CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Fusion Financial Partners has launched Fusion Black Ops, a confidential RIA launch services program designed to support breakaway advisor teams on their transition to independence. Originally built for teams with assets upwards of $1 billion, and now available for teams of all sizes, the turnkey program delivers a complete collection of RIA-focused consultative services including custom-built fintech stack, custodian/broker dealer coordination, compliance, legal referrals, asset mapping, website design, office technology and cybersecurity, launch project management, CTO expert advice and full-service project management.

"We created this for the breakaway advisor who wants to build their own firm. Fusion Black Ops provides a complete solution with only one point of contact," explained Mike Papedis, CEO of Fusion Financial Partners. "With a single phone call, an advisor can begin the process and have the confidence that an experienced team is handling the compliance, custody, IT stack and myriad other details of setting up an independent RIA with confidentiality and anonymity preserved."

The team assembled under Fusion Black Ops has helped over 1000 advisors change firms and successfully launch independent firms. Just since its founding in 2017, Fusion Financial Partners has helped 25 teams make the transition to independence.

Fusion Black Ops systemizes the transition process for advisor teams of any size. Previously, breakaway advisors could try and do it all on their own, an expensive and laborious process that on average takes 18 months to complete or sign on with a national platform requiring a long-term commitment of up to seven years. With Fusion Black Ops, the entire transition can be completed in three months with the advisor free to choose which firms and services to work with going forward.

One of the key advantages of the Fusion Black Ops process is the confidentiality and anonymity it provides. Too often advisors have been forced to accelerate their transition due to being found out through an errant email to the wrong inbox or from working with people who do not understand the importance of discretion of this covert process. Fusion Black Ops protects the anonymity of the transitioning advisor by using blind RFPs and being the sole point of contact between them and custodians, lawyers, IT providers and any other suppliers. The program uses a phone encryption app for communication between the advisor and those running the program that automatically deletes the conversations.

Although created specifically for breakaway advisors, Fusion Black Ops can also be leveraged by existing RIAs and national platforms looking for help in onboarding new teams.

"Black Ops allows advisors to transfer the burden and complexities of transition plans and project management to us", added Kimberly Papedis, President of Fusion Financial Partners. "No matter where they are on their 'road to independence', leveraging our experience in collectively moving over 1000 advisors to independence ensures best practices are employed and, probably even more important, catastrophic mistakes are avoided."

About Fusion Financial Partners Fusion Financial Partners (www.fusionfp.com) is a premier consulting firm specialized in the area of transformative business consulting for RIAs. Fusion acts as an advocate, educator, tactical guide and negotiator for advisor teams and national organizations looking to enter or expand in the independent wealth management industry.

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Fusion Financial Partners Launches Fusion Black Ops as the First Modular Turnkey Solution for Breakaway Advisors - PRNewswire

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to stack their post-royal family rsum.

Announced today, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, signed a multiyear deal with Spotify through their newly formed audio company, Archewell Audio. Through the partnership, the Sussexes will host and produce podcasts that aim to build community through shared experience, narratives, and values.

What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction, the Sussexes said in a joint statement. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each others stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.

Since stepping down from their immediate duties with the royal family in January and venturing toward financial independence, the Sussexes are charting a clear path in media, first with a significant deal with Netflix and now Spotify.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may live in California but the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world, Dawn Ostroff, Spotifys chief content and advertising business officer, said in a statement. That they are embracing the extraordinary capacity of podcasts on Spotify while also seeking to elevate underrepresented voices is a testament to their appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling.

The first complete series from Archewell Audio is expected to drop in 2021. But a holiday special hosted by the couple is slated for later this month.

Continue reading here:

Harry and Meghan announce Archewell Audio and Spotify deal - Fast Company

Experienced real-estate investors know that finding (and purchasing) the right property is only the first step in a long process for buying an asset that appreciates in value and produces income. Once youve secured that dream investment, youve got to manage it, improve it and, just as importantly, come up with a big-picture tax strategy to protect your profits from Uncle Sam.

This doesnt involve burying cash in your backyard or transferring it offshore. These are simple and perfectly legal ways to structure your investments and cash flow to take advantage of the many built-in advantages that the tax code offers real-estate investors.

1. Change your income

For tax purposes, there are three different kinds of income: earned income, passive income, and investment income.

Earned income (also known as ordinary income) is the money you earn from a business, a job that issues a W-2, or self-employment. This is how most people make most of their money, but it also faces higher tax rates than the other two income types.

Passive income is money earned through cash-flowing investments such as rental properties, REIT dividends, or a number of other sources. Depending on its source, this money is generally taxed at a rate slightly less than earned income and you can reduce your tax liability on passive income through methods such as pass-through entities.

Investment income is the profit you make from selling a property for more than you paid for it. This is taxed as capital gains, which come in two forms: short-term and long-term.

Short-term capital gains are the result of selling a property youve owned for less than a year, and these capital gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary earned income. Long-term capital gains, however, are assessed when you sell a property youve owned for more than a year, as in a buy and hold strategy, and are taxed at much lower rates (0%, 15%, or 20%) than ordinary earned income.

Once you start making real-estate investments, youll have opportunities to convert your income to the lower-tax types, whether that includes collecting rent through an LLC or using a 1031 exchange (covered below) to defer capital gains. The bottom line is that the more you can move away from ordinary income and start earning passive or investment income, the lower your tax liability will be even as you earn more money.

2. Unleash the power of the 1031 exchange

Lets say you have finished an investment property sale, filled out your sellers net sheet and it looks like you will clear a tidy profit until you get to the capital gains. Capital-gains taxes can take a huge bite out of your investment returns, something any investor hopes to avoid. Luckily, an easier way to defer those capital-gains taxes indefinitely exists.

The 1031 exchange is a semi-obscure provision in the tax code that essentially allows real-estate investors to trade one property for another and defer the capital-gains taxes on the sale.

It works like this: Once you sell your initial investment property, you have 180 days to flip that money into a new one. You can buy a single new property or multiple new properties as long as they add up to the sale proceeds. A few restrictions exist to which type of property you can upgrade.

For example, if you sell a single-family home investment property, you can use a 1031 exchange to reinvest that money in a multifamily rental, a condo you plan to rent or even a commercial property. Youll have to use a specialized intermediary to orchestrate the actual exchange but as long as the transaction takes place within the required time frame, you can defer all capital-gains taxes.

Real-estate investors appreciate 1031 exchanges. In addition to the tax benefits of using a 1031 exchange, the transaction also contains innate financial advantages. In particular, the tax-advantaged nature of 1031 exchanges allow you to maximize your compound interest by removing the tax drag seen on paying capital gains.

Much like investing in stocks, you would pay taxes on each sale. If you can defer taxes and only pay them at the time of sale, you build equity. This allows you to retain this capital and result in long-term appreciation and generational wealth.

You can also use 1031 exchanges repeatedly to defer capital gains through several upgrades of your holdings. For example, you can go from a single-family home to a duplex to a multiunit apartment building to a large commercial property, and each time use a 1031 exchange. When you sell that final property, you will have kept more equity overall, than if you would have had to pay up on the first or second sale.

If a 1031 exchange sounds complex and labyrinthine most of them require the assistance of a real estate attorney the arrangement should not scare you away. Executing a 1031 exchange does not require the expertise of an entire legal team to extract the full savings.

Instead, you can navigate the tax code yourself or use any one of the available online options like Asset Preservation, Inc. for example. These firms, called qualified intermediaries, make a 1031 exchange easy and affordable.

3. Business deductions

This sounds like an obvious one, but many non-investors dont understand just how many business-related tax deductions come available to you once you own real estate.

These deductions include:

Property management fees (property management services charge up to 10% of rents)

Repairs and improvements

Marketing and advertising expenses

Professional fees

Travel

Mortgage interest

Property taxes and insurance premiums

As you can see from this list, these are substantial costs that can add up fast. Youll likely need a good tax professional to take full advantage of all the deductions available to you, but its worth it.

4. Manage properly

Setting up accounts and finding the right person to handle them easily qualifies as one of the least exciting parts of investing. Though, being smart about it can pay huge dividends when April 15 rolls around.

To avoid receiving a high bill from your accountant, negotiate your fees upfront. This will avoid the nasty surprise of an unexpectedly high bill. Further, you should have your accountant commit to some kind of agreed-upon framework to provide better clarity on what you can expect to pay.

Also, with any service you hire, you should also do some comparison shopping to see who has earned the best reviews as well as who offers the best rates. A little time invested upfront can save a lot of time and money in the long run. The same goes for any property manager.

Use taxes to your advantage when investing

Tax strategizing doesnt sound nearly as exciting as a new investment strategy, but it can have a huge impact on your returns and potential to reach financial independence. Converting your income streams to more advantageous income types, using 1031 exchanges to defer capital gains, maximizing your business deductions, and finding and locking in dependable tax accountants and property managers all help optimize your long-term investment value in their own ways.

If you can check off all four of those boxes, youll be surprised how much more of your income stays in your pocket and how much less goes to Uncle Sam.

Riley Adams is a CPA and the author of the Young and the Invested website, which focuses on financial independence and investing.

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4 tax strategies to get the best value from real estate over the long term - MarketWatch

Governors of the Bank of England do not apologise often, even for events that took place in their last job, but the London Capital & Finance scandal is shocking. It is probably the worst case of financial regulatory failure since the banking crisis more than a decade ago.

And it happened on the watch of Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority from 2016 until March this year, when he switched to Threadneedle Street. Yes, Thursdays personal apology was necessary.

More than 11,600 individuals who invested 236m lost three-quarters of their savings after being enticed by wild promises of fat but safe returns that a competent regulatory body would have banned the moment it spotted them. Instead, the shambles rolled on for three years until the FCA finally acted in December 2018.

Dame Elizabeth Glosters report for the Treasury was a scorcher. The FCA did not effectively supervise and regulate LC&F. The regulator did not appreciate the significance of an ever-growing number of red flags, which were indicative of serious irregularities. Investors were entitled to expect, and receive, more protection.

Gloster gave short shrift to the idea that the FCA was somehow handicapped because LC&F, though authorised by the regulator, conducted its wheeze in the non-regulated world of minibonds. The problem, says the report, was the FCAs flawed approach at the perimeter of regulatory boundaries. She pinned responsibility for the perimeter failure on the executive committee and Bailey as chief executive.

She was also disappointed by attempts, including from Bailey, to delete references to responsibility resting with identified FCA officials. It is difficult to see why individuals willingness to take on challenging tasks in public bodies should absolve them from accountability, says the report. Quite.

For all that, three factors will probably prevent Baileys position at the Bank coming under serious pressure. First, Glosters report also makes clear that Bailey inherited a shambolic setup at the FCA in 2016. That is an important point: he did improve the place.

Second, the pong from LC&Fs collapse was already strong when Bailey was named governor a year ago; Sajid Javid was chancellor at the time but everybody knew Glosters report might be as damning as it has turned out to be. Third, the governor hasnt obviously put a foot wrong at the Bank during the pandemic.

One cannot guarantee, though, that Bailey is safe. Against expectations, this 500-page report is commendably strong. The fallout will not be a one-day affair.

Stock markets have had a rip-roaring time since Pfizer and BioNTech came up with vaccine goods in early November. Instead of sitting sub-6000, the FTSE 100 is at 6550, and the FTSE 250 index, with a heavier weighting of domestic UK stocks, has done even better. But have the independent directors of TalkTalk noticed this big shift in valuations?

Its a relevant question because theyve just agreed to recommend a take-private offer at 97p a share from Toscafund, the companys second largest shareholder, which now has TalkTalks executive chairman and 29% owner, Sir Charles Dunstone, in tow.

The 97p price, or 1.1bn, is exactly the same as indicated by the bidder in its approach on 7 October and, even at the time, it looked light. The takeover premium was 16% to the share price the previous day. More than two months later, the offer seems plain mean.

Its hard to compare TalkTalk with other telecom stocks since the company occupies a unique position at the bargain end of the market but BTs share price, for example, has improved by a third since 7 October. TalkTalk, one can speculate, might have got close to 97p under its own steam by now.

Was the independent directors negotiating hand really so awful? Well, the formal documentation was stuffed with commercial reasons to capitulate. A rough summary: the stock market hates us, we cant raise the funds to invest in the fast-fibre revolution, so were better off private. And, up to a point, one might agree.

But the price of surrender matters and 97p feels miserable. TalkTalk, remember, turned down 135p from Toscafund only a year ago.

Half of TalkTalk directors were offside in an independence sense and so couldnt opine on the fairness of the offer. Aside from Dunstone, four people are joining the Tosca crew: his old mate, Roger Taylor; TalkTalks chief executive, Tristia Harrison; its deputy chairman, John Gildersleeve and the company secretary, Timothy Morris. Collectively they are referred to as the rollover management shareholders.

TalkTalks minority shareholders may indeed feel they have been rolled over.

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The fallout from the financial regulator's shocking failure on LC&F is not over yet - The Guardian

Meghan Markle and Harry to be busy stateside with new project

Meghan and Harry spent less than two years behind the royal frontline as a married couple before they decided to officially leave the Firm and seek financial independence. Within months of their departure, they have secured a megawatt production deal with streaming giant Netflix and a multi-year podcast contract with Spotify. With an estimated 30million ($40million) in their pockets through the Archewell Audio podcast and a reported 74million ($100million) from Netflix, Sussex fans have claimed that the couple have succeeded in their post-royal life goals already.

While these deals have astonished many royal watchers, a glance back at the Sussexes working holiday in Canada a year ago shows they may have been laying the groundwork long before the public realised.

The couple left the UK in November last year for an extended break on Vancouver Island, and decided to break tradition by spending Christmas away from the rest of the royals.

While out there, Meghan was said to be launching the US arm of their charity Sussex Royal.

Although that particular venture was wound down as the Queen stopped them from using the word royal after leaving the Firm, the Sussexes are still thought to be working with the same publicist Meghan met up with while in Canada.

Keleigh Thomas Morgan is a director at the PR firm Sunshine Sachs and was supposed to be helping Meghan with a fundraising campaign.

However, the PR company was still paid privately according to reports at the time which could have been an early indication that the couple wanted to move away from the Palace and its Sovereign Grant.

An insider told journalist Erin Vanderhoof: What is most interesting is that Meghan feels that while the charity [Sussex Royal] will be a worldwide venture, she sees Hollywood and American business circles as key to fundraising.

Meghan feels that focusing on fundraising stateside will bring in tens of millions of dollars quickly.

Indeed, now Meghan and Harry have returned to the Duchess' childhood state of California, many British fans believe they have turned their focus fully onto the American audience.

The couple seemed to be organising their future, even though it was widely assumed they were having a non-working break with their young son Archie Harrison.

This sabbatical followed Meghan's public confession that she was struggling with the limelight.

READ MORE:Meghans misery at Frogmore Cottage preceded 'Eugenies departure

Speaking in the ITV documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, the Duchess of Sussex said: Not many people have asked if Im OK its a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.

But now, this bombshell interview from October last year can be seen as the first indication that the couple intended to leave the Royal Family in the near future.

Ms Vanderhoofs source also illuminated Meghan's goals when they first went to Canada.

They said: Even in her younger years in Hollywood, she wanted to work towards creating an international charity changing lives.

Now that she has the platform and profile of being a British royal she can truly build this plan.

She sees this foundation as one of the key factors in creating a legacy as a new royal and Harry is right behind her.

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Speaking to Vanity Fair, the insider added: "While Harry and Meghan are technically on rest, she is not the type of woman who likes doing nothing."

Although the couple have left Sussex Royal Foundation behind, they are expected to launch their charitable venture Archewell at some point next year.

Its name chimes in with the name they chose for their podcast series, and is expected to give some insight as to what their new foundation will focus on.

However, now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working as senior royals, they have to support themselves.

There was a huge uproar before they repaid the 2.4million they spent renovating Frogmore Cottage to the Sovereign Grant.

They are also believed to have stopped receiving an allowance from Prince Charles private income.

Their new sprawling 11million mansion in Santa Barbara is expected to have extensive running costs, too.

Royal watchers have therefore been keeping a keen eye on their finances.

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Meghan wanted to bring in tens of millions of dollars quickly in new Harry venture - Express

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated digital finance trends.

Thats according to Allison Beer, the head ofChase Digital, JPMorgan Chase & Cos (NYSE: JPM) digital banking and innovation arm.

Over her career in financial services at American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), in addition to other startups and nonprofits, the Yale University alumnus witnessed and acted on disruptive trends firsthand.

Digital banking is top of mind for Chase, she said.

My team spans everything from payments, to all of our digital products and channels, she said of producing inclusive technologies alongside a diverse group of talent.

The focus for us is just what are the trends that customers are embracing, and how do we apply them to our business?

Disruptive Trends: In a Dec. 15 report on digital banking attitudes, Chase highlighted the pandemics impact on financial wellness initiatives.

Most notably, eightin 10 customers changed their approach to finance substantially as a result of COVID-19. Consumers are reviewing their finances frequently, in addition to spending less and saving moreoverall.

Though accelerated by COVID-19, that particular trend was permeating for a while, in light of the fintech revolution thats increasingly engaged people in their finances.

Beer praisesemerging fintech solutions, but saidthat in the end, consumers are looking for holistic, broad-based andpackaged solutions.

We can all be delighted by new innovations, but do they have the staying power? Is it really serving the primary needs of customers?

Consumers demand that trusted institutionslike Chaseprovide low-cost, personalized financial experiences, Beer said.

Theres a lot of self-service customers wanting to be able to do digitally things they werent able to do before, she said.

For any of us who are really trying to delight customers this year and next, we must focus on things like automation, making it incredibly easy for them to manage their finances.

Using intelligent methodologies, Chase will unpack customer data and deliver spending, saving, credit, and investing insights that customers can then act on, all in one place, she said.

The focus is removing any of those remaining barriers so that our products work seamlessly, together, Beer said of Chases core differentiator. Customers can have access to all their information in one place.

As a case in point, Chase has amobile platform with which customers can monitor their daily spending habits and trends via Todays Snapshot,accept offers and manage loans, cards, accountsand investments.

What we have is the complexity of a full-breadth of financial solutions, and personalization is really key for that to be a full experience, Beer said.

The Chase Mobile App is truly customized to you ... and there isnt friction or features that are not relevant.

Upon entry, users are greeted with personalized spending insights and tips. From there, users can manage accounts or automate other aspects of their financial journey.

For us, its about auto-paying, -saving, -investingand really helping as many customers as possible take the friction out of managing their finances. In many ways, it sets them up for healthy financial habits.

Chase's Platform For Digital Innovation: Given that four out of five Chase customers look to manage their finances digitally, Beer said the bankis looking to ramp up its digital innovation.

What were hearing from customers now is that they want things to be easier, she said. Our focus should be on simplification, and continuing to make financial services work better for customers, and to really help them with the tools and advice that surround those financial services.

Chase is looking to exercise its foundational capabilities and make new digital investments in offering added solutions like Chase Business Complete Banking, a product that allows small businesses to better manage their business, and You Invest.

They can get a credit card, a checking accountand start accepting payments, all with the same products. Similarly, we have our Chase First Banking, which allows parents to have the tools to help educate their kids on good financial habits, Beer said.

Overall, at Chase, all communities of consumers and households can expect a clear shot at financial independence.

"Were just very focused on making sure that we are serving every household in America," Beer told Benzinga.

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Chase Digital's Allison Beer On Disruptive Trends, Digital Banking And Investing - Benzinga

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.

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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.

1042956-00001-00

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.

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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

Thinking of joining the FIRE movement?

FIRE is an acronym for Financial Independence, Retire Early and describes a lifestyle of frugal living, investing and intense saving in order to kick up your heels as early as your 30s or 40s.

According to Investopedia, the idea stemmed from the 1992 book Your Money or Your Life in the US, with the movement also generating a steady following in Australia.

There are websites like Aussie Firebug and FI Explorer where the bloggers detail their journey to financial independence.

Aussie Firebugs definition of Financial Independence is having assets that produce an income which you can live off.

It involves investing, whether thats in low-risk options like index funds or in shares and real estate. And it means growing your assets as early as you can and letting compound interest the 8th wonder of the world as per Albert Einstein work its magic.

Other elements of financial independence include saving around 25 times your annual expenses and only withdrawing small amounts of money around 3% to 4% a year.

The Retire Early aspect doesnt always mean hanging up your work boots altogether by the time youre in your 40s. For the Aussie Firebug, it means youre no longer chained to the rat race and are instead free to pursue what youre truly passionate about regardless of being paid.

One of the key elements of the FIRE lifestyle is to have your money work for you and not the other way around. Its designed to give you the freedom to spend your time and money how you would like to.

While some may see the elements of extreme saving as something that reduces the fun and leisure activities you have, Michelle Ives, founder of the blog That Girl On Fire, believes its about being smart and intentional with your finances.

The ideas in the FIRE movement can help you with budgeting, curbing your spending and getting control of your finances.

While you may develop a system for saving and investing, there could be unexpected expenses you get hit with down the track. Plus, your investments may not give you the best returns.

There are also debts you may have to take care of when going on this journey so its important to have a plan.

If you stop working cold turkey and retire, you may be left with questions around what to do with all the extra time you have. But if you decide to reenter the workforce later down the track, you may have to consider ways to retrain or upskill if needed.

Then theres the element of extreme saving which could affect the kind of life you want to live now. You may have to forgo some of the things you like, whether its a holiday trip or a new pair of shoes, for the kind of life you want in the future.

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Should you join the FIRE movement? Heres what's involved in the intense saving lifestyle - Business Insider Australia

Over a fifth of women (22 per cent) have a secret savings fund to provide them with financial support should their relationship end or they choose to leave their partner, according to new research from Fidelity International, rising to more than a quarter (27 per cent) of women with children.

Nearly half (48 per cent) of women with a secret fund said they wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, while 44 per cent said they have always had separate savings from their partner and wanted to retain a sense of financial independence.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that while families containing a married or civil partnered couple has decreased over the past 10 years, those choosing to co-habit (live together) has increased from 15.3 per cent to 18.4 per cent - equivalent to 3.5 million families as of 2019. This growing trend highlights the importance for women of feeling financially secure, particularly if they do not have a legal arrangement in place to support them if a relationship ends.Maike Currie, Investment Director at Fidelity International, says: When it comes to managing your money, being financially independent is one of the first steps to feeling financially empowered. Its so important, particularly considering the economic uncertainty we all face, that people have sufficient confidence in their finances to make decisions about all aspects of their lives.Ultimately, everyone should have a fall-back. This doesnt necessarily mean you want to run away from your partner, or that you are being secretive about your money. It does, however, mean you have the savings to make choices, whether thats leaving a failing relationship, resigning from a bad job or toxic company, or even a controlling parent. Its about having the means to make those choices. With more and more couples choosing to live together rather than marrying, ensuring financial independence is even more important to the younger generation.

The growing number of women putting aside money for the future - regardless of their relationship status - shows that taking control of your own money can do more than just allow women to have an income of their own; money can also offer a sense of freedom and provide an opportunity to change your personal circumstances if necessary.The motherhood penalty combined with the gender pay gap and can mean that womens personal finances suffer long into their retirement, compared to their male counterparts, with many facing a massive gender pension gap, as a result. According to research 50 per cent more women than men are heading towards retirement without any private pension savings. But there are steps that women can take to ensure that they are financially empowered - making sure they understand all of their households financial obligations and outgoings; establishing their own savings and investments; and exploring whether there are opportunities to maximise their workplace pension by increasing contributions.

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More than a fifth of women have secretly saved money from a partner in case they wanted to separate, says Fidelity International - Wealth Adviser

How The Election Results Impact Your Wealth

Live Virtual Event Thursday, Nov 12th 6pm EST

The event is free but registration is required; register now at http://www.RebyAdvisors.com/2020Election

During this lively "Fireside Chat," Bob Reby and Brian Levitt will cover:

Register now at:www.RebyAdvisors.com/2020Election

About Brian Levitt

Brian Levitt is the Global Market Strategist, focusing on North America, for Invesco. He is responsible for the development and communication of the firms investment outlooks and insights. Mr. Levitt has two decades of investment experience in the asset management industry, starting in fixed income product management and then transitioning into the macro and investment strategy group in 2005.

Mr. Levitt earned a BA degree in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA in finance and international business from Fordham University. He is frequently quoted in the press, including Barrons, Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. He appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg and PBSs Nightly Business Report.

About Bob Reby

Bob founded Reby Advisors in 1985 with the mission of helping families achieve sustainable financial independence. The firm now manages more than half a billion dollars in client wealth and advises more than 500 families nationwide.

He has appeared on variety of media including CNN, CNBC, FOX-TV, Business Week, Fortune, Investors Business Daily, and many others.Bob is the author of Retire Without Worry and Wealth Redefined: Charting the Way to Personal and Financial Freedom.

About Reby Advisors

Reby Advisors is a financial planning firm committed to helping families achieve sustainable financial independence. The firm specializes in protecting money from taxes and risks, generating predictable streams of income for retirement, and developing investment strategies designed to fund clients' lifestyle goals. Founded in 1985, Reby Advisors now manages more than half a billion dollars in assets, advising 500+ families nationwide. Learn more at http://www.RebyAdvisors.com

Those interested in attending the November 12 virtual event can register:www.RebyAdvisors.com/2020Election

__________________________________

Securities offered through Triad Advisors. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Reby Advisors. Reby Advisors not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Invesco and Triad Advisors are not affiliated. Brian Levitt and Triad Advisors are not affiliated.

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Nov 12 | How The Election Results Impact Your Wealth | Danbury, CT Patch - Patch.com

ALBERTSON, N.Y., Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Viscardi Center, an internationally renowned, not-for-profit that provides a lifespan of programs and services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities, will host its first-ever National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship [NCDE] Virtual PitchFest Competition on Thursday, November 19, in observance of National Entrepreneurship Month. This exciting event features NCDE's 12 founders with disabilities from across the country battling it out, in front of a panel of exacting judges, while competing for thousands of dollars in equity-free cash grants and special prizes. The event's Keynote Speaker is Arlan Hamilton, Founder of Backstage Capital.

The NCDE PitchFest Competition is a product of the program's mission to empower innovative self-starters to achieve self-employment success. The NCDE equalizes access to the entrepreneurial landscape for founders with disabilities through its skills building curriculum, subject matter experts, mentorship opportunities, Accelerator Fund and the Competition which elevates awareness of their businesses in front of a live, virtual, interactive audience. The PitchFest takes place via WebEx on Thursday, November 19, 1:15pm-3:15pm, EST.To save your spot and learn more, please visit: https://www.viscardicenter.org/ncde-pitchfest

About The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship

The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship (NCDE) at The Viscardi Center empowers innovative self-starters to achieve self-employment success. Developed and led by a highly experienced team of subject matter experts and mentors, NCDE offers aspiring founders with disabilities from across the U.S. a free, virtual, fully accessible program, professional benefits assistance, opportunities to pitch their business, as well as receive equity-free cash grants from the NCDE Accelerator Fund. NCDE also actively seeks out partners to help build the first accessible entrepreneurial ecosystem and elevate entrepreneurship as a strategic pathway to financial independence for the disability community. To learn more, please visit: viscardicenter.org/ncde

About The Viscardi Center

Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world's leading advocates, The Viscardi Center educates, employs and empowers people with disabilities. It provides Pre-K-12 education, school-to-work youth transition services, vocational training, career counseling and employment placement, and assistive technology to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of disabilities. The Viscardi Center also assists businesses in advancing disability inclusive cultures in their workplaces. To learn more, please visit: viscardicenter.org

SOURCE The Viscardi Center

http://www.viscardicenter.org

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The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship at The Viscardi Center Announces its First-Ever PitchFest Competition for Founders with...

Foundation 99, Legacy Building through Financial Literacy for the 99%

PR Newswire

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 27, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation 99, a new 501(c)3 public charity announces its launch in Austin, Texas. Foundation 99 provides financial guidance to build economic security for the 99% by connecting individuals with financial coaches and tools they need to take care of their families.

Founded in 2019, with a mission to break the multi-generational cycle of poverty and lack of financial education that exists in disadvantaged and racially disparate communities, Foundation 99 focuses on bringing economic justice to help individuals break the spiraling cycle of financial illiteracy and distress.

Foundation 99 is a coaching-centered program that raises funds from donors who value financial wellness. It achieves its mission by partnering with school districts, municipalities, public agencies, and community organizations to deliver to their employees financial coaching and resources at no cost to them. Foundation 99's coaches work with willing employees to teach the value of money, how to stop destructive financial behaviors, and financial basics so they can break the cycle of poverty, close the racial wealth gap and have a chance at the American Dream.

Dr. Tony Smith, Board President, and John Pesce, CEO of Trusted Capital Group, a financial supporter for this vision, strongly believe that financial education is a game-changer. "Financial independence comes from understanding that free enterprise isn't free and knowing how to take action. Foundation 99 works to arm every person with the economic knowledge and support they need to care for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our goal is to achieve economic and racial justice," said Tony Smith.

Individuals can transition from surviving to thriving with access to financial education. "When we thought about how many Americans are financially undereducated due to a lack of access, we decided to fix the problem," stated John Pesce, "Foundation 99 provides a critical need for financial literacy to the 99%, providing resources that are powerful enough to break the cycle of economic inequality. The more individuals we impact the more we will strengthen our communities and start to close this racial divide."

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For information about Foundation 99 or bringing its financial education program to your organization visit our website: Foundation99.org.

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Foundation 99, Legacy Building through Financial Literacy for the 99% - Yahoo Finance