I have never been a big reader. Picking up a book and blazing through 100 pages never came naturally to me. But there is one topic that interests me more than anything else: personal finance.

Personal finance and investing books have been my go-to genre for the past couple of years now, and there are a few books that have helped me develop the wealth-building strategies that have put me on track to retire as early as my 40s.

These books also inspired me to create my personal finance website, Just Start Investing. Reading the insights of these experts set me straight when it came to investing and outlined some great tips on improving your personal finances that I continue to use today.

Here are my five favorite personal finance books.

Burton Malkiel is a Princeton economist and advocate of the random walk theory (that stock prices change at random and cannot be predicted). Not surprisingly, Malkiel also supports the idea of index investing and matching the market instead of trying to beat it, since trying to beat it is not sustainable over the long run, according to his research.

The insight from this book is one of the reasons that instead of trading individual stocks, I opt to invest in index funds and ETFs.

If "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" is a 101 course in investing, I would say that "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" is the 201 course that takes things a small step further and gets into the complicated details a bit more.

Rounding out my three favorite investment books is "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" by Andrew Tobias.

A bold title that, in my opinion, lives up to its name. The book is more than just a pure investment guide: It covers topics such as budgeting as well as stock markets, retirement planning, taxes, and estate planning.

Specifically, I found his approach to budgeting very interesting. Andrew points out that an extra dollar saved is much more valuable than an extra dollar earned. That's because you need to pay taxes on an extra dollar earned, whereas on the dollar saved you get to keep the full thing. It was a good reminder that saving money and spending wisely can be even more impactful than making more money at times.

The best part is that Tobias is a natural writer with a degree in literature. The book is fast paced and has hints of wit and humor throughout. It's definitely the easiest read of these first three.

A few years back, I was reading "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" on my morning commute. Since I was only reading for my 10-15 minute ride to work once a day, it took me a long time to finish a book, usually a month or two.

After a few weeks, one early morning on the train platform, a woman asked me, "So, how's it going?"

Confused and half asleep, I answered, "Fine?" She clarified, "I mean, are you rich yet? I've seen you reading that book for a few weeks now and want to know the secret!" Turns out, we had been taking the same exact train and sitting in the same exact car most days.

While you will not learn how to become rich overnight, the books does teach you how to build a rich life.

Video by Ian Wolsten

Living a rich life means many things, but my biggest takeaway from the book is that you can spend money on things you enjoy. That's right, a personal finance book recommends that you spend money. The flip side of the recommendation is that you need to cut back aggressively on spending that doesn't bring you value.

For me, it was refreshing to hear that I can spend money on travel, food, and outdoor activities as long as I balanced that out by not spending on things that didn't bring me value.

While "The 4-Hour Workweek" isn't necessarily a personal finance book, I do think the principles that Tim Ferriss outlines in this book can help improve your overall life, including your personal finances.

One of the biggest themes of the book is automation. To automate things in your life is to make them easier and to free up more time.

When it comes to personal finance, automation can not only do both of those things, but it can also help you achieve your goals. If you are struggling to save, setting up automatic transfers to move money to a high-yield savings account or investment account every month will ensure you actually take action.

Currently, I'm reading "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley. It's an interesting book about how most of America's millionaires are not professional athletes or movie stars. Instead, they are people who worked hard, saved diligently, and created a sizable nest egg to live on.

Next on my list to read is "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. I've been getting more interested in real estate, which I know is a tenet of this book, and am eager to learn more.

Writing this list made me realize I really need to go back and reread some of the classics. "The 4-Hour Workweek" will likely resonate with me more since starting Just Start Investing. And it's been awhile since I read that first trio of investment books, and they are for sure worth another look. I hope you enjoy them too.

Kevin Panitch is an experienced personal finance writer and founder ofJust Start Investing,a personal finance website that makes managing your money easy. Just Start Investing has been featured on Business Insider, Forbes, and U.S. News & World Report, among other major publications, for its easy-to-follow writing and informative articles. You can follow Kevin and Just Start Investing on Twitter at @juststartinvest.

The article "5 Books That Helped Me Get on Track to Achieve Financial Independence in My 40s" originally published on Grow+Acorns.

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The 5 books that helped me get on track to achieve financial independence in my 40s - CNBC

DISABLED SAN ANTONIO MAN RECEIVES THE GIFT OF MOBILITY AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FROM EXCEPTIONAL LOCAL CREATORS

The normal tasks like going to the grocery store or a friend's house that most people take for granted, are some of the things Xavier is looking forward to the most. "I think for most people they'll think oh it's just a car right, but it's much more than that. It's like freedom, it's opportunities, it's experiences that I haven't experienced yet, but with this new vehicle I'll be able to do so. Most importantly, I'm going to be able to take my wheelchair, because my wheelchair is like an extension of myself. It's like my legs for me," Xavier emphasizes. "I was tired of hearing the stories of him being told no, so I knew that we had to jump in the action, and step up in a big way," Cameron stated. He added, "I say every Monday that attitudes are contagious, and he has the best that I've ever seen. During the process of working with him on the van design, I fell in love with him as a person and that is why I decided to give him the job."

Behind every great man is a great woman and Xavier's mother Nora has been his biggest supporter from the beginning. "This experience has been amazing to say the least, and it played right into how we have experienced life. When I was pregnant with Xavier I was told he would not live, and he did." She reveals. "Then it was, he would not walk, and he did, and also that driving was not possible for him, and he is now driving on his own! It is the most incredible feeling to have so many caring strangers be part of my child's life journey and I am forever grateful...My son deserves this, and I will support him in all of his dreams and adventures!"

Xavier has his driving test scheduled for the 16th of this month and he couldn't be more excited. Until then, he's happy just to be able to do donuts in the parking lot of his new place of employment. A whole new world is about to open up for this young man and he is ready to take on whatever comes next.

See this inspiring story unfold on the new episode of Built for Business airing this Thursday 6:30p/5:30p CT on Motor Trend TV. Check your local listings.

SOURCE Cruising Kitchens

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Disabled San Antonio Man Receives The Gift Of Mobility and Financial Independence From Exceptional Team Of Local Creators At Cruising Kitchens -...

New York, New York, Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When it comes to financial mastery, where do you find yourself on the spectrum? Are you on the road to financial freedom, or are you struggling to make ends meet? Money and wealth in particular, are both touchy subjects for many, as a lot of us have been conditioned from a young age to believe being wealthy is a bad thing. It is exactly this mindset that keeps people in scarcity, which is why according to Boost Media Agency, a wealth and finance coach is the perfect thing you need to regain control of your financial life. If youre looking for financial clarity, and confidence around creating wealth, look no further. Each with their own unique areas of expertise, here we present the 10 wealth and finance experts to watch in 2021.

Cherry Tung (@cherrytung.co)

Cherry Tung is known in the community as the go-to person when it comes to dividend investing, wealth building, and income stream creation content on YouTube. Her channel has grown over the years as she shares tips on personal finance. With over seven years of experience in online marketing, she wanted to reach more people and build a community of empowered millennials as they navigate their lives into financial freedom.

Outside of her vlogs, Cherry is working as a wealth coach. Most of her clients are corporate workers wanting to create additional income streams that align with their passion and expertise. Her approach in coaching is rooted in her personal experience as she created 16 income streams, invested multiple 6 figures in the stock market and reached 7 figure net worth for herself by the age of 25. And she did all that while working a full-time corporate job!

Cherrys background in corporate finance and her endeavors in online marketing helped her build the right skills to teach other people to increase their monthly revenue. On average, her clients can create three new income streams in just eight weeks, reaching their first 4 to 5-digit monthly revenue in their brand new income streams! Watching her clients grow their income streams and net worth is one of Cherrys greatest fulfillment as a wealth coach. In the stock market, Cherrys largest public investment portfolio has returned over 70% year to date. She is more than eager to help more people reach and exceed their financial goals through her extensive knowledge and experience in both online marketing and finance!

Johny Gunawan (@johnygunawan)

A Serial Entrepreneur & Leader who has been building & developing businesses since 2002, Johny Gunawan is an expert in the field of personal development and finance. He is an active member in many NGO, Career & Financial organizations and recently founded his own company, 7G Wealth, a wealth consultant company which achieved high-speed growth, expanding to become Hartanah Group.

Hartanah Group helps their clients with the wealth creation process, how it is applied, and delivering products as a solution. Their products are Cooperative, Business Education and Equity Crowdfunding, and they are the only one in Indonesia to provide Public Auditor Reports - becoming one of the most transparent and performing cooperative in Indonesia. Being able to be supported by hundreds and thousands of crowd investors, as well as customers to become more sustainable puts them in a very unique position in the market.

Johnys wealth creation and accumulation strategies are applied to delivering financial products as a solution, combined with world class risk management principles. Thats why they are able to keep on delivering their promise and manage their liquidity risk, even in the midst of a pandemic. Johny also achieved the youngest certified Master Trainer in Career Direct GE International history, educating and certifying people all around the world.

Dominique Mullally (@dominiquemullally)

With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Dominique Mullally also boasts of qualifications in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), and Analytical Hypnotherapy. Unlike many others, Dominique has both the experience and qualifications to coach people towards wealth mastery not just one or the other. She has extensive experience in advising both offline and online businesses on how to maximize profitable opportunities and leverage for personal wealth.

As the founder of Financially Fierce Females, Dominique is on a mission to expand womens consciousness on business wealth while arming them with the right skill set and mindset. Through monthly memberships and through her signature program, Women of Wealth Accelerator, she empowers women to take control of their finances and achieve their financial goals. Taking a two-pronged approach, she encourages women to bridge the gap between mindset and skill set to fundamentally grow their money to work hard for them, rather than them having to work hard for it.

Dominique walks the talk as she has achieved financial independence at the age of 31 using the same strategies she teaches. She has a portfolio of assets that afford her an invaluable power of choice. This is a woman who knows how to make her money work for her.

Nancy Nnadi (@coachnancynnadi)

An award-winning serial entrepreneur who paid her way through school with the meagre 3000 she was earning as an office assistant is the CEO of a multi-million Naira business Agunancy Nig. Ltd (aka Gidco Telecoms), which she founded 14 years ago. Nancy Nnadi is also the founder of JobconnectNG Consulting Limited, Agunancy Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited, and The Nancy Nnadi Company. She is a member of the board of directors, Cititrust Financial Services Group PLC, a subsidiary of Cititrust Holdings PLC.

Through her business structure and finance coaching, she helps entrepreneurs go from scarcity to abundance, using her signature "5 Wallet System". Today, she devotes her time to helping small business owners manage and multiply their business finances, attain and sustain growth in their business, through speaking, coaching and training.

Nancy's faith is at the center of her work, and biblical principles have helped her rebuild her life even after her first business failed. Anybody can weather the storm if they are willing to follow principles and structure their business Nancy explains.

As someone who sponsored herself through school after losing her dad at age 18, Nancy knows what it means to start from nothing - she spreads this message of inspiration and intentional action through various platforms by speaking in conferences, churches, and corporate communities; inspiring entrepreneurs to do business diligently, intelligently, and ethically. Her wealth and finance coaching is world class, and is certainly one to keep an eye on in 2021.

Kathleen Di Paolo (@wanderers.wealth)

Kathleen Di Paolo is a full-time traveler, founder, and CEO of Wanderers Wealth. She has accumulated invaluable experience in advising clients how to do business abroad, solve international residency, and global incorporation matters from her traveling and her previous work as an international tax lawyer and in diplomacy. With her international profile, she has visited over 40 countries, lived in more than 3 different countries, and is fluent in 5 different languages. From her 2 years of full-time traveling, she has helped hundreds of digital nomads, remote workers, freelancers, expats, location-independent entrepreneurs around the world with their international tax and corporate concerns.

Wanderers Wealth is fully committed to helping people with all things tax-related such as tax residency, incorporating a business to minimize taxes, and banking solutions. Their clients are ensured to get the highest level of support by presenting them with alternative international strategies based on their personal needs, figuring out which countries are best suited for them to obtain tax residency, or what business structure will benefit them the most. They break down all the negative stereotypes surrounding taxes and offshore companies. They believe that businesses dont need to be as big as Google or Amazon before deciding on a tax strategy. The companys vision is to be the leader in providing personal consulting to clients unique circumstances and the ever-changing environment by providing digital products that are within everyones budget.

Kathleen possesses a broad range of competencies in the international business and tax industry. She believes that getting a quality international tax consultant will save businesses a lot of time, money, and stress for many years. She ensures that her clients have a proper understanding of the implications of the international tax strategies and corporate structures and help them navigate through an increasingly tough regulatory and tax environment.

Simone Mercer-Huggins - @mswealthyofficial

Meet Simone Mercer-Huggins, founder of Ms Wealthy. Ms Wealthy is a no-BS financial education and empowerment company for women, here to normalise wealth amongst women by teaching them to invest, build wealth, create financial freedom and become confident around making, keeping and growing money. Ms Wealthy is about combining both practical money management and wealth building strategies with money mindset - because you can't have one without the other Simone says.

Simone also hosts a podcast called Kiss My Money, as well as online programs to teach women how to manage their money, invest in the stock market and how to master the mindset of wealth. Through her coaching, programs and podcast, Simone has been able to create a space where women can feel safe in a typically intimidating male dominated financial industry. I aim to make finance fun... ultimately I want all women to be wealthy Simone says. My holistic and integrative approach - practical and mindset/energetic combined is what sets me apart as most other companies only focus on one aspect such as manifesting, without any practical money strategies, or very dry and dull strategies without the mindset piece, she states.

Lisa Seery (@lisaseeryfinance)

Lisa Seery is a money expert and financial coach who helps women eliminate money stress, gain financial clarity, and become confident creating wealth for themselves. After 15 years in the investment industry working with Global 100 clients, she felt pulled to help women in a more impactful way. She found passion educating women of all backgrounds on how to claim their financial power by spending in alignment with their values while saving and investing towards their goals.

After investing $220,000 in her early 30s, Lisa took a 19-month work hiatus to travel, decompress, and find grounding. During that time, she discovered two things that would inspire her future pursuits: how to fill her cup, and the opportunities that saving and investing afforded her. She knew she had to get more women talking about money without shame or fear. Wealth is something that every woman deserves yet so many women dont feel comfortable talking about it. Lisa also pursued her health coach certification and later nutritional therapy practitioner designation. Having a passion for health allows her to have a holistic view of money, the emotions involved, and the impact it has on womens self-worth and overall well-being.

Through her signature 90-day group program, Wealthy Within, Lisa teaches her clients how to have millions by the time they retire while still enjoying life. She strongly believes that strict budgeting is too restrictive, and you dont have to stop spending money in order to grow it. Aside from coaching, she also created a free starter guide and a self-paced investing course, Straight Up Investing. Lisa hopes to inspire more women to live unapologetically.

Helen Lu (@the.moneyminimalist)

Helen Lu graduated from the University of Delaware and paid off $25k in student loans while growing her net worth to over six figures all in just 4 years! She is currently a full-time Technology Consultant and Instagram content creator in her free time to share relatable personal finance tips for young professionals.

As a millennial herself, Helen knows more than anyone the desire to break free from the 9-5 grind and the importance of preparing for early retirement. She started The Money Minimalist in July 2020 to help busy millennials achieve these goals and to prove that anyone with the means to invest can become a millionaire by consistently investing in index funds. She teaches young investors the basics of saving and investing so they can walk away from their jobs with financial freedom and security. Helen provides a balancing perspective of enjoying life to the fullest while investing for an exciting future of traveling and living abroad without needing to work a 9-5.

On her Instagram platform, she reaches out to her audience by sharing how-to guides and tips on investing in company 401ks, Roth IRAs, HSAs, brokerage accounts, real estate, and many more! She is now offering personal coaching sessions and will be expanding her blog to offer downloadable content, expense trackers, and live workshop sessions!

Beatriz Alvarez Soto (@thewealthylatina)

Beatriz Alvarez-Soto is the founder of The Wealthy Latina, an online membership community created to empower, teach, and support Latinas on their journey to financial freedom. She started the community because shes passionate about improving peoples way of thinking towards money, connecting people to financial resources, and seeing women of color make more money for themselves.

Growing up in a first-generation immigrant family, she saw her mother gave up all financial power to her father simply because her mother felt like she was not earning enough to contribute to the financial decisions in their family. From such a young age, she already realized that managing money is highly influenced by emotions.

With nearly a decade of experience working in the financial industry, Beatriz was able to understand why most people were in debt, struggling to pay their bills, and living paycheck-to-paycheck. Realizing the need to spread financial literacy, Beatriz ventured into the world of coaching.

The Wealthy Latina is highly committed to increasing the financial literacy of Latinas. Inside the online membership, clients will be given access to 1:1 financial planners and money coaches. There are also sessions with financial experts who will share their strategies for acquiring wealth. Other educational resources will also be provided to help their clients achieve their financial goals. Lastly, all those who are part of the community will be able to interact with each other through a private forum, supporting each other as they transform the quality of their lives.

Helena Olivier-Guedes (@helenaolivierguedes)

Helena Olivier-Guedes is a South African wealth and finance coach with a background in Chartered Accounting. After working in external audits, she realized that helping small business owners, specifically creatives and coaches, is her passion. Due to this realization, she established her business, Helena Olivier-Guedes Finance Coaching & Consulting.

Helena Olivier-Guedes Finance Coaching & Consulting aims to assist coaches and creative business owners pay off their debt, increase their revenue by 95%, and triple their profits through finance, accounting, business coaching, and consulting.

Unlike many other coaching services, Helena provides not only coaching, but also implements financial organization systems for her clients. Combining her background in chartered accounting, love for business coaching, and understanding of a creative, she can relate to her clients and coach them with the technical skills necessary in their businesses.

Helena has worked with clients in UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe. She believes that through entrepreneurship, finance, and accounting, she can help change the lives of thousands of business owners. If youre looking for an expert to help you with accounting and finance, Helena has the knowledge and breadth of experience to get you there.

Make sure to follow each of these amazing wealth & finance experts as they continue to thrive and help their clients build their wealth. Each of their Instagram's have been directly linked here. Finally, we would like to thank Boost Media Agency for taking the time to put this article together.

Media DetailsContact: Lewis SchenkCompany: Boost Media AgencyPhone: 3106001787Email: operations@boostmediaofficial.pageWebsite: http://www.boostmediaofficial.page

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The 10 Wealth & Finance Experts To Watch in 2021 - GlobeNewswire

Like most people, you're probably ready to say goodbye to 2020.

As you look forward to envisioning what your next year will look like, however, it's important to pinpoint what you do and don't want in your life. Perhaps you want to make 2021 the year you move into a new place, have a career switch, start building your family or finally pay off your credit card debt.

No matter what your goals are, it's likely that your finances will play a big part in achieving them. As you prepare to ring in a new year, experts agree that it's worth taking some time to reassess your financial situation.

"Especially after the year we just had, it is probably more important now to evaluate where your financial house stands," says Albert Lalonde, founder of Kaizen Financial Group.

End-of-year organization, such as updating your existing budget and retirement savings, can help set you up for financial success in the months ahead, especially in an unstable economy. While January calls for making resolutions, December calls for prepping your finances so you know how far you are from meeting those goals.

Below, financial experts weigh in on four smart money moves people should make before year's end.

Your first step of getting your finances in order for the new year is to understand where you are today financially.

"Make sure you know all your numbers," Lalonde says. This means looking at your budget, at both your monthly expenses and income, and seeing how that's changed over the pandemic.

For instance, if there are virtual fitness memberships you signed up for during the onset of the pandemic and haven't used lately, consider closing those accounts. See how you can curb your spending on basics, such as food. If you spent a lot on takeout and delivery this year, you can focus on cutting those expenses in 2021 and make a plan to buy groceries and cook at home. (Check out CNBC Select's ranking of the best credit cards for grocery shopping.)

In addition to helping you save, going through your budget can help you set goals and plan for the future.

"A new year is always a great time to assess your spending and expenses for opportunitiesto save more or accelerate your debt pay off," says Bola Sokunbi, a certified financial education instructor and author of "Clever Girl Finance."

And if you're married, Lalonde suggests talking through these numbers and your objectives together with your partner so you're on the same page.

Due to the ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic, you should keep in mind the unstable job environment.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) 2020 Employment Outlook, unemployment will remain high going into the new year with a jobs recovery not expected until after 2021.

"As we enter 2021, the economy is still reeling from the impact of Covid-19 and we are likely to continue to see economic impact until the virus is under control," Sokunbi says. "And, so as a result, it's important that individualsmake plans to create financial security for themselvesdespite the economic uncertainty."

Reviewing your budget will help you see where you stand, but then it's time to prep for the worst-case scenario. Sokunbi suggests starting to think about ways to create multiple streams of income in the event of a job loss.

"This could be getting a part-time job, starting a side hustle or even downsizingsomething you own," she says.

"Many of us have had a hard year," says Brian Allen, a certified financial planner at Pension Consultants and author of "Rewarding Retirement." "Financially, we may need to rebuild."

Expanding your emergency fund is a good place to start if you have any extra cash to set aside as 2020 comes to an end. The goal is to save at least enough to cover your core basic living expenses, such as housing, utilities, food, transportation and medicines.

However, it's likely you may not have that much money right now to put toward your emergency savings, and that's OK. In this case, try saving in a cyclical manner. This means that your savings ebbs and flows with your income stream if your cash inflow is inconsistent. For example, if you are making 25% less this month than you were last month, save 25% less than what you would. Making small goals for yourself, whether it's saving a specific dollar amount or a certain percentage relative to your current income, can help your savings stay consistent.

You can start with a small deposit into a high-yield savings account and then set up automated transfers from your checking into that account every month as 2021 begins. This way, you kick off the new year saving without having to think twice about it, and it will add up over time.

The best high-yield savings accounts don't require minimum deposits to open an account and have higher-than-average rates. Consider the Synchrony Bank High Yield Savings if you want easy access to your cash and the Varo Savings Account if you need extra help automating your savings.

The end of the year is always a good time to evaluate how much you are putting away for retirement no matter how far away it seems.

"Understandably this year, many of us have had to prioritize short-term financial needs above longer-term goals," Allen says. "Next to our home, our 401(k) plan is often our largest asset. How we manage it will determine whether we will havefinancial independence after our working years or struggle to pay the bills."

If you have some time off over the holidays, look over your retirement strategy, especially your contribution amount. To really benefit, you should be putting away enough in your 401(k) to meet your employer's contribution match if they offer one. And if you can afford it, consider making 2021 the year you max out your contributions.

If diverting money out of your paycheck leaves you with too little afterward, you may not yet be ready to up your contributions, but it's something to aim for as your income changes throughout next year. The general rule of thumb is to have at least 20% of your income go towards savings.

During this time, you may also want to re-visit your retirement goals, such as what age you want to retire at and what kind of lifestyle you want to have in retirement. To see how you stack up at your age against conventional savings guidelines, check out how much money you should have saved at every age.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the CNBC Select editorial staffs alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

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Financial experts weigh in on 4 smart money moves to make before the end of the year - CNBC

Background

This paper summarises evidence and high-level findings from three evaluations of UNHCRs CashBased Interventions (CBIs), focusing on the protection outcomes of CBI. Links to the evaluations are included at the end of the document.

1. Appropriateness of CBIs

All evaluations concluded that CBIs are an appropriate and viable modality to meet basic needs and support a dignified life. They show that CBI is flexible and can be applied successfully in different contexts, including in camp, urban and transitory settings. This is reflected in the positive perceptions of cash among recipients across all three contexts, with the evaluations observing that having more choice and control is consistently viewed as a transformational aspect of receiving cash instead of in-kind assistance.

Across all three countries, the size of the cash transfer was however, insufficient to fully achieve the programmes objectives or to cover all basic needs, largely due to resource constraints. There is also evidence that there are some gaps in complementary programming and access to services, for example in food or health, resulting in refugees using cash to cover these gaps.

The evaluations, most notably the CBI evaluation synthesis in Jordan, recognize the benefits of blanket targeting but note that the shift to targeted assistance based on vulnerability in some settings may better respond to varied household needs and vulnerabilities.

Additionally, the evaluations recommend exploring investment in employment and livelihoods alongside CBI to better manage the resource fluctuations present in many humanitarian settings. However, as the evaluations observe, this is most likely to yield results in contexts where clear pathways to self-reliance and resilience are in place and the context is conducive for sustainable livelihoods. For example, the evaluation in Greece highlights the ongoing need for CBI as incomegenerating opportunities are limited, but also suggests that UNHCR leverages its CBI programming to encourage sustained livelihood activities and financial independence

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Synthesis of Evidence from Evaluations of UNHCR's Cash-Based Interventions, November 2020 - World - ReliefWeb

The finale for The Undoing was deemed by HBO to be its television event of the year, featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as wealthy and beautiful Manhattanites embroiled in a murder mystery. The six-part miniseries relied on flashbacks that repeatedly revealed the grotesquely battered face of the young, racialized female victim. It was yet another example of the pornification of femicide and how its become normalized as entertainment.

As millions of people watched the fictional shows last episode on Nov. 29, United Nations Women had started its 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (from Nov. 25-Dec. 10). The UN Secretary General suggests that COVID-19 has meant an increase in the already existing pandemic of violence against women. One-in-three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence most by an intimate partner in their lifetime. And because of COVID, all types of violence have intensified making this a shadow pandemic.

Here in this country, 67 per cent of Canadians know a woman who has experienced sexual or physical abuse. Every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. Canada spends $7.4 billion on spousal violence alone.

We hardly ever hear about this routinized violence though. Police have a tendency to keep intimate partner crimes quiet, considering them to be a private issue, even though according to Statistics Canada, they make up about 30 per cent of all police-reported violent crimes.

But theres more going on right now than just increased levels of violence. Womens financial and social independence are being threatened by this pandemic, meaning women are more at risk of violence and exploitation. Whats more, there has also been a loss of available safe spaces for women in Canada.

Shelters and transition homes during COVID-19

Shelters and transition homes across the country are operating at reduced capacity as a result of public health regulations, a new survey released by Womens Shelters Canada suggests. The majority (71 per cent) of the respondents to the survey say they have had to reduce beds to ensure there is a COVID-19 isolation unit available.

As well, the shelters and transition houses surveyed say that in the second phase of the pandemic (June to October), calls for help increased. Respondents also suggested that it was difficult for women to leave during lockdown because they were being monitored by their abusers or they were fearful of the virus.

Over half of the shelters and transition homes have noted an increase in the seriousness of cases, as suggested by the UN Women campaign. Among those who answered the survey, 16 per cent saw much more severe violence, 36 per cent reported somewhat more severe violence while almost half (48 per cent) noted about the same level of violence.

At the same time, because of the pandemic, fundraising for domestic violence shelters is much more difficult. Many cancelled events put programs in jeopardy. The survey indicates that slightly more than half of the respondents to the survey had fundraised less than in years previously (53 per cent). Some have had to lay off staff because of a lack of sustainable funding.

Womens financial independence

As the employment statistics start to become known about the impact of the pandemic on Canadian workers, it becomes clear that women have borne the brunt of this crisis.

Enter yet another type of pandemic term: the she-cession, because the economic crisis of the pandemic has hurt women, particularly racialized women, at rates much higher than men. RBC Economics released a report in July suggesting that womens participation in the labour force is down from a historic high to its lowest level in over 30 years.

It does look like things have improved in the second round of the pandemic. A recent Statistics Canada report from September suggests that the economy may be recovering, with employment returning to pre-COVID levels for mothers and fathers.

However, this same study noted that mothers (33.3 per cent) were more likely than fathers (26.8 per cent) to have worked most of their hours from home. This suggests that women were more likely trying to balance work and childcare responsibilities. In September, the number of mothers who worked less than half of their usual hours for reasons most likely related to COVID-19 was 70 per cent higher than in February.

The federal government announced in May that it was providing $40 million through the federal agency Women and Gender Equality Canada for women fleeing gender-based violence. Thats a good start, but its not enough. Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for operational funding for shelters and transitional homes, and according to the November survey, respondents felt that they needed more money to ensure long-term planning. This would be another important step.

We know that COVID-19 has altered the lives of many people in Canada and resulted in close to 13,000 deaths. Governments at all levels should step in to ensure that femicide doesnt become a shadow pandemic because of a lack of financial independence or safe spaces for women. Violence against women isnt just a banal Hollywood plotline its real life.

Photo: Crisis line volunteers Shoak Alhussami, left, and Dyalla Popatia are seen at Battered Womens Support Services, in Vancouver, on October 13, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck.

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The pandemic is undoing women's physical and financial security - Policy Options

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From roles in financial professions to household investing, there continues to be a gap between men and women when it comes to the world of finance. Although women have come far, men continue to be the primary investor and financial manager in the family. AUBS surveyof high net worth married women, widows, and divorcees foundthat while 85% of the women said they managed day-to-day expenses,only 23% said they took the lead on long-term financial planning.

Why does this matter?

Financial independence is a necessity for both men and women. As a financial planner, its always concerning to me when I see a spouse taking the backseat financially - and more often than not, its the woman. Women who don't manage (or co-manage) their finances with their spouse aren't getting the valuable experience and knowledge to ensure they can be financially independent. Not only are these tools a necessity for financial security, without these tools women can (and often do) face incredible hardships should they experience a divorce or become a widow.

Recently listed as one of 2020s Most Powerful Women in Banking, Erminia (Ernie) Johannson, Group Head of North American Personal and Business Banking for BMO, has made it her mission to empower and advise women on what they can do (or do more of) to feel confident in their financial decisions and roles. Johannson believes that the key to financially empowering women lies in three innate qualities. Women have three things on their side: Tenacity, Trust and Talk. We do these so well in every other part of our lives, imagine if we applied these to finances.

Leveraging how your built, using your natural strengths and surrounding yourself with a good team is the key to reaching any of your goals, especially financial ones Johannson says.

See more here:

Tenacity, Trust And Talk - How To Harness Womens Strengths To Create Financial Empowerment - Forbes

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PruVen Capital, a global, multistage venture firm backed by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), has formally launched its first fund with $300 million in capital to invest in emergent technology startups in North America, Europe, Japan, Singapore and Australia.

Led by Ramneek Gupta, an industry leader who previously led early-stage investments in Square, Jet.com, DocuSign and Honey as a co-founder of the venture investing efforts at Citigroup, PruVen Capital will invest in transformational startups in the insurtech, fintech, healthtech, real estate tech and enterprise IT verticals.

PruVen Capital is driven to create both financial and strategic value for its stakeholders. Our multi-stage approach allows us to support leading entrepreneurs from garage to IPO, said Gupta. We offer the best of both worlds in being a completely autonomous fund thats backed by the resources of Prudential, the largest life insurer in the U.S. with more than $4 trillion of gross life insurance in force (i) and more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2020.

In addition to Gupta, the core investment team includes Travis Skelly, Victoria Cheng and Adi Sivaraman. The Fund will have a five-year investment period and an annual investment pace of $50 million to $75 million a year. It will target companies from post-product on the early side to growth and pre-IPO on the late side. It will invest $5 million on the low end with a target of $10 million to $15 million on average over the lifecycle of the company with a maximum of $30 million invested in any single company.

PruVen will strategically partner with Prudentials catalyst networka capability that provides entrepreneurs access to Prudentials thought leaders and experts.

PruVen Capital supports Prudentials efforts to bring the kind of innovative products and services to the marketplace our customers expect, said Charles Lowrey, Prudentials chairman and CEO. Having an experienced venture capital executive like Ramneek Gupta along with access to the resources and deep experience of Prudential is a clear competitive advantage for early stage firms.

PruVen Capital, which has already made investments in Newfront Insurance, a digital first insurance brokerage focused on midmarket clients in the commercial insurance and employee benefits space, and DataRobot, an e2e machine learning platform for enterprises, looks to partner with visionary founders with a desire to create enduring companies. PruVen Capitals model offers the independence and decision-making speed of a traditional venture fund, while channeling Prudentials global scale and domain expertise to help PruVens portfolio companies grow into becoming the household names of tomorrow.

We seek to work with founders who have the vision and the zeal to create lasting companies, said Gupta.

About PruVen Capital

PruVen Capital is a global, multistage venture firm backed by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) and founded by Ramneek Gupta, an industry leader who founded and led the venture investing efforts at Citi for a decade. PruVens first fund is a $300 million multistage investment vehicle focused on partnering with founders building enduring businesses in the largest verticals of the global economy including insurance, financial services, health care IT, real estate and asset management as well horizontal enterprise tech enablers such as data/ML, cloud, DevOps, security, automation and digital CX. For more information please visit pruvencap.com.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2020, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudentials diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com.

(i) Gross life insurance in force worldwide as of 12/31/19, includes closed block policies.

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Certain of the statements included in this release, such as those regarding the expected timing and results of the investments and transactions described herein, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as expects, believes, anticipates, includes, plans, assumes, estimates, projects, intends, should, will, shall or variations of such words are generally part of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Prudential Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Prudential Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries will be those anticipated by management. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and there are certain important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates reflected in such forward-looking statements. Certain important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates reflected in such forward-looking statements can be found in the Risk Factors and Forward-Looking Statements sections included in Prudentials Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Prudential does not undertake to update any particular forward-looking statement included in this document.

See more here:

PruVen Capital launches as an independent venture firm in partnership with Prudential Financial - Business Wire

Its been described as a hidden epidemic affecting countless Australian households and families. And yet many people may not be aware of its existence, or how it can affect people.

Were talking about financial abuse, a form of abuse so common it costs the economy $15.6 billion per year. But of course, it has a real human cost too, one that cant be expressed in a number.

In part 1 of our 2 part series on financial abuse, well explain what domestic financial abuse is, how many people it affects, how you can recognise it, and most importantly, what you can do if youre one of the many who experience it.

You can do the same in part 2 of our financial abuse series on elderly financial abuse.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visit http://www.1800RESPECT.org.au.

In an emergency or if youre not feeling safe, always call 000.

On this page:

Need somewhere to store cash and earn interest? The table below features savings accounts with some of the highest interest rates on the market.

Financial abuse is generally described as controlling someones ability to acquire or use their own financial resources or manipulating their finances for your own benefit. This can include stealing money, coercing or guilting them into signing something, restricting their ability to withdraw money from ATMs, siphoning their paycheque and so on. As opposed to scams by strangers, financial abuse often involves two or more people who have a close relationship.

This type of financial abuse is an offshoot of domestic violence, as it is committed by one member of a relationship against the other. It affects both men and women, although women account for around twice as many cases. According to Co-Founder and Author of the Financy Womens Index, Bianca Hartge-Hazelman, common ways a partner or spouse can be the victim of financial abuse include things like:

Controlling access to their money, such as restricting access to bank cards, making them ask permission for money, not contributing to shared costs etc.

Having a partner cancel essential services or refusing to pay debts

Avoiding child support payments, or reducing their share of child expenses

Not being allowed to open or see joint bank statements or details

A partner generating economic cost or debt in your name

A partner damaging someones property to cost them money in repairs

These are just some of many more examples, and they can often be gradual enough that the victim doesnt even notice it happening until its too late. In a worst-case scenario, it can make people broke, full of debt or even homeless, while adversely affecting their mental health or physical safety.

Financial abuse is all about disabling a person's financial independence so they essentially become stuck in a relationship that is controlling abusive and disempowered to leave, Ms Hartge-Hazelman told Savings.com.au.

It can also present itself in systems abuse, where one partner will seek to financially cripple another through legal proceedings.

Financial abuse is much more common than you might think, with millions of Australians potentially being impacted. In 2017researchers from RMIT found more than two million Australians will experience financial abuse in their lifetimes: 15.7% of women and 7.1% of men. Overall, thats around one in 10 people, and its much more common among relationships where someone already suffers from another form of abuse.

Of those who report emotional abuse, almost half of women (48%) and a third of men (35%) experience financial abuse too, according to research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2016.

Among women who sought help from domestic violence services, the prevalence of economic abuse ranged from 78% to 99% (the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health). It was also much more common among those who only finished high school, had a disability or received some kind of government financial support.

There are ways you can pick up on someone being financially abused (either yourself or someone you know), or potentially if you are exhibiting some of these behaviours without realising.

It can be difficult to determine if someone in a relationship is being financially abused, and for the people who are, they might be too afraid or even embarrassed to do anything about it. One major red flag is a partner being unwilling to talk about finances. Some other key signs include:

They use a partners credit card without permission

They are very controlling of their partners money, and often invasive about their spending

They restrict access to bank accounts, or take a partners pay

They insist on signing all loans and documents in their name only

They generally make a partner feel stupid or incompetent about money

They prevent a partner from getting to work or from working at all

Generally, having a separate, emergency savings fund that only you know about, even with just a couple of months worth of expenses in it, can help you out in a desperate situation, so set one of these up now if you havent already, or encourage someone you know to do so.

The banks have a significant role to play in stopping financial abuse - thats where most of the money comes from after all. And it turns out many of them already are taking steps to help customers avoid it. In mid-2020, Commonwealth Bank moved to ban users who send threatening messages in low-value transactions (often under $1).

Our customers should always feel safe using digital banking. These changes will ensure that all customers can continue to enjoy the benefits of digital banking in a safe and secure way and represents our first step to address the issue of technology-facilitated abuse, A Commbank spokesperson said at the time.

The Australian Banking Association also said it is offering ongoing training for branch tellers and staff to identify and help customers in sensitive situations.

We are seeing the major banks such as CBA doing more to identify financial abuse. However there is still a lot more that can be done, Ms Hartge-Hazelman said.

The government needs to further amplify campaigns that identify financial abuse as part of its broader anti-domestic violence agenda.

While the coronavirus pandemic hogged most of the headlines in 2020, it seems that restrictions and lockdowns resulting from the virus have led to a pandemic within a pandemic, where forced isolation among partners and family has led to increased cases of abuse.

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) surveyed the numbers of domestic violence cases after COVID restrictions were introduced in May. The data revealed almost one in 10 Australian women in a relationship experienced domestic violence during the coronavirus crisis - numbers that surely grew once Victoria went into lockdown. It also found 33% of respondents who said they have experienced abuse reported it was the first time it had happened to them.

Ms Hartge-Hazelman said she wouldnt hesitate to say that the pandemic has led to an increase in financial abuse as well.

Many front line agencies that help women and families experiencing domestic violence say abuse cases have basically doubled since the March Covid-lockdowns began, she said.

Some shelters reported cases where perpetrators had lied about contracting the virus so their partner was forced to isolate with them, while new pandemic-specific cases involve the siphoning of a victims stimulus money or even forcing them to withdraw from their super.

The result is reduced financial security. Being forced out of work in order to apply for JobKeeper or Seeker benefits. Essentially an insistence that you don't work to reduce your financial independence and security.

See also: How to catch up if you've withdrawn your super early

Getting help for financial abuse can be very tricky. In the case of relationships, some people dont seek help because theyre afraid for their safety or feel ashamed or embarrassed. There are a lot of other reasons people dont seek help, and one of them is that they dont feel theres any help out there for them. But there is plenty of free and confidential help out there.

ASICs MoneySmart lists a number of free and confidential helplines you can call, which well list below. But remember, if you feel your life is in danger, or the life of someone you know, then call 000.

Source: MoneySmart

In the meantime, if your situation is desperate, Ms Hartge-Hazelman gives 10 solutions you or someone you know can utilise if leaving the situation is paramount.

Plan your escape with trusted people.

Try to find out as much about your financial situation as you can.

Make copies of everything that identifies you or with your address on it photo ID, passports, bank statements, mortgages, credit cards, superannuation, telephone and utility bills as well as any subscriptions with your name on it.

Change to SMS or electronic email statements or bills, as much as possible over direct postal mail. Change your forwarding address of important mail if you know where you are leaving to, and if you cannot use or access a private email account.

Contact your financial institutions and ask to speak with someone who handles domestic violence issues. Most of the big banks have services to help protect victims from abusers. National Australia Bank is one of the big banks that provide specialist assistance in this space.

Stash all of your private financial or other important information or items with a trusted friend or in a safe place that your abuser wont get access to ahead of your leaving.

Build your emergency escape fund

Talk, if you can, to your employer. Given the Federal Governments introduction of up to five days leave for victims of domestic violence, it might be appropriate to let your human resources (HR) department know what is going on at home. You may be able to take advantage of leave. Or, advise your employer ahead of schedule if you have to leave to plan your escape: They might be able to help you in creating distance or security between you and your partner while you work.

Know where youre going and what its going to cost

Know your legal options.Finally, try if you can to get legal advice through legal aid first before going to a lawyer. This is important as legal aid can only represent for one party, and if you are registered they cannot act for your partner in the same matter.

Free legal advice is widely available if needed.

Savings.com.aus purpose to help people save money and achieve financial independence, and financial abuse is in direct opposition to what we stand for. Preventing someone from using and accessing their own money or controlling the trajectory of someones future wealth is unacceptable.

The effects of financial abuse are wide-ranging, and theres a good chance someone reading this is affected by it in some way, either themselves or someone they know. We arent going to give advice we arent qualified to give regarding peoples wellbeing, but we will recommend calling any of the support numbers listed above or the police if necessary. An expert trained to deal with financial abuse will be able to help.

In the meantime, we should all take extra steps to look out for one another. Check-in on a friend or relative, and learn to look for the telltale signs that not all is right with their finances.

Photo by _Mxsh_ on Unsplash

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Domestic financial abuse: What it is, and how to identify it - Savings.com.au