9 Things Successful People Do When Working From Home

Nearly one-third of full-time employees do most of their work in homes, coffee shops, and other remote places, according to the Flex+Strategy Group states a new study.





After extensive study, here are the best ways to make this arrangement work.
1. Reclaim your commuting time.
Commuting sucks, and one big advantage of working from home is that you no longer have to deal with it regularly. But it's crucial to reclaim the time you used to devote to travel for something productive. For example, maybe use the first 30 minutes of your day to answer emails you didn't get to the day before and the last half hour to set long-term strategic goals and specific objectives for the next day.
2. Design your space.
You've heard this one before, but it's crucial. Carve out a dedicated space that you only use for work. Preferably, you need natural light and a door, so that you can separate your work from your home life when the workday is done. Moreover, creating a separate and exclusive space can be necessary if you want to take a tax deduction for a home office.
3. Project professionalism.
Some people advise dressing as if you were still working in someone else's office. I think that's unnecessary, and maybe even a bit crazy, but you do need to come across as professional and reliable when dealing with clients. Here's an example: If you're doing video calls, consider having a clean dedicated area for them, or at least hanging a backdrop so people aren't distracted by home-office clutter.
4. Track your savings.
Following on the first three items, it helps to track how much you save as a result of working from home. Commuting costs alone can be substantial. Then consider the reduced costs of meals, now that you don't have to rely on take-out lunches and $2.50 cups of coffee, throw in your lower dry-cleaning bills, and the savings add up quickly.
5. Expand your circle.
Working at home can become isolating, unless you make an effort to build your network and maintain relationships. This might be easier in a major metropolitan area with lots of networking opportunities and industry meetings. However even if you have to travel and use lots of virtual tools--LinkedIn is a great place to start--maintaining your network should be on your to-do list every day.
6. Delegate all that you can.
When I wrote recently about delegating things to assistants, I was truly surprised by the blowback. Regardless, this is crucial, especially if you work from home, because it's easy to fall prey to the illusion that you have unlimited time, and can now do everything yourself. However, if you have a business worth doing, you can--and should--delegate things like managing your calendar, doing initial research, and handling household chores.
7. Manage your distractions.
Talk about easier said than done, but another danger in working from home is that it's so easy not to work. One winning strategy is simply to accept that you'll never be 100 percent productive. That makes it easier to be in control of your "mind-wandering" time at work, and keep it under control.
8. Own your day.
If you find yourself working earlier, take time for yourself and your family later. At the same time, it's great to do errands during low-demand hours. Don't fight the crowds at the mall on a Saturday. Instead, discover the tranquility of 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday.
9. Own your week.
If you liked the idea of owning your day, just wait until you own your week. If you've wondered how many more runs you could get in on the ski slopes on a Wednesday (or whatever it is you like to do for fun), or how much easier and cheaper it would be to travel during times when fewer people are able, the answer is: a lot. In fact, the only drawback is that friends and family probably don't have the same flexibility. Once you get to the point where you own the week, however, you'll find yourself longing a lot less for the weekend.

Sebi-Sahara row: Why people are still willing to deposit money with Subrata Roy's company

Two days ago, some 24 hours after Sahara's Subrata Roy was arrested at the command of the Supreme Court, I had an interesting phone conversation with a Sahara depositor. This was someone who was not just made a deposit with Sahara in the past, but was planning to do so again soon. He knows many people who are regular Sahara depositors. He had a form with him for two schemes. One of them offered a gain of 10% for a tenure of one year, and the other, a gain of 40% for a deposit period of 48 months.

That's also about 10%. There are several things here that those who are acquainted with the Sahara affair only through TV and newspapers would find surprising. One, there is still financial business being conducted under the Sahara brand. This example is from Jharkhand, and not from a small town either. Two, there are people who are still willing to deposit money with Sahara. This particular depositor is an educated man who has access to the entire range of financial instruments.

Three, I think there are at least some media commentators who would be surprised that there is any such thing as a Sahara depositor. And four, those who'll try to think through this thing will see that 10% per annum is hardly an outsize or a Ponzi-like return being offered.
So why are people still willing to deposit money with Sahara? As far as I can see, simply because they started doing so in the past and the experience has not been negative. They did so in the past, got their money back with the promised returns and it just goes on, even when they have access to alternatives.

One thing about Sahara, which is getting lost in the excitement about the legal tricks that the Sahara group has been playing with Sebi and RBI, is that there is a real savings and investments business that exists. This business is likely to be illegal now, likely to be declining, it may be wrapped up in a larger money-laundering scheme, and its scale may be smaller than the claims of Sahara.

However, there really are a large number of depositors who use Sahara's services and have done so for years, even decades. This is something that anyone who has first-hand familiarity with life in small towns of the Hindi belt can vouch for. This business still exists. When, in 2008, RBI asked Sahara to wind up this business, it should have done so in a law-abiding manner. However, it didn't and RBI failed to detect that it didn't.

Currently, there is a lot of noise being made about the interests of depositors by various authorities and the media. However, the actual focus and the actions do not have the depositors' interests at heart. One reason is that there is a certain belief that these depositors don't exist, that Sahara is entirely a money-laundering scheme.

This simply isn't true. To my mind, the most important question today is what is the real base of investors and if there are enough assets backing their deposits. The long period over which Sahara has existed and the reasonable returns it offers make it unlikely that it's an out-and-out ponzi scheme like Saradha in Bengal and so many others.

However, there may well be some shortfall in assets. Sahara may be a rogue financial institution. And if the rogue part of that description is true, but so is the financial institution part. The most important thing today is to provide a safe exit to real depositors. The cat and mouse game of the so-called Sahara Shri will no doubt continue to entertain all of us for a while. However, someone needs to pay some attention to the real small depositors.

By: Dhirendra Kumar CEO, Value Research

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/comments-analysis/sebi-sahara-row-why-people-are-still-willing-to-deposit-money-with-subrata-roys-company/articleshow/31323040.cms

Sahara Explains About Its Cash Transaction

The hearing on 11.2.2014 witnessed a lot being made out of the startling fact that Sahara has been raising money in cash and correspondingly a one-sided story has surfaced so far in the public eye. This incident has severely dented Sahara’s image and credibility which can potentially impact 12 Lakh families dependent on Sahara for earning their livelihood.
The truth lies in the fact that most of our investors are small. In OFCD an average investment is no more than a mere Rs. 8,000 while around 98% investors fall below the Rs. 19,000 mark to as low as even Rs. 500. Interestingly enough, most of these people do not have banking privileges and neither do banks aim to reach them.
On this context it is very important to take note of the fact laid down by trusted global and national studies that only 50% of India’s billion strong population has access to Banks. Hence these deprived small investors deposit their hard earned cash at Sahara to watch it grow for a safer future.
India’s truly indigenous partnership firm Sahara India has infrastructure throughout the country with more than 4700 offices which employ Lakhs of workers. Sahara was and is committed towards excellence for benefitting the society at large and continues to provide work and infrastructure services to Housing Finance, Mutual Benefit, Residuary Non Banking, OFC Debentures and Credit Co-operative Society as well as non-financial activities.
The branches and service centers of Sahara India follow strict, convenient, safe and financially beneficial policies which have been adopted to ensure priority utilization of a day’s money coming from the vast range of Sahara ventures to clear daily payments including establishment expenses, secured loans, prematurity, maturities, redemption and whatsoever which are entirely settled constitutionally at the headquarter level.
The strict aforesaid policy was followed primarily due to reasons enumerated as follows:
a. We have lost few lives of our fellow Sahara workers involved in shifting money from branches to banks and vice versa (more dangerous in the later scenario) over the years. Innumerable times have our men faced cases of snatching and robbery where some have succumbed to the serious injuries while many had to deal with minor injuries. Our men are wary of their safety to while shifting money from the deposits to the bank and vice versa as well. It is definitely neither cost effective nor viable to provide armed security at every juncture in more than four thousands of nationwide branches.
b. If the policy would have been to transfer all the collected money from our branches to the Headquarter and then back again to the branches for making payments, the entire procedure would have cost us a huge amount in the form of bank charges including further losses of interest which on continuous basis would have led to serious financial consequences that has hard hitting social impacts. This would have severely compromised with our strict day-to-day basis policy for payments.
Regarding large payments in short periods, SEBI is unwilling to understand the spread of Sahara’s network into 4700 centers across India. Careful calculations would reveal average daily financial transactions per branch to be around Rs. 2.5 Lakhs which in no way is a negligible phenomenon.
Out of the Rs. 5120 Crores deposited to SEBI by Sahara, SEBI has been able to repay only around Rs. 70 Lakhs to the investors in the last 17 months. SEBI has contemptuously ignored the Honorable Courts’ order by failing to initiate a single verification yet out of the 3 Crore investors in the last 17 months which includes the last few months of their total avoidance to report the valuation of Sahara’s assets submitted to them. We are indeed very happy this time to acknowledge the Honorable Court’s order for SEBI to come out soon with Sahara’s valuation report.

Statement from Shri Smanto R Roy, Executive Director, Sahara India Pariwar

Good Morning Everybody
On behalf of the Sahara India Pariwar, We welcome you all.
We are meeting at a time when our organization has been very wrongly interpreted and presented in public against the backdrop of the ongoing Sahara – Sebi case.
As the matter is Sub-judice, we cannot bring forward many things pertaining to the case but being an organization like Sahara India Pariwar with a base of more than crores and crores of investors and having kartvyayogis in tune of 12 lakh, we feel it is our moral right and duty to come forward and dispel some misconceptions which are being created by parties having vested interest in the dust of ongoing dispute.
As you are aware of the happenings in this case and the developments of last two days, we wish to put forward the facts for the understanding of our esteemed investors / customers / kartavyayogi karyakartas, associates and business partners / our well wishers and public at large.
·    On 20th Feb’14, Hon’ble supreme court orders our Chairman Sri Subrata Roy Sahara (Saharasri Ji) and 3 other directors to appear in person in Hon’ble supreme court to be a part of the proceeding of that particular day related to the ongoing dispute of our two companies namely Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd and Sahara India Housing & Investment Corporation Ltd with Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
·    On 22nd Feb’14, Saharasri Ji arrives in Delhi to have one on one meetings with our Senior Legal Counsels namely Shri Ram Jethmalani  & Shri Aryama Sundaram and thereafter to attend the proceedings in Hon’ble supreme court on 26th Feb’14 along with other three Directors
·    On 23rd Feb’14, Saharasri Ji meets both Senior Counsels Shri Ram Jethmalani and Shri Aryama Sundaram at their respective residences in New Delhi.
·    On 24th Feb’14, towards late evening Saharasri Ji is informed that the health condition of his mother Smt. Chabbi Roy, aged 92 years, who has been unwell for some time and is being attended and treated at Sahara Hospital in Lucknow, has suddenly deteriorated and her situation is critical.
·    Saharasri Ji being the eldest child of his mother and also being very attached to her decided to go back to Lucknow immediately with a private charter to be with his ailing mother at this critical moment as any son would have done in order to fulfill his emotional duties and obligations  towards his mother.
·    After arriving in Lucknow and understanding his mother’s fragile conditions Saharasri Ji decides to stay back in Lucknow to ensure proper support and care for his ailing mother.
·    Having taken this decision absolutely on Humanitarian and Emotional grounds he was also conscious of the directions given by Hon’ble Supreme Court. Therefore, he instructs the legal team to move an application to the Hon’ble Supreme Court immediately seeking an exemption from the hearing for that particular day. While the rest of three directors were to attend the proceedings, his inability to attend was also communicated in writing to our Senior Counsels personally by Saharasri Ji citing the reasons in detail.
·    Accordingly the very next day i.e. 25th Feb’14 our senior counsels Shri Ram Jethmalani and Shri Ganesh move a special application for seeking personal exemption along with a medical certificate issued by Padamshree Dr. Mansoor Hasan Head of Cardiology Department of the best Hospital in City of Lucknow run  by Sahara India Pariwar, which clearly states the fragile and deteriorating condition of Saharasri Ji’s Mother.
·   Accordingly the same matter was mentioned in front of the special bench, however the Hon’ble Justices did not grant us the short relief citing the reason as their inability to modify the order dated 20th Feb’14, subsequently Hon’ble Justices asked our counsel to take up the matter on the date of hearing that is 26th Feb,’14.
·   It is pertinent to mention that the condition of Saharasri Ji’s Mother continued to remain fragile and he decided to stay back in Lucknow at the side of his mother during this extremely critical phase hoping that Hon’ble Supreme Court will consider his request on humanitarian grounds. In spite of being so emotionally low Saharasri Ji again writes a personal letter to Shri Ram Jethmalani Ji expressing his helplessness to leave lucknow with a request to read out this letter during the court hearing .
·   On 26th Feb,’14 Senior Counsel Shri Ram Jethmalani informs the special bench about Saharasri Ji’s inability to be present in Hon’ble Supreme Court to attend the hearing on 26th February due to the critical condition of his mother. However, the justices pass an order to serve non bailable warrant in the name of Saharasri Jiand in order to ensure the presence on the next date of hearing i.e. on 4th March ’14.
·   On 27th Feb’14 Sahara files a special application seeking the recall of the non-bailable warrant issued with an undertaking of Saharasri Ji to be present on 4th March’14 without fail. On 27th Feb’, 14 evening, Lucknow police visits Sahara Shaher in Gomtinagar Lucknow to serve the warrant to Saharasri Ji.
·   During the same time, he was out of Sahara Shaher Lucknow to consult with the panel of doctors with certain medical reports of his mother and then also to visit a lawyer’s residence.
·  On his return late in the evening, Saharasri Ji was informed by the family members about the police visit and about the news appearing in certain section of India across the country.
·  On 28th Feb’14, in the early morning hours, as a law abiding citizen he willfully decides to submit himself to Lucknow police based on the warrant issued and asks them to proceed with their call of duty as per the directions given by Hon’ble Supreme Court.
·  Today morning, our senior counsels have again approached Hon’ble Supreme Court with a plea and a personal appeal from Saharasri Ji to recall the non-bailable warrant as he has willfully submitted himself to the Lucknow police. He gave an assurance to be present in Hon’ble Supreme Court on the day of next hearing i.e. 4th March’14.
·   At this moment, as we speak Saharasri Ji is with UP police and cooperating wholeheartedly with all the authorities in order to ensure the direction given by Hon’ble Supreme Court.
For the consumption of all those who are associated directly or indirectly, nationally and globally, with us, we wish to reiterate the fact that Sahara India Pariwar has always put our beloved nation ahead of any business interest and have always have ensured compliance to the law of the land across our businesses and processes.
From a humble beginning in 1978, Sahara India Pariwar has created many milestones in the journey and today we have a huge asset base which includes our 12Lac + karyakartas and crores and crores of investors. In the past also, we have faced many difficulties and each time we have reemerged more strongly and firmly. In our endeavor to build our nation, we not only diversified our business in the country but also expanded globally.
As you are aware that we are fighting an ongoing long legal battle and are confident that it will arrive to its logical conclusion soon, having stated the above, as a responsible business organization with high level of discipline and ethics we are committed to abide by the law of the land as we have been practicing always.
Last but not the least,  Sri Subrata Roy Sahara to me is not only a doting father but also a patriotic son of the soil who has contributed immensely to the country in many ways whether it is various social causes impacting lives of people across the length and breadth of the country or whenever India needed its son to stand up and shoulder responsibilities like helping the families of Kargil martyrs,  Mumbai terrorist attack martyrs and  victims of earth quacks, floods and other forms of natural calamity. Today it pains me to see his reputation and image being maligned in this manner and I humbly seek your support and cooperation.
In the end I would like to read a small message Hon’ble Saharasri Ji
“My office, my collegues, my family members are continuously getting calls, sms etc from media friends, relatives. They want to hear from me. All I want to say is This Is The Best Honour My Country Could Give Me”

Source: http://topbusinessnews.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/statement-from-shri-samanto-r-roy-executive-director-sahara-india-pariwar/

We want a billion Indians on WhatsApp

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum took time off from his hectic schedule at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, on what was his 38th birthday, to talk to ET about the $19 billion deal with Facebook and what advice he would give entrepreneurs. 

 

It's said that you applied for a job at both Twitter and Facebook. 
I was interviewed for Facebook but nothing really worked out.

What made you start WhatsApp? How did you hit upon the idea? What did you do that was different from other messenger services?
I got an iPhone and I started to experiment trying to build an application for an iPhone. First, we focused on using your address book. Everybody else was using user names or pin codes, like BBM... Skype you had to get an approval... these were all complicated processes. We just wanted to simplify it. If you have somebody's phone number in your address book, you are on.

We were the first guys to do it, we were actually the first mover. Everybody else came in and tried to copy us, but they weren't successful. We were global from day one. We focused on translations, we added Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, into the applications from day one because we understood that it's the power of communication, that people want to communicate with people in other countries.

We hired really smart people, our first set of engineers was extremely talented and allowed us to build a foundation that enabled us to build everything on top of it.

What, if any, is the monetisation strategy of WhatsApp?
Today, it's a simple one - we are free for the first year of subscription and then it's a dollar a year. There are no plans to do anything else. We are pretty happy with this. For voice, we haven't finalized it internally yet but we might do something different in terms of implementation but fundamentally it will be very similar.

Some are skeptical about the quality of voice services that can be offered by you. Please comment.
We are going to make sure voice works just as well. I understand that there are bandwidth constraints, network constraints, but we will take the same approach to voice that we took to (messaging) five years ago, which is focus on quality, simplicity, performance so that it's the world standard for voice just as messaging it's the world standard.

Would you have done the deal at a lower value?
The important thing to talk about here is not the price. Mark asked me to be on the board of Facebook and I'm extremely flattered. We talked about this as a partnership and not as an acquisition. WhatsApp will continue to remain independent. There are no changes planned to the product. Nothing really changes from the user point of view. And, so when we were talking about this deal, we were not as interested in terms of the numbers but as a partnership between two great companies who share the same vision.

What will Facebook's contribution be to your voice service? Any more hiring?
Should be none. We are still an independent company and we will continue to be an independent company even after the deal closes. But we do plan to grow, absolutely. We are going to have to hire more people to support more users and build new things like voice.

What plans do you have with the money that you get?
I only have one idea, that is WhatsApp, and I am going to continue to focus on that. I have no plans to build any other ideas. The day the deal closes, it's going to be like any other day when we will go back to work.

How does it feel to have this success?
It's rewarding but again I don't spend any time thinking about it. A lot of my time, effort and focus is spent on WhatsApp. And that to me is more valuable and rewarding than to work on anything else.

Has the world changed for you post the Facebook deal?
None. Still the same. We still have a lot of work to do. We still have a lot of people who will get onto Smartphone, we still have a lot of bugs to fix and improvements to make. Our mission is still not done.

Do you fear someone else could build a better message/photo sharing platform and make WhatsApp irrelevant. How will you sustain WhatsApp's competitive advantage?
We have always had people copy us. It's not shocking, if anything it's flattering. But what's important for us is to continue to get our product right. I spend more time worrying about ourselves, that we're doing the right thing.

Did you expect the success?
Probably not to this level. The size of this deal shows how important communication is in today's world. Communication is at the very core of our society. That's what makes us human.

How important is India as a market?
It's a very critical market for us. Ironically, I grew up watching Indian movies as a kid in Russia. I am quite familiar with Bollywood. I grew up watching Disco Dancer, I watched it some 20 times as a kid. India is important from a personal level too.

We want all Smartphone users (in India) to be on WhatsApp. Then if that number is a billion, then it's a billion. Currently, over 40 million. So we still have some ways to go before we hit a billion.

When do you plan to visit India?
Hopefully soon. Are you inviting me? I wanted to for a long time. My schedule is a little busy but hopefully this year.

What are the three things that young entrepreneurs should focus on when launching a startup?
Focus is an important part of it. A lot of times people start out with a lot of good ideas, but then they don't execute. They lose the purity of their vision. You end up running around in circles.

Hiring smart people, smart engineers. Focus on users right from day one.

Would your new office have WhatsApp signage outside?
We haven't decided yet. We will think about it when we come back.

What next for Jan Koum?
I have work to do. I get on a plane and I go back and have to go back to the office and work.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/software-services/We-want-a-billion-Indians-on-WhatsApp-Jan-Koum/articleshow/31031467.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=r

What to Do If You're Running Out of Retirement Money

You know you should save for retirement. How much, when and what strategies to use are exhaustively dispensed by financial planners, accountants, economists and personal finance columnists. But what if you're already retired? What if you're sure you're going to be around for a long time to come -- but your money isn't?
It's a universal fear. In a 2010 Allianz Life Insurance Company poll of 3,257 people ages 44 to 75, 61 percent said they fear running out of money during retirement -- more than they fear death.

As you've probably guessed, you don't have a lot of great options if you're in this situation. Gene Diederich, CEO and principal advisor at Moneta Group, a wealth management firm in St. Louis, lays out the path for most people: "For those in such a situation, there is often not much they can do but be frugal with their spending, take a part-time job, consider a reverse mortgage and get with a financial planner to maximize the return on their remaining nest egg."
Still, those ideas -- and the ones below -- may help remove some of the tarnish on your golden years.

If you've been living larger, start living smaller. The most obvious strategy is to sell your house, especially if the home is paid off and you'll receive substantial income from it.
"I know it's hard to let go of the family home, or the home you have felt comfortable in for many years. However, the upside to getting rid of this big expense is the reduced stress and financial relief you will gain in knowing you have more cash now available," says Leslie Tayne, a financial attorney and debt specialist who runs Tayne Law Group, P.C., in New York City.
Maybe you need to sell your home and buy a smaller one. Or sell one car, if you and a spouse have two. Or perhaps it's medications that are killing your budget. Sandra Nohavicka sees a lot of that. She's a licensed clinical social worker at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the largest nonprofit home health care agency in the U.S.
"The average retired person over the age of 80 takes approximately 11 medications a day," Nohavicka says. She says anyone with high co-payments or those who have hit the 'doughnut hole' -- in Medicare Part D, the point where medication is full price -- should check out needymeds.com, which offers information about patient assistant programs. "Some of my patients get one or all of their high cost medications for free," Nohavicka says.


You may be able to turn back the clock. Not as far as you'd like, but if you're under age 70, and you started collecting Social Security within the last 12 months, "you can repay everything back to Social Security, and it'll be like you never claimed it," says Kenn Tacchino, a professor of financial planning at Widener University in Chester, Penn. "And then you delay claiming it until you're 70."
It makes a lot of sense to wait, assuming you're in good health and will be around a while to enjoy that regular stream of income. Here's why: If you claim Social Security at age 62, you'll receive 75 percent of your retirement benefits. Hold off until age 66, and you get 100 percent. But if you wait until age 70, you'll receive 132 percent of your benefits. Every year you wait up until age 70, you'll receive 8 percent more.
Earn supplementary income. Sure, you could try going back to work full time or get a part-time job, but what about renting out a room or sharing your place? It wouldn't necessarily have to be with a stranger -- a friend or family member might know someone.

Cut off any adult children. It likely won't be a big money saver, but this is a good time to talk with adult children who are constantly draining your resources, Tayne advises. "It's time to be frank with the kids," she says. "You have limited funds and while you love and care for them, you can only do so much for them while ensuring you still have enough to support yourself."
Consider a reverse mortgage. You've probably seen or heard the commercials. Reverse mortgages allow homeowners to leverage the equity in their house to get a stream of revenue flowing back in, right now.
"They always get a bad rap because of the fees," Tacchino says. But he says reverse mortgages can still can be a good option for some retired people who want to maintain their lifestyle and remain in their home. You'd likely want to get a government-issued home equity conversion reverse mortgage, Tacchino says. There are essentially three ways you get income from your house, he says: "You can get a line of credit, receive your money in monthly payments or in the form of a lump sum."
On the plus side, he says, it might be the perfect solution for an individual or couple who want to live in their house as long as they can and don't mind that there won't be a home to pass onto the children.
Which isn't to say you should do this. "You're still having to maintain the house, pay taxes and utilities as well as other maintenance," Tayne says. "All of this is likely to make less sense further into retirement years."
But it depends on the person. You may be in your 90s and find shoveling snow or mowing the lawn good, healthy exercise. You may think it's better to pay someone else to do it. Or you may be nodding your head in agreement with Tayne. If you like the idea of a reverse mortgage, however, you would be smart to consult a financial planner, which leads to the next bit of advice.
Consult a financial planner. If you have ample assets but are afraid of what's to come, Tacchino says, "I would always suggest looking for a planner. Retirement can get complicated, and the right planner can help you manage your money so it lasts longer."

Or consult another professional. If you're truly broke, start getting into the habit of asking for advice from every service or organization you can think of.
For instance, Nohavicka suggests that any retired person who has served in the armed forces contact their local Veteran's Administration office, ask to talk to a benefits specialist and see what programs are available to help stretch your dollar.
"Some veterans are entitled to pensions, assistance with medical care, housing, home care services, nursing home care and even in some instances, housing," she says.
Nohavicka adds that many retired people she comes across are unaware of their retirement benefits, which may be dwindling, but some companies and unions still offer them. She offers the following advice for people talking to professionals about their retirement benefits, but it could apply to anyone looking for help: "Ask questions. You might be pleasantly surprised with what answers you get."

Source: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/youre-running-retirement-money-211000840.html 

How to Watch the Oscar Nominees Online Before It’s Too Late

If you want to get up to speed on this year’s impressive lineup of Academy Award–nominated films, you have just days left before the ceremony on March 2.

And you can do a lot of your watching online, without even a trip to video store.

Though not all of the pictures up for awards are legally available to stream online, there are plenty that you can see right now. At this second. While you’re at work. Check ’em out below.

(Please note: What you see below are not all the nominees of each category, just the ones that are available to stream. Check out the full list here.)

Best PictureCaptain Phillips: Watch it for $3.99 on Google Play or $4.99 on iTunes.
Dallas Buyers Club: Watch it for $4.99 on Google Play or $5.99 on iTunes.
Gravity: Watch it for $14.99 on Google Play or $19.99 on iTunes.
Nebraska:Watch it for $14.99 on Google Play, $14.99 on Amazon or $19.99 on iTunes.
12 Years a Slave: Watch it for $12.99 on Google Play, $14.99 on Amazon or $14.99 on iTunes.

Best Adapted ScreenplayBefore Midnight: Watch it for $9.99 on Amazon.

Best Original ScreenplayBlue Jasmine: Stream it for $3.99 on Amazon.

Best CinematographyThe Grandmaster: Watch it for $3.99 on Amazon.
Prisoners: Watch it for $3.99 on Amazon.

Best Costume DesignThe Grandmaster: Watch it for $3.99 on Amazon.The Great Gatsby: Watch it for $3.99 on iTunes or $14.99 on Google Play.

Best Makeup and HairstylingJackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: Buy it for $19.99 on iTunes or Google Play.
The Lone Ranger: Watch it for $4.99 on Amazon.

Best Original SongDespicable Me 2: Watch it for $17.99 on iTunes or $4.99 on Google Play.

Best Production DesignThe Great Gatsby: Watch it for $3.99 on iTunes or $14.99 on Google Play.

Best Visual EffectsThe Lone Ranger: Rent it for $4.99 on Amazon.
Star Trek Into Darkness: Buy it for $14.99 on Amazon.
Iron Man 3: Buy it for $14.99 on Amazon.

 Best Animated FeatureThe Croods: Rent it for $4.99 on Google Play.
Despicable Me 2: Watch it for $17.99 on iTunes or $4.99 on Google Play.

Best Documentary FeatureThe Act of Killing: Buy it for $12.99 on iTunes, rent it for $3.99 on Google Play, or stream it on Netflix.
Cutie and the Boxer: Stream it on Netflix, buy it for $14.99 on iTunes or rent it for $3.99 on Google Play.
Dirty Wars:Stream it on Netflix or rent it for $3.99 on Amazon.
The Square: Stream it on Netflix.
20 Feet from Stardom: Buy it for $14.99 on iTunes or rent it for $3.99 on Google Play.

Best Foreign Language FilmThe Hunt: Stream it on Netflix or rent it for $3.99 on Amazon.

Best Animated Short“Room on the Broom”: Buy it for $9.99 on iTunes.

Special thanks to canistream.it, where you can go to see more streaming options (including YouTube, Sony Entertainment Network, VUDU and the like). Now get watching.

This post is an updated version of a story that originally ran on Jan. 17.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/how-to-watch-the-oscar-nominees-online-before-its-too-77760648628.html