people," he said.

ABC News: Chris Gillette

The original Century minewas developed in the 1990s.

Mr Walden was chair of the United Gulf Region Aboriginal Corporation at the time and was a strident mine critic during negotiations.

"What Century has put on the tablewouldn't feed my dogs. My dogs wouldn't get a feed out of it," he told a media conference in 1996.

More than 25 years laterlaterhe is still fighting.

"I fought Century from day one and I'm still fighting the bastards, and I'm not going to give up," he told 7.30.

The Century mine did secure a royalty deal with Indigenous communities and went on to become one of the largest zinc producers in the world.

However, relations with Indigenous communities were sometimes troubled, with a nine-day sit-in protest in 2002 over employment opportunities and the management of ceremonial objects found on the mine site.

ABC News: Chris Gillette

"Unfortunately, it's a sad fact, from the moment they dug, they destroyed sacred sites on Waanyi country," Mr Doomadgee said.

Over the mine's 16 years of operation, a number of sacred sites were demolished, but Magazine Hill traditionally used as a camp site for recently initiated men was left standing.

The mine ceased operations in 2015 and was sold to New Century Resources two years later.

Its new owners announced plans to re-treat the mine tailings and mine the remaining zinc deposits, including an area known as South Block adjacent to Magazine Hill,which the company argued was unstable.

And this opened a split in the Waanyi community.

ABC News: Chris Gillette

Mr Doomadgee who took part in the 2002 sit-in said there was widespread consultation over whether to approve a cultural management plan to excavate around the sacred site.

He said the vast majority of Waanyi decided to accept the proposal at a meeting at the Adel's Grove campground three years ago.

"I think it was about 80 per cent of people voted to go ahead with the contract and [to] go ahead with a cultural area management plan," he said.

However, since then,some elders have questioned the validity of the vote.

ABC News: Chris Gillette

"I don't think it has been carried out properly," Waanyi elder Kevin Cairns said.

"You might have a fair number of people on that register but they're not Waanyis.

"The real Waanyi people are the ones actually standing up and fighting them."

Although New Century Resources advised the Waanyi at the time that the hill was unstable, the company has since said it is seeking a second engineering opinion.

ABC News: Chris Gillette

"Not interfering with Magazine Hill is New Century Resources' preference," a spokesman told 7.30.

"This option is being thoroughly investigated."

Mr Doomadgee welcomed the news, although he noted the company's previous advice.

"If you've ever seen Magazine Hill, it's actually right on the edge of the pit wall it's on the edge," he said.

"Look, I'm no expert.I'm no scientist.I'm no geologist.But I think, eventually, it probably will fall in."

ABC News: Chris Gillette

Despite the prospects of a new mine employment agreement, Waanyi elder Barry Dick questionedthe benefits that 16 years of mining hadbrought to his gulf community of Doomadgee.

"They made a lot of promises.We never saw that promise," he said.

Earlier this year, aSenate inquiry into the destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge caves heard evidence about the Magazine Hill controversy.

The inquiry is investigating whether state and Commonwealth heritage laws are causing harm to traditional owners, and its interim report found the federal government may need to overhaul legislation, describing the destruction of sacred sites as "vandalism".

Watch this story tonight on 7.30 on ABC TV and iview.

More:

The next Juukan Gorge? Concerns over proposed excavation around another Indigenous site - ABC News

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cannot afford to compete with Prince William and Kate Middleton's charity donations, a royal expert says.

The reality of financial independence appears to have come as a "shock" for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who in stepping down as senior royals, lost a lot of time to do good, Daniela Elser writes.

Despite their best intentions to make the Archewell Foundation a roaring success, Ms Elser claims the parents of two have to balance their charity efforts with paying the bills.

She said that the "reality of their new life would appear to suggest that big, sweeping projects are not a possibility right now".

Unlike the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Harry, 36, and Meghan, 40, made the decision to work for a living which comes at a cost of time.

In her News.com.au column, Ms Elser writes: "Despite the Sussexes having laudably pronounced they wanted to work towards becoming financially independent, facing what that meant in reality would appear to have come as something of a shock to the duo."

She adds: "Since launching in October last year, Archewell has not held a single fundraiser, as far has been made publicly known.

"Now, a year or two down the road, things might look very different with Covid and the pandemic relics of the past (fingers and toes crossed here) and with the world reopened."

Ms Elser continues: "Harry and Meghan will be able to focus on cosying up to their AAA+-list chums to raise cash to support their ambitious and exciting philanthropic efforts.

"But for the time being, the Cambridges and the Sussexes are operating on totally separate, far from equal, playing fields, one fully established, well-funded and helmed by two people able to dedicate their days to it."

During his chat with Oprah Winfrey, Harry claimed that he and Meghan had been financially cut off by the royals.

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The couple went on to sign production deals with Netflix and Spotify to support themselves and fund their charity work.

Earlier this month, a former royal correspondent claimed they would have to produce six shows for Spotify by the end of a year.

Speaking on his daily news show, former Metro royal correspondent Neil Sean said: "What we can tell you first here on the show is Spotify itself is looking to see product before the end of the year, particularly a six-part series they hope to start prior to the festive season."

Read more:

Prince Harry and Meghan were 'shocked at true meaning of financial independence' - Daily Star

We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women financially our data shows the gap between men and womens savings hit 50bn during the year to March 2021, with women putting away 2,628 on average, compared with 5,335 for men.

But what has been less discussed is how womens emotional relationship to their money has changed.

Women have now joined men in rating financial independence as the biggest contributor to their self-esteem and wellbeing.

This matters particularly for financial services companies but also the broader UK business community because if women start investing more of their earnings, there is an exponential benefit to the UK economy which in turn will support the post-pandemic recovery.

If women start investing more of their earnings, there is an exponential benefit to the UK economy which in turn will support the post-pandemic recovery

Our data at Kantar indicates that converting just 1 per cent of womens current savings into investment products could unlock 98 billion of financial capital.

By putting this into circulation, rather than squirreling it away in savings accounts which tends to be their default, women cannot only unleash greater financial rewards for themselves, but also benefit economic markets and in turn stimulate GDP.

So, whats stopping women from realising this financial potential?

Social expectations and structural economic issues continue to make it harder for women to save in the first place.

They face lower average earnings and undertake more unpaid labour than men, such as caring for children and elderly relatives, which can limit ability to earn. Womens employment can also be more precarious.

For those who can build up financial reserves, there are cultural barriers to making that money work as hard as it could. Women are far more likely to save in cash rather than invest.

They are less confident than men about long-term financial planning and more risk aware, perhaps reflecting the greater challenges they face to put money aside.

Investing is still seen as a mans world even though many women will already be investing (albeit perhaps more unconsciously) through their pensions.

Our analysis of financial products communications found that it is exacerbating these gendered differences.

For example, women dont find the colder, more materialistic promotion which dominates investment advertising as engaging.

They react better to holistic messaging that talks about the positive life outcomes that investing can unlock, not just wealth accumulation.

Financial services brands are missing a trick by failing to speak directly to women and accommodate their needs. They need to adapt their offer and communications to cater for a wider, more diverse customer base.

Using more emotive, human language on the benefits of investing would be a big step forward.

Jargon-free content would also go a long way to make women feel less excluded and address their relative lower financial confidence.

Women are nervous to expose a lack of knowledge about investing, and finances generally, and this fear affects their interactions with advisers too.

They say these experts understand them less well and they want to see greater empathy towards their needs.

As diversity within financial services businesses improves, fresh perspectives will naturally come to the fore. Appealing to a broader customer base will be easier as organisations own workforces better reflect society.

But brands should always be asking themselves questions like is the language and messaging they use as inclusive as it could be? Is it unintentionally reinforcing stereotypes? Are they aware of unconscious bias?

The balance that brands will need to strike is how they continue to appeal to existing customers while also reaching a wider audience. Its a question worth spending time over. This analysis and change of approach will drive better outcomes for the sector, its customers and ultimately benefit the UKs economic performance too.

Amy Cashman is executive managing director for Insights at Kantar UK & Ireland

Originally posted here:

Closing the investment gap between men and women could unlock the post-pandemic recovery - iNews