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The idea of early retirement had been a dream for many Americans long before it evolved into the FIRE movement. But with the growing influence of social media and the ability of workers to operate remotely, the FIRE movement has sparked a renewed effort to retire early, particularly among millennials. However, as with most things in daily life, the pandemic has had a major effect on the FIRE movement. Read on to learn more about what the FIRE movement is and how adherents have had to adjust during the pandemic.

Check Out: Comparing and Contrasting the FIRE Movement With Lying Flat Debt-Free Future: Tips for Adapting To a FIRE Lifestyle

FIRE is an acronym for Financial Independence, Retire Early. And while the dream of early retirement is nothing new, the FIRE movement highlights a variety of steps that participants can take to make early retirement a reality.

One of the core components of the FIRE movement is to save 50% or even more of your income to accelerate your retirement date. It also involves trimming down your lifestyle and making current sacrifices so that you can enjoy the long-term benefit of an early retirement.

Read More: 10 Myths About Early RetirementFind Out: The Downsides of Retirement That Nobody Talks About

The skyrocketing unemployment rate, stay-at-home orders and business closures that accompanied the coronavirus pandemic all worked to conspire against the FIRE movement.

Since saving a high percentage of your income is an important stepping stone to retiring early, those who lost jobs or had to reduce working hours during the pandemic may have set their early retirement plan back by years.

Read: 10 Tips for Early Retirement

Many who work from home or operate online businesses suffered as consumers went into savings mode rather than spending mode.

And those already beginning their early retirement adventure may have been spooked out of the stock market, which suffered its fastest 30% decline in history in 2020. FIRE adherents who sold during this rapid, massive sell-off missed the equally violent recovery, which at just 33 days was the shortest bear market in S&P 500 history. FIRE proponents who panicked during the sell-off may have permanently crippled their early retirement nest egg.

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See: 10 Signs Youre Not Saving Enough for RetirementBe Aware: 30 Greatest Threats to Your Retirement

Wherever there is a crisis, there is also opportunity. While the coronavirus pandemic may have made early retirement unattainable for some FIRE proponents, others actually benefited from the upheaval.

For example, those who were able to put a big chunk of their savings into the market when it was down over 30% in early 2020 reaped huge gains shortly thereafter.

Some workers who were forced into remote positions now understand that they can work away from the office on a permanent basis, opening up a host of possibilities in terms of working on their own terms. For example, those who wanted to retire early and live overseas may be able to make that move now, while still working and earning American wages, thereby taking the first step toward their future lifestyle. Still, others were able to take advantage of the pandemic to open up their own businesses. These additional business opportunities have put a host of new FIRE proponents onto the path toward their own early retirements.

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Last updated: Aug. 18, 2021

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How the Pandemic Changed the FIRE Movement

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How the Pandemic Changed the FIRE Movement - Yahoo Finance

Aug 19th 2021

THE LAST time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they banned girls from going to school. This time they say they will allow them to be educated within the limits of Islam. No one knows what that means. Afghan women fear the worst. As the men with guns in Kabul ponder whether to allow their female compatriots to study, it is worth reflecting on why this matters so much.

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Development experts do not agree on much, but they all agree that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to ease all manner of social ills. (Boys education matters too, but girls have further to catch up.) When girls learn how to read, write and do sums, they lead longer, healthier lives. They are much less likely to become child brides or teenage mums and are also less likely to suffer domestic violence. If all women completed primary school, the number who die in pregnancy and childbirth would fall by about two-thirds.

Educating girls is also an excellent way to reduce poverty. This should be obviousif half the population never learn much, they will never earn much. Women who finish secondary school can expect to earn twice as much as those who never enter a classroom. A degree of financial independence, in turn, gives them more bargaining power in their relationships with fathers, brothers and husbands who might seek to push them around.

Women who spend more time in school generally choose to have smaller families. This is the main reason why the global fertility rate has fallen from five children per woman in 1960 to 2.5 today. In very poor countries, uneducated women may have lots of babies, because they expect some of them to die young, and the family wants extra hands in the fields. If women are educated, however, they have fewer children so they can afford to keep them in school for longer.

The children benefit enormously: they are more likely to receive vaccinations and less likely to die before they grow up. If all women finished secondary school the number of child deaths would fall by half, and 12m fewer children would suffer from stunting caused by malnutrition. Children born of educated mothers are much more likely to get a good education themselves, and use it to snag a good job. So are their childrenit is a virtuous circle. A recent study of eight emerging economies by Citigroup and Plan International concluded that making sure all girls finish secondary school would boost GDP in those places by an average of 10% within a decade. And places that educate girls end up with more female politicians, which can improve governance. Female legislators are typically more supportive of health and education spending, and less keen on big armies.

Despite these benefits, many countries continue to neglect girls education. Few go as far as the Taliban, who have been known to throw acid in bookish girls faces. But in poor countries only about 80 girls complete lower secondary school for every 100 boys. And the pandemic has made matters worse. Many countries have closed schools for months. Millions of girls whose education was interrupted will never go back, having been married off or sent out to work. It is not just in Afghanistan that girls potential is being wasted.

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Why educating girls is even more important than people realise - The Economist

Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan last week has shown that they do not lack the military prowess required to not only stay in power but also to defeat the Afghan soldiers on whom the US has spent close to $80 billion.

So only one question arises, how is it that the Taliban can fund itself and its military weapons? And how have they funded themselves over this two-decade-long war with the US?

When the Taliban was ousted in November 2001, they were merely a seven-year-old organisation. However, over the last two decades, they have grown in military prowess, numbers, and funding.

Drug Trade

As per a report by Indian Express, the primary source of the Taliban's funding has been their drug trade. As per a May 2020 report of the United Nations Security Council,Taliban annual combined revenues range from $300 million to upwards of $1.5 billion per annum.

In recent years their funding has suffered becauseof the reduction in poppy cultivation and revenue, less taxable income from aid and development projects, and increased spending on 'governance'projects, the UNSC report further added.

Also read:Taliban 'set woman on fire for bad cooking', shipping sex slaves in coffins: Report

However it also stated that for the longest time, heroin cultivation provided the Taliban's funding,but the emergence of methamphetamine in Afghanistan is giving impetus to a major new drug industry, and the latter is expected to be more profitable because of its low costs of ingredients.

Alongside that, drug smuggling and taxation have also added to the Taliban's coffers.

As per the UNSC report, the Taliban take a certain amount of money per kilogram of heroin, and this process repeats in all districts that they have control over. It is smuggling routes, Afghan officials believe, that have empowered each Taliban commander.

Illegal mining, donations

Besides the drug trade, there are other avenues that the Taliban use for funding. Indian Express reports that there is a confidential report commissioned by NATO that states that the terrorist organisation is close to achieving or has achieved financial independence to fund its own insurgency.

The report stated that Taliban earneda staggering $1.6 billion in the year ending March 2020. Breaking down these costs, it stated that,$416 million came from the drug trade; over $450 million from the illegal mining of iron ore, marble, copper, gold, zinc, and rare earth metals; and $160 million from extortion and taxes in the areas and on the highways it controlled.

Other than this, Persian Gulf nations donated$240 million in donations, largely from Persian Gulf nations.

"To launder the money it earned, it imported and exported consumer goods worth $240 million. The Taliban also own properties worth $80 million in Afghanistan and Pakistan,"the report said.

US weapons, donations from Pakistan

While it is widely known that Taliban gets support from Pakistan, that is not how they source their arms and ammunitions. According to Indian Express, ISI and Pakistani army provide support to the Taliban. This is done directly and also through the Haqqani network, which is an Islamist Mafia operating in Pakistan.

It is also believed that Iran provides weapons and support to Taliban. The US has also accused Russia of helping Taliban, but that has not been verified.

Beyond these external avenues, the Taliban has also been able to arm itself with the weapons and ammunition that the US has provided to the Afghan forces over the years.

On August 17, two days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, We dont have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defence materials has gone but certainly, a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban.

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Explained | Where does Taliban get its money from? - Deccan Herald

The Talibanhas risen to power in Afghanistanfor a second time almost exactly 20 years since it was ousted from the country.

Its rapid campaign has sparked alarm in the Westandwidespread fear from Afghansatthe prospect of a return to the groups brutal previous regime.

Officialsdeclared a new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistanafter seizing Kabul on 15 August,the culmination of a lightning advance in the wake ofthe US withdrawal troops from the country.

The Talibans financial independence essentially means it can fund its own uprising without requiring the backing of a foreign power heres where the groups money comes from.

The Taliban funds itself largely through the opium trade,with Afghanistan supplying the vast majority of illicit heroin across the globe.

Insurgents impose a tax at every stage of the drug production process, from poppy farmers to traders who transport the heroin to neighbouring countries.

Experts have expressed fears that opium production in Afghanistan is set to soar amid economic and political insecurity in the country, meaning hat cheap heroin could flood the streets of European towns and cities.

Even before its military success this year, some had described the militant group as the worlds biggest drug cartel.

Cesar Guedes-Ferreyros, the Kabul representative for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said that Afghanistan supplies at least 85 per cent of the worlds heroin and 90 per cent of the narcotic injected by UK users.

With the Taliban having gained complete control of the opium producing areas in the south and east of the country, experts expect the militants to ramp up production.

The group also makes money through illegal mining and trading minerals. According to a confidential report commissioned by Nato and obtained byRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the group earned $1.6bn (1.15bn) in the financial year ending March 2020.

That financial independence enables the Afghan Taliban to self-fund its insurgency without the need for support from governments or citizens of other countries, the report states.

The Taliban also taxes local industries and impose the Islamic taxes ushr, a10 per cent tax on the harvests of irrigated land and 10 per cent tax on harvest from rain-watered land and 5 per cent on land dependent on well water, and zakat, a 2.5 per cent wealth tax.

Much of the Talibans weaponary comes fom groups or states sympathetic to the groups cause, with the US perviously accusing Russia of supplying the militants.

However, it has also benefited from billions of dollars worth of US investment in Afghan security forces, having captured an array of modern weapons and military equipment.

The extremist group seized firepower including guns, ammunition and helicopters as they overran Afghan forces trying to defend districts, cities and military bases as they headed towards Kabul.

Over 20 years of military occupation, which saw an Afghan government installed in the country, the US spent $83 billion (around 60m) on Afghan security forces.

But despite outnumbering Taliban insurgents who had less sophisticated weaponry and no air power some chose to surrender equipment rather than fight, with critics saying President Bidens withdrawal of troops set the final collapse in motion.

The problem of the US withdrawal is that it sent a nationwide signal that the jig is up, Stephen Biddle, a Columbia University professor and former adviser to US commanders in Afghanistan, told the AP news agency.

Taliban fighters have also been stripping civilians in the country of their own weapons, with a spokesperson claiming they no longer need them.

We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians, the spokesperson said on Monday.

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Who funds the Taliban in Afghanistan - and where the group's weapons come from - iNews

A young father of two teenagers passed away unexpectedly. The mother was emotionally supported by families on both sides, who stood by her initially. In a months time though, the situation had rapidly deteriorated. As expected, money was the culprit.

The parents of the deceased man are retired and depended on their only son for partial financial support as their pension is meagre. The daughter in law refuses to support them further. She says she is being realistic. There is now only one income, and there are two children who would soon go to college. She is staring at another 20 years of work fraught with risks of being laid off. Not a secure job like the ones her in-laws held.

The insurance proceeds, deposits and investments are substantial, but the parents are not listed as nominees in any of the financial assets. The wife points out that the household runs on her salary, and the mans salary was mostly saved and invested. They dipped into it for large acquisitions like the house they lived in. She enabled building these assets and these will support her for the rest of her life.

Consider the finances of the mans parents. They led a simple life but could not save much. They belong to a generation that took responsibility for the siblings and treated the households finance as one common pool. They adjusted and compromised their needs and wants and saw it as the way to live.

The next generation to which the man and his wife belonged is mostly nuclear. They kept their finances pooled but spent it mostly on themselves and saved for specific financial goals for themselves and their children. They sought financial independence as a goal and did not imagine depending on their children when they retired. The wife is thus unable to empathise with her in-laws. She may be persuaded to part with a lump sum for them, but nothing beyond that. The relationship is strained and that does not help.

There is a popular practice of asking for pooling and bifurcation of the households finances. The husband and wife keep their earnings and use and invest it in their own names. But they create a pooled third account for the household from which they fund all the common expenses and goals. If one likes to support ones parents, or siblings, one does it from their own incomes.

But how would this arrangement work if one passes away unexpectedly? Wouldnt the nominees and beneficiaries in the assets left behind by the deceased use it anyway? Even if there are other claimants?

Managing a households finances is an exercise that must maintain the interests of everyone who has a share in the financial assets of the household. There is only a limited pool and there are multiple claimants and many priorities. Clarity about what belongs to whom must mark the way these assets are built, maintained, shared and passed on.

If the man had retained his parents as nominees in any of his assetsthe PF, PPF, any one of the insurance policiesthey would have received a share of his wealth. If the other claimants do not go to court, they could have accessed these assets. Or better still, if he had a Will and had the foresight to name his parents in the eventuality of him preceding them in death, matters would have been easy.

We hold the power to allocate resources in a manner we see as fair and equitable. But when there is an entanglement of many households, there are tough questions. The woman asks: If I had passed instead of my husband, would he have taken responsibility of my parents? Why is it that I have to take on a responsibility when I have limited resources?

The lessons from this episode are clear.

First, relationships may be fine and amicable when people involved can talk, express their views and settle their differences. When these relationships break down, and when irreconcilable differences come up, there is no choice but to divide the finances and assets clearly. Earlier it is done, the better. Death can make it much tougher.

Second, while the option to seek legal recourse is available, it can be tedious, expensive and time consuming. Resorting to a family settlement that everyone with financial interests can participate, negotiate and arrive at after discussion might benefit all parties. It is important to have an independent counselor.

Third, while many old timers cringe at the idea of my money, your money and our money, that trifurcation might reduce stress. In many households, the man and the woman may differ in their goals, risk preferences, spending and saving habits and their choice of assets. Keeping their books separately might preserve their financial independence and priorities.

Fourth, we unfortunately live through times when parents are frequently outliving their children. The pain of losing a child is searing. If that also comes with a serious financial setback, at an age and life stage when one is not able to earn income and acquire more assets, it is even more cruel. One cannot overemphasise retirement planning and financial independence.

Fifth, discharging our roles with consciousness about our mortality is not something many of us can do easily. It is only when there is death in the immediate family or friend circle, that we consider the horror briefly. Then we soon forget and move on. Ordering our financial lives with that thought in mind, would save those that we loved dearly even as we parted, from pain and suffering.

It's difficult to take sides in this story. The parents will suffer as much as the immediate family the man left behind. But who will take responsibility for whom and at what cost is a question that money alone cannot solve.

(The writer is Chairperson, Centre for Investment Education and Learning.)

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How to manage and allocate the family finances after the breadwinner's death - Economic Times

OnlyFans, the platform that allows creators to sell material directly to customers, will soon implement new restrictions on the publication of adult content. Starting in October, the company will ban the sale of sexually explicit content and depictions of sexual acts. The move does not cover all nudity, but says that specific rules will be outlined in an as-yet unpublished acceptable use policy. In a statement, OnlyFans said that the changes were prompted by requests made by its banking partners and payout providers. In short, the companys arm has been twisted by the same big banks that have waged war on online sex work for years.

The business can certainly attribute much of its success to enabling sex work and helping sex workers to get paid. Over the last two years, OnlyFans has grown from relative obscurity into a brand that is synonymous with adult content. Earlier this year, it boasted that its creators had earned more than $3 billion, and the platform was name-checked in a Beyonc remix. Its believed that the company, which had around 7 million users in 2019, has seen that figure reach closer to 130 million in recent months. And, on June 16th, Bloomberg reported that the site was looking to attract investors in order to raise more funding at a valuation of more than $1 billion.

It is clear, however, that a number of people who both create content for, and use, the site feel that the impending adult content ban is a betrayal. In a statement shared with Engadget, Isaac Hayes III, founder of Fanbase a social media site that lets users sell their content summed up the general sentiment rather neatly. Hayes said that the move was disgraceful, and that OnlyFans had made billions off that user base. He added that dumping sex workers after becoming a household name was exactly what these platforms do. Discard the users who make it popular once they get what they want. And in this case, it does seem as if the twin aims of securing more money from investors and retaining access to banking is what prompted the move. Its a story that weve heard several times before.

The most recent example, and one that we covered extensively at the time, was the cultivation and subsequent dumping of a sex work community on Patreon. Before 2017, the site had passionately and publicly courted sex workers, encouraging them to use its platform. In 2016, it loudly defied PayPals longstanding ban on payments to sex workers, allowing users to support content creators through its platform. At the time, Patreon even criticized PayPals lack of transparency, saying that its opaque policy impacts the lives of Adult Content creators.

This attitude did not, however, last very long. On September 15th, 2017, Patreon raised $60 million from investors, and updated its content policy a month later, seeming to repudiate the sex workers it had previously courted. In subsequent interviews, the updated policy was described as not a big deal, with the company pledging to work with creators to ensure compliance. The general notion was that Patreon would crack down on content that was illegal or otherwise nonconsensual.

A year later, however, and the site would further toughen its rules, saying that any and all adult content including the famous erotic art project Four Chambers was no longer permitted. (Four Chambers, the name of a British art-erotica collective led by artist Vex Ashley, was long held as the canary in the Patreon coal mine.) Patreon said that it had stepped up proactive review of content [...] due to requirements from our payment partners. In short, the same banks that Patreon had battled so loudly the year before had tied the site in knots, demanding it hunt out any and all content that could be considered adult.

It's worth noting that swerving away from sex work doesn't ensure the future prosperity of a business. In 2019, Patreon CEO Jack Conte told CNBCthat its business model was not sustainable, and in April 2021, the Wall Street Journal said the site was still not profitable. Tumblr meanwhile, which under Engadgets parent company mass-purged adult content from its site in 2018 but left a wide variety of neo Nazi content on its platform, saw its valuation fall from $1.1 billion in 2013 to just $3 million in 2019.

Back in April, MasterCard announced that it would further toughen the reporting requirements around adult content. John Verdeschi, Senior Vice President, wrote that banks using its network would need to certify that the seller of adult content has effective controls in place to monitor, block and, where necessary, take down all illegal content. This includes rules requiring platforms to keep a record of the identity of every performer shown, as well as who uploads the content. In addition, all content would need to be reviewed prior to release, and all platforms need to run a beefed-up complaints resolution process to take down illegal or non-consensual material within seven days.

As TechDirt wrote back then, as reasonable as these policies sound, they seem intentionally designed to block all adult content, not just the illegal stuff. As it explains, the new policy [...] makes it impossible for streaming platforms to comply with the new rules. Since theyre not able to prescreen streamed content, theyre [sic] just going to start blocking anything that seems like it might lead to MasterCard pulling the plug. Mary Moody tweeted, upon announcement of the policy change, that OnlyFans, MyFreeCams & more are in danger. As with Patreon, MasterCard's reporting requirements appear to be such a burden that companies would rather avoid the issue altogether than attempt to comply.

This isnt a new story, however, and in 2015 Engadget laid out in detail how banks were systematically withdrawing access for adult content platforms. This isnt just prohibitions on working with select adult content sites, but a blanket-ban that impacted individuals beyond their life in the sex industry. JPMorgan Chase shut down a number of bank accounts owned by adult performers, and refused banking services to a company that makes condoms. This crackdown had an disproportionate impact on individual accounts held by women and LGBTQ people.

This crackdown is part of a broader alliance between banks, lawmakers, right-wing pressure groups and religious extremists. As The New Republic explained late last year, these groups have been able to use the cover of sex trafficking to push an anti-porn, anti-sex agenda. The movements most successful victory was the passing of FOSTA-SESTA, a US law designed to tackle human trafficking by neutering the safe harbor provisions of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1996. Despite contravening the first amendment, the move has not shut down many groups of human traffickers, but has closed safety services created for, and used by, sex workers, and even forced Barnes & Noble to purge its ebook store of erotica.

Naturally, OnlyFans became a clear target of those campaigners both because of its success and because it contradicted their narrative. By enabling individuals to sell their material to consumers without intermediaries, it was allowing people to make a living. You can also argue that sites like OnlyFans have enabled people otherwise excluded from the workforce this report from Arousability explains that a person with chronic pain who cant work a 9-to-5 job found that sex work offered them financial independence they couldnt have found otherwise.

While creators wait for OnlyFans to detail just what content will be allowed, in its brave new world, many may wish to take their business elsewhere. There are a number of platforms that occupy a similar space in the market, including AVN Stars, FanCentro, Unlockd and AdultNode. Just For Fans, for instance, says that it is a sex worker owned-and-operated platform, and that it will welcome any and all creators that OnlyFans has abandoned. Similarly, a number of in-progress projects to build more sex-worker owned and operated platforms are currently underway.

Its likely that this will be seen as another reason to switch to a blockchain and cryptocurrency-based system as a way of escaping the reach of big banking. There are several, including SpankCoin and Nafty, that offer sex workers the ability to sell content through their systems. And as more major platforms are picked off by a combination of payment processors and regulators, this space is going to grow.

But there are inherent risks to switching, including currency fluctuations and the risk that a sex work-specific currency can still be excluded from mainstream exchanges. And then theres the fact that if a platform gets big enough, it gets noticed and targeted by anti-sex advocates. Crypto can shore up the finances, but pressure can always be exerted on providers, hosts and platform owners wherever they may be.

And that often forces creators to leap from platform to platform to keep one jump ahead of the people who want to strip them of their ability to make money. But every time they do so, they risk losing their user bases, and have to expend time and energy to recover the fans that they already had. Either way, until there is better political and corporate leadership who can handle the nuanced situation of online sex work, individuals will often be left with no choice but to keep moving, or sink.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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OnlyFans policy switch is the latest victory in Big Bankings war on sex - Engadget

NEW YORK Rachel Perry didnt break down and cry until a month after leaving her abusive husband.

I finally realized I was no longer under the thumb of this ogre. It was a moment to exhale, a moment of freedom, Perry told The Times of Israel.

The mother of eight, who requested to use a pseudonym to protect the privacy of herself and her children, had considered leaving him many times. Aside from considering the wellbeing of the children, Perry said she lacked the financial independence and educational skills to make it on her own. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, the years of living with someone who would threaten, humiliate and intimidate made it harder to leave.

The hardest part for anyone is getting out, Perry said. Even after you acknowledge the issue, there is this crazy glue that can keep someone there especially when children are involved. I have eight children, some with special needs.

Although Perry was ultimately able to leave her marriage and find a level of financial support from her community, a report released this past spring by Jewish Women International (JWI) found that significant survivor needs remain unmet in Jewish communities across all denominations. From safe housing to legal help, proper training for clergy to financial aid, there is a significant lack of support systems, the report found.

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The Jewish community is failing survivors and their children by not centering their needs. Survivors value the Jewish community but often feel stigmatized by it, said Deborah Rosenbloom, JWIs chief program officer, in a Zoom interview. The biggest gap we found was how to make the community safer and more welcoming.

Jewish Women International chief program officer Deborah Rosenbloom. (Courtesy)

Nationwide, one in four women and one in seven men experience abuse during their lifetime. Nevertheless, the idea that it doesnt happen here persists, said Dr. Shoshana Frydman, executive director of the Shalom Task Force, which works to assist domestic violence survivors.

Broadly speaking, we accept it happens. We just dont accept it happens here. Its the Haredi, the Sephardic, the Reform. Its someone else. People fill in whatever stereotype they have about another group and the result is devastating, said Frydman, who has 20 years of experience in the field.

The report found that the biggest obstacle facing survivors once they decided to leave an abusive situation was finding adequate transitional housing and affordable permanent housing.

There is a service gap in the macro population and also in the Jewish community. The Jewish community needs are unique culturally sensitive shelters are needed. Other religious symbols might make someone feel uncomfortable. Its not just the kosher [food] or keeping shabbat, said Eden Mitrany, who graduated from Touro College in New York with a masters degree in social work.

Now a doctoral candidate, Mitrany focuses on domestic violence in the Jewish community. She recently came in first place in her category in the New York City Business Plan Competition and aims to open a kosher domestic violence shelter in Nassau County.

Without a place to go, many women will end up back in an abusive situation, Mitrany said.

Social worker and doctoral candidate Eden Mitrany says Jewish communities arent equipped to handle the needs of domestic abuse survivors. (Courtesy)

For example, it took Perry years to leave her husband partly because there was no readily available housing.

When Perry left her ex-husband, she ended up remaining in the house they had rented together, and her ex-husband moved out. She sought a spot in a womens shelter unaffiliated with the Jewish community, and though she had an eviction notice pending, she was told the shelter had no openings for months ahead.

Then her ex-husband attempted reentry. Perry didnt feel safe in her home, but she had nowhere else to go.

It was quite scary. He came back in the house, opened the refrigerator, began making demands on me, and was terrifying the kids. He was screaming and threatening me, Perry said. My eldest daughter ended up becoming so terrified that she called the police and the Shomrim [Jewish neighborhood watch group]. The Shomrim volunteer was able to get him to leave and the police prevented him from attacking me. The police report from that incident helped me to get an Order of Protection.

While Perry ultimately moved away from her community, some survivors want to stay. They want continued access to their synagogues, schools, youth groups and overall Jewish life without having to start over in a new place.

Dr. Shoshana Frydman, executive director of the Shalom Task Force, speaks to students about safety and domestic violence. (Courtesy)

There is a tendency to conflate leaving an unsafe relationship with leaving the community. Its all about safety, but its critically important to understand we have a communal responsibility to make sure a survivor can stay in her community, Frydman said. We have to be nonjudgmental as a community and ask, Why should the survivor have to leave the community to get what they want which is safety?

To achieve that level of safety, according to the report, organizations should explore partnerships with businesses such as Airbnb to help meet housing needs and Lyft to help transportation costs. For example, Project S.A.R.A.H., a nonprofit based in New Jersey, partnered with the State of New Jersey and offers hotels as a temporary housing option.

According to attorney Roberta Rob Valente who assisted with the JWI report, litigation abuse is common in domestic violence cases. As such, its important to increase funding at Jewish domestic violence programs to ensure there is at least one trauma-informed attorney with expertise in family law on staff, she said.

Abusers often have better resources and access to slicker lawyers. They learn what the legal line is and push up against it. They know what to say and know the courts are biased towards the lets have those parents work it out line of thinking, Valente said.

Roberta Valente is an attorney with Jewish Women International and one of the authors of the recent report on the US Jewish communitys ability to respond to domestic abuse. (Courtesy)

Although Valente said there is often no shortage of people who want to volunteer to help people get protective orders, they frequently lack the right background. Without proper training or knowing the lexicon of abuse, one can re-traumatize a client.

As a licensed clinical social worker and director of Project S.A.R.A.H., Shira Pomrantz said survivors frequently tell her they want to better understand their rights in custody and alimony disputes. The nonprofit, which serves people in New Jersey, often invites trauma-informed attorneys to speak to support groups and connect survivors to resources.

At Shalom Task Force there are three trauma-informed attorneys and a paralegal who can accompany survivors as they navigate both the civil and religious Jewish court system. They are equipped to address issues regarding the get, or Jewish writ of divorce, and help survivors secure tuition for private Jewish schools, which are the norm for observant Jews but can also be very costly, Frydman said.

Beyond issues relating to housing and finances, the JWI report found Jewish clergy as a whole need better training to deal with domestic violence.

Although most clergy across the spectrum are interested in helping survivors of domestic abuse, many dont know how to implement safety plans for survivors, how to respond to a domestic violence emergency or crisis, or how to honor the safety needs of survivors during life cycle events.

I think that Jewish organizations should really, really find ways for people to feel safe. My synagogue didnt have any safety planning, said a survivor quoted in the report who wished to remain anonymous.

When I told them about the situation I was in, they said they didnt have any protocols and didnt have any relationship with a domestic violence program. Now they do. I think a rabbi should be prepared to understand how to make the synagogue safe. Ive witnessed that both parents are in a synagogue and its not safe, even in our preschool, the survivor said.

For years, Perry told herself that staying with her abuser was better than striking out on her own. She believed that as long as the abuse was only directed at her, she could cope.

Then her former husband started targeting their eldest daughter and she realized it didnt have to be this way.

Here was this outwardly looking very pious, very Jewish man who spoke beautiful Torah but would crush my spirit and try to control me, Perry said. Then I realized continuing to live in a home where there was so much terror and anger was much worse than going through the hard part of leaving, the process and the uncertainty. I decided I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than live like this.

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Report finds US Jewish communities ill-equipped to aid domestic abuse victims - The Times of Israel

By Vernon Pillay Aug 16, 2021

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It is inspiring to see women empowering themselves and others, especially when it comes to financial independence something that was seen by many as the exclusive terrain of men until not too long ago.

Womens Month highlights the many great achievements of women across sectors but one often overlooked area is that of personal finances. This August, take the right steps to secure your own financial freedom with advice from three women who are paving their way to financial security, one good decision at a time.

Start early

Mother of one Keabetswe Mafafo started her retirement savings journey at the age of 26. That was too late, she says. "I should have started from my first paycheque."

There was no one around at the time to advise her, says Keabetswe, which Is why she is now on a mission to help others get on track early. She believes that a lot of people are hesitant to start saving because they are afraid they will get caught up in a scam. Her advice to them is to get yourself educated, get more information the sooner the better. Following this path is how the young mother has set herself on course for financial freedom. Now, she says, she looks forward to being able to relax and not have to stress about anything" when she retires.

Being on track to retire comfortably puts Keabetswe in a better position than more than half of the women in South Africa. The 10X Investments South African Retirement Reality Report 2020 (RRR2020) found that 53% of women didnt even have a retirement savings plan in place.

Women might not be able to magically level the playing field with men, but Keabetswe prefers to focus on the things she can control in her journey to financial freedom. If you have discipline, a goal and a plan, nothing will stop you from getting where you want to go, she says.

Take charge of your money

After many years of poor performance, Felicia Roman realised her investments were only growing by the contributions she was making. The problem, she admits, is that she never paid too much attention.

When she decided to have a closer look at her investments, she got a nasty surprise at how bad things were, and now hopes to spare others a similar experience. She emphasises that investors should not entrust their lifes savings to companies simply because their names are familiar. Take control and take charge. Dont always believe in brands that you have been familiar with and brands that sell you a solution. I was with a brand for many years and the only time I heard from them was at the point at which I told them I wanted to move my money."

She points out that it is not that difficult to inform yourself. The beauty of new tech means you sit in your bedroom, you can sit watching TV, and Google everything.

While you may feel overwhelmed at first, just keep in mind that an investment in knowledge always pays off. Besides, she says, it shouldnt take a degree in finance to understand your investments. Using technology wont just help you find the best service provider, adds Felicia, client platforms, will help you stay on top of your investments.

Having a clear understanding of her financial position puts Felicia in a small cohort of women in South Africa. Only 25% of women surveyed for the RRR2020 reported that they felt they were doing well financially while 27% said they were not sure how they were doing and 47% felt they were not doing well.

Don't rely on your partner to take responsibility for your finances

Sarah-Jane Wagg, who spent 15 years working in senior roles in the finance industry around the world, says it is too easy for women in a patriarchal society like South Africa to hand responsibility for finances to men. At the end of the day, she says, it is a personal choice but she recommends that women at least look at doing it yourself, at taking control.

Her advice is, however, the same for men and women when it comes to selecting a retirement fund provider: You need to look at performance as well as costs because then you will get more of your money going back into your pension fund and growing for your retirement.

Sarah-Jane is right. High fees are a significant contributing factor in South Africas retirement crisis. Seemingly small regular charges against savings compound to leave a large hole in peoples pensions.

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3 women share their financial freedom tips - IOL

With the endless opportunities that the world of financial literacy has created, businesses and individuals alike were bound to find unique ways by which to grow investments for their clients. The digital world has also opened many doors for individuals and companies, helping them to create an audience and make the most of their following. Chartered Accountant, Sola Adesakin, has already taken it upon herself to use a unique style of financial literacy courses to her advantage.

Adesakin found that many corporations and individuals lack the experience and means to create meaningful, impactful and lasting financial literacy learning programs in this hyper-competitive market. She has therefore created a unique universe in which any individual can find themselves at the forefront of financial independence simply by knowing how and when to strike. In a very short span of time, Adesakin has managed to establish herself as one of the premier financial literacy experts. With a strong background in finance, Adesakin learned the value of building simplified money management programs and continues to emphasize the need to have the right money mindset.

After resolving her own financial issues, Adesakin sought out a way to diversify and expand herself as a finance management coach. She started Smart Stewards (smartstewards.com), a tech-enabled Financial Literacy organization that currently provides financial literacy courses, communities, content and coaching to people in over 30 countries. Through Smart Stewards, Adesakin wants to help Africans home and abroad to achieve their crucial financial milestones.

Smart Stewards is today a growing community of about 8,000 professionals, many of whom invest regularly in local and global opportunities through The Smart Investment Club, another of Adesakins creations. Of these multi-million dollar investment opportunities, Adesakin revealed that bringing them to the doorsteps of Nigerians would sometimes require twice as much effort from her as is required of her contemporaries in the western world.

Adesakin shares further: After getting a glimpse of personal financial success, I immediately realized how valuable it will be on both sides to impart this knowledge. Since then I have also published eight books to teach financial literacy to people at different professional levels and in all age brackets. Adesakin has put a tremendous amount of time and energy into fostering relationships with key individuals and institutions relevant to her business domain. The access she has created, coupled with an impressive clientele list has allowed her to build a reputable company in just over 5 years.

There remains a high percentage of financially-excluded people in her home country, Nigeria, and around the world, too. As the world shifts more and more towards one where perception is wholly reality, someone like Adesakin can play an incredibly powerful role in building out massively credible financial literacy footprints. She believes that in building a credible organization, one mainly needs to maintain integrity in all interactions. As well, one must make a clear distinction between those who are keen on growing legitimate wealth and those who arent, then focus on empowering the former. It is this ideology that guides Adesakin as she continues to establish herself as an authority in the financial literacy space.

Looking ahead, Smart Stewards will continue to help Africans around the world acquire financial literacy and gain access to viable investment opportunities in their home countries and around the world. Anyone can reach out directly to Adesakin on LinkedIn and Facebook: Sola Adesakin or on Instagram: Sola_Adesakin.

The idea that an individual has the power to influence public perception so easily is not one that should be taken lightly. While there are many possibilities, only time will be able to tell us what to expect of the future of financial management. And whatever that future may hold, expect to see Sola Adesakin at the forefront of it.

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Who Is Sola Adesakin? Inside With the Nigerian Chartered Accountant Thats Rocking the Financial Literacy - LatestLY