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Seven Savings Tips for Young Adults

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on January 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Article from Eric Bell, Editor-in-Chief, YoBucko

Saving money can be tough when you’re just starting out in the real world. To help you understand how to save more money in your twenties, here are seven simple savings tips to help you save more money:

1. Budget to Save

Creating a budget is one of the first steps to save money. A budget is like your roadmap to financial success. It shows you where you are today, and helps you track your spending each month. Think of a budget as your monthly spending scorecard. Once you’ve created your budget, look at your spending to see where you can start trimming the fat.

2. Automate your Savings

Paying yourself first is tough if you have to cut a check every time you want to save a few bucks. Fortunately, there is a simple way to save that you can access if you have a bank account: direct deposit. Direct deposit allows you to automate your savings plan by sending money straight to your savings account. Talk to your employer or your bank to find out how you can set up direct deposit. Before you know it, you’ll be building a nest egg and well on your way to financial independence.

3. Save for Emergencies

When you are just starting out, building an emergency fund should be a top priority. Experts recommend saving 3x your monthly expenses if your single, and 6x your monthly expenses if you are married or have kids. Bad things happen, even to good people. By building an emergency fund, you’ll be prepared to make it through the tough times and have a some extra money set aside for a rainy day.

4. Save for Retirement

Most employers today offer benefits packages that include a 401k and may even match your contributions up to certain limits. That’s free money!!! In addition to getting matching funds from your employer, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that contributions to a 401k plan lower your tax bill too. Contact your employer or HR department to find out what benefits are available to you.

5. Save for Big Purchases

While buying a new car, getting married or taking a vacation may not be on your radar today, they may be on the horizon. Consider putting a little money aside for some of your goals today so when the time comes you’ll have the cash to do what you want. If you know you won’t need the money in a year or two, consider putting your money into a Certificate of Deposit (“CD”) so you can take advantage of the higher interest rates.

6. Save for your Education

If you are considering going back to school or having kids, you should definitely start saving now. The inflation rate on tuition has been rising for years, and the only way to keep pace is to start saving. One of the best ways to save for college or your child’s education is a 529 Plan. Each state has a 529 plan, and some states even give you tax breaks for contributing. But remember, if you are going to need the money for tuition in the next few years, 529 plans do invest in stocks and bonds so you’ll want to make sure you aren’t putting all your tuition money at risk.

7. Save for a Home

Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases most people make in their lives, but far too often people don’t start saving early enough for the down payment. Ideally, you can save enough to put 20% down on a new home so you can get lower interest rates and other fees. If not, don’t fret. There are programs out there (like “FHA”) that help first-time home buyers buy a new home with as little as 3% down. Either way, it makes sense to start saving for a new home sooner rather than later. Here’s an article to help you figure out how much house you can afford.

The Bottom Line

Saving money isn’t hard if you have a plan, automate the process and start saving now. Learn to live below your means, and always look for ways to save money for the future. For more money-saving tips and advice to help you build wealth in your twenties, get involved in America Saves Week 2012 and check us out at YoBucko.

Read more here.

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Spotflux is hiring!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on January 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Read more here.

Spotflux is hiring! We have some exciting positions open and are looking for some great candidates.

Network and Systems Engineers – Marketing Specialists ( CMOs) – We want you!

Spotflux is a venture-funded early stage internet startup. We’re building an incredibly powerful internet tool that enables users globally to surf, skype, tweet, and enjoy the full power of the internet while preserving privacy, security, anonymity, and open access.

Spotflux is located in Brooklyn, NY and looking for candidates to work out of NYC.  We are a small team of motivated technologists looking to build a core team of highly capable individuals.  We’re not merely looking for employees, but for co-founder types who believe in the product and are interested in the ability to shape the success of a unique early stage product.

What we are offering is a challenging and rewarding opportunity, along with salary+equity+benefits. What you offer is your skill set and desire to integrate with a strong core team to create a great internet product with true global reach.

Opening 1 – Marketing  – Chief Marketing Officer

We are seeking a candidate with experience launching global internet products (twitter, facebook, foursquare, pandora, etc), and most importantly a high level of motivation and desire to create a global brand. You should have experience in customer acquisition, digital marketing, social commerce, SEO/SEM, and brand/marketing strategy in a rapid-growth environment.

Send along a quick blurb on your experience, how you envision yourself fitting into the role, and why you are up for the challenge. Send to info@spotflux.com along with your resume.

Opening 2 – Systems and Network Engineer

We are looking for candidates with experience building solid, fault-resistant, high availability, and rapid scaleable infrastructures. You should consider yourself an experienced network or systems engineer, and be comfortable working in a linux CLI environment with a strong understanding of virtualization, routing, SSL, and load balancing. Experience working in a start-up environment, particularly with experience in scalability, with a small dedicated core team is a major plus.

Send your resume to info@spotflux.com . Tell us some of the challenges that you’ve encountered in building and scaling networks, and what you can offer in the role.

Thanks!

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GOP Candidates’ Wives: Do They Have First Lady Style?

Posted in Uncategorized on January 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Article from Huffington Post.

We’ve found ourselves parsing the GOP spouses’ style in the past, but with the caucuses underway, it’s time to get serious and look forward: what will it take for these women to transform into first ladies?

Our friend Lauren Rothman, one half of The Fashion Whip, is on the case. A D.C.-based stylist with clients from Capitol Hill to Hollywood, Lauren sat down with The Insider to give the GOP candidates’ wives some fashion advice.

What we learned:

1. Ann Romney brings “a soft look to Mitt” with her personal style, says Lauren. Or, as Ann put it, she allows Americans to see that Romney is the kind of guy who “actually does have his hair messed up most of the time.” We’ll believe it when we see it.

2. Mary Kaye Huntsman and her husband John are an incredibly well-dressed couple, making them “the political Kardashians.” But Mary Kaye’s uber preppy look could be a liability, warns Lauren. “Approachability is important.”

3. Callista Gingrich, as we’ve said before, has an incredibly stylized look. “Sometimes it looks like she sort of walked out of Stepford,” quips Lauren.

4. Carol Paul could use some gussying up and should add a touch of color to her wardrobe.

But that’s just Lauren’s advice. Watch the vid, see the pics and let us know what you think about these potential first ladies!

An advocate for several children’s charities, Romney is an avid equestrian, and with her husband pulling out ahead in several GOP primary polls, she just might have the best shot at supplanting Michelle O. as FLOTUS.

She favors more conservative looks, opting for sweaters and cardigans with pearls, although Mrs. Romney’s not afraid to experiment with colors — just check out that orange patterned top.

For more information, cleck here.

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CES: FCC’s Genachowski Calls Net-Neutrality Lawsuit ‘Distracting’ – By Todd Spangler — Multichannel News

Posted in Net Neutrality, Technology, Uncategorized on January 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

CES: FCC’s Genachowski Calls Net-Neutrality Lawsuit ‘Distracting’

Verizon Is Challenging Agency’s Authority to Impose Internet Regulations

By Todd Spangler — Multichannel News, 1/11/2012 6:20:19 PM

Las Vegas — FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said Verizon Communications’ lawsuit challenging the agency’s network-neutrality regulations was “distracting” and could create uncertainty and confusion in the market.

Genachowski, in his third appearance at CES, primarily used the stage Wednesday to stump for his favorite issue — pushing TV broadcasters to auction off their spectrum to be used for wireless broadband.

On network neutrality, Genachowski said he was proud of the outcome, which he claimed has not hampered investment in broadband networks and applications.

The FCC’s network-neutrality regulations, which went into effect Nov. 20, require Internet service providers to disclose network management techniques and forbids them from blocking or degrading specific content or applications.

Genachowski, who was interviewed by Consumer Electronics Association president Gary Shapiro, said the FCC was “tempted to focus on other things” but that he felt he needed to take action on network neutrality to bring about a détente between network providers and technology companies.

“I thought we had to bring peace to the land,” he said. “I’m proud of the result — our goal was to see increased investment in the broadband economy.”

About 80% of companies supported the FCC’s network neutrality rules, according to Genachowski. Alluding to Verizon’s lawsuit, which argues that the agency does not have authority to regulate the Internet, he said, “It’s a distracting lawsuit that runs the risk of creating uncertainty, unpredictably and confusion as we move forward.”

On the “spectrum crunch” issue, Genachowski repeated his call to repurpose TV airwaves for mobile broadband. He said voluntary spectrum auctions would generate $25 billion in cash for the U.S. Treasury, and — more important — make additional capacity available for new services.

“My message today on incentive auctions is simple: We need to get it done now and we need to get it done right,” he said.

Congress is to make a decision on a law enabling the FCC to proceed with incentive auctions by March 1. “At stake is U.S. leadership in mobile,” Genachowski said.

Genachowski noted that New York City has 28 full-power TV stations. “I grew up in New York and I don’t think anyone can name 28 TV stations,” he said. “What’s the right number for New York?… The beauty of incentive auctions is, the market will decide.”

In terms of future initiatives, Genachowski acknowledged that the Communications Act of 1996 “should be updated,” but he didn’t get into specifics and said a reform to the law is “not something that is actively being considered.”

“I’ve been very careful to focus on the things I really want to get done,” Genachowski said.

In his prepared remarks, Genachowski marveled at the broad range of products on the CES show floor: “Where else can you find a USB stick that is also a bottle opener?”

“Virtually every product on the CES floor is fueled by broadband Internet,” he said. “If you shut off the Internet, virtually nothing on the show floor would work.”

Shapiro cited the 2012 presidential election, pointing out that if a Republican beats President Obama, Genachowski could be out of a job. Asked by Shapiro what Genachowski wanted to be his legacy, the chairman identified focusing the FCC on broadband and working to unleash wireless spectrum. “We have a lot of work to do in 2012,” he said.

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Funny or Die mines laughs, proftis on Web and Tv.

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Article from SFGate.

Funny or Die, the comedy website founded by Will Ferrell, is pointing the way for Web-based entertainment companies by combining the scrappiness of an Internet startup with A-list talent that attracts viewers.

What started as a lark for Ferrell and writing partner Adam McKay has become a profitable company, with revenue approaching $30 million this year, according to a person with knowledge of the Los Angeles business.

Funny or Die’s third show on cable TV, “Billy on the Street,” started last week on Fuse network. The first feature film, “Funny or Die Presents Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie,” premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

“Somebody is going to figure out the strategy of marrying traditional media to this new-media model, to the way people are now consuming content, on a massive scale,” Funny or Die Chief Executive Officer Dick Glover said. “We’re doing it in our little world. We’re doing OK.”

Since the dawn of the Internet, entertainment companies have struggled to make money on the Web. Walt Disney’s interactive unit has lost money for 12 consecutive quarters. The company said Nov. 7 that it formed a partnership with Google’s YouTube to create short, family-friendly videos. YouTube is investing about $100 million to add channels in collaboration with celebrities such as Amy Poehler, Ashton Kutcher and Shaquille O’Neal.

Mark and Michael Polish, the writer-director team behind “Twin Falls Idaho” and “The Astronaut Farmer,” have turned a modest profit from “For Lovers Only,” a feature they started on Apple’s iTunes and video on demand.

“The bottom line is, you have to have the right product because you really depend on word of mouth,” Mark Polish said. “Are they going to like it and link it to Facebook or tweet it?”

‘Landlord’ pulls traffic

Funny or Die’s ethos was established with its first Internet video, “The Landlord.” The two-minute sketch featured McKay’s 2-year-old daughter, Pearl, as a foul-mouthed landlady who intimidates a tenant played by Ferrell. Shot with no budget in 60 minutes at Ferrell’s house, “The Landlord” attracted 78 million views, according to the website.

The success generating traffic enticed stars willing to work for free for the exposure Funny or Die gave them with young, Web-savvy audiences. The money came later, as marketers bought ads on the site and film studios hired Funny or Die to create videos for the stars of upcoming films.

Funny or Die is backed by Sequoia Capital, the Menlo Park venture capital firm that has put $15 million into the company. Owners also include Ferrell and McKay’s production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, director Judd Apatow, HBO and Creative Artists Agency.

“The Landlord” remains the website’s most-watched, followed by a Justin Bieber sketch that drew 40.8 million views, according to rankings on funnyordie.com.

“We walked into Funny or Die looking at it as a clubhouse for our friends,” McKay said. “The quality didn’t have to be that high. It could be goofing around. What we didn’t anticipate was how much people would like that approach.”

Website ads account for about two-thirds of revenue. The rest comes from branded entertainment, 50 or so videos the company is hired to make each year to promote movies and products. The site has kept its credibility with fans by maintaining tight control over the creative process. Typically, the only reference to the product being promoted is made at the tail end, after the sketch is over.

Moving to movies

“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie,” the first feature film under the Funny or Die brand, stars frequent collaborators Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. In the picture, two friends get a billion dollars to make a film, the biggest budget in history, only to see the project fall apart. Ferrell also appears, and Gary Sanchez Productions and Mark Cuban’s 2929 Entertainment are among the backers.

“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” will be offered through video on demand and for sale at Funny or Die’s site on Jan. 27, and it will reach theaters on March 2, according to the duo’s website.

“Billy on the Street” features comedian Billy Eichner approaching New York pedestrians with questions about pop culture. The company’s other shows on cable are Comedy Central’s “Jon Benjamin Has a Van” and HBO’s “Funny or Die Presents.”

Funny or Die can charge $100,000 or more for custom-made videos and promotional campaigns, fees that include salaries for staff and payment to the stars, said the person, who declined to be named because the company is private.

“There’s an idea that young people reject advertising,” Glover said. “That’s not true. They reject bad advertising. They love advertising that talks to them in a certain way.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/26/BUSJ1MFPA0.DTL#ixzz1hvEx9sQU

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