Liam Payne’s Family Seeks Justice After Tragic Death in Argentina

Liam Payne’s family and friends are mourning the singer’s tragic death after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. On November 6, his coffin was transported to the U.K., where he will reportedly be laid to rest at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Wolverhampton. Former One Direction bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik are expected to attend, along with his ex Cheryl Cole and their 7-year-old son, Bear.

As the investigation into the 31-year-old’s passing unfolds, Argentine authorities have detained two employees from the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. These employees are suspected of supplying drugs to Payne. Preliminary toxicology results revealed that Payne had multiple substances in his system, including cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack, and a designer drug known as “pink cocaine,” which reportedly contained methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and other potent substances.

An insider close to Payne’s family shared that while they were aware of his struggles, they are determined to uncover how and why he ended up in such a vulnerable situation. “Liam’s family knows that he was grappling with personal demons, but they also want answers as to why and how he ended up falling from his hotel balcony,” the source explained. “If someone contributed to Liam’s tragic end, they want justice served. The family needs closure to move forward.”

As his loved ones prepare for a final farewell, they are also calling for accountability and hoping to find peace amidst the tragedy.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Dimensional Advanced Conference in Texas.

As any adviser who works with Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) will tell you, this is one very impressive company. Its commitment to the fiduciary principle and its steadfast dedication to empirical evidence set it apart from virtually every other asset manager in the world.

“It’s just a shame,” a fellow attendee remarked as we said our goodbyes at the end of the conference, “that it’s only rich people who actually benefit.”

Cutting regulatory costs and red tape will help small firms reach more people

He was right, of course.

Although DFA has started offering exchange-traded funds independently of advisers in Australia and the US, most people with money invested in DFA funds are paying for ongoing advice.

To afford that luxury, you generally need investable assets of at least £400,000. The average DFA investor has a far larger portfolio than that.

DFA would no doubt love to see its expertise benefit more people. I’m equally sure most advisers using DFA funds would also like to help those of us who don’t have a multimillion-pound portfolio.

But we live in the real world. Advice firms are businesses, not charities; for most, serving a wider market is not commercially viable.

Consumer Duty

The Financial Conduct Authority, too, is keen to make advice more affordable to those with a smaller portfolio. Yet the Consumer Duty, alas, has made it harder for firms to work with these investors.

Financial regulation needs to be simplified, but any reduction in regulation must be carefully targeted at areas such as the advice gap

At a recent Seccl event, the head of Vanguard’s UK client group, Doug Abbott, argued that the Consumer Duty was unintentionally forcing advisers to focus on serving wealthier clients.

“Advisers are pushing away clients who have £200,000 in investable assets,” he said. “The regulation makes it too difficult to serve this client base.

“In turn, this is contributing to a gap in advice and support available to the mass affluent.”

Abbott is by no means a lone voice. Dynamic Planner chief executive Ben Goss has warned that, although the duty has “the potential to drive significant client value”, the reality of implementation has “proved more challenging” than expected.

The Financial Conduct Authority, too, is keen to make advice more affordable to those with a smaller portfolio

A report by The Lang Cat found that 55% of advisers had stopped serving at least some of their clients as a result of the Consumer Duty. Research by Boring Money backs this up, finding that more people have fallen into the advice gap over the past year.

There are no easy answers but one of them must be artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to AI, jobs that used to take hours can be completed in minutes.

Similarly, the rapid development of secure, app-based planning is making client communication much more efficient. And the increased use of young apprentices, particularly in triaging new clients, is helping firms serve more people, more quickly and easily.

Undoubtedly, though, closing the advice gap must entail a degree of regulatory reform. The regulatory burden on advice firms is simply too great and it disproportionately affects the smallest businesses.

Advisers are pushing away clients who have £200,000 in investable assets

Another report by The Lang Cat found that fear of more compliance and regulation had become the top concern for almost a third of advice firms.

Fine line to tread

At the same time, I worry about noises emanating from the FCA about its direction of travel.

The previous government gave the regulator what it called a secondary international competitiveness and growth objective, which came into force in August 2023. In other words, as well as protecting consumers, the FCA has another duty now: to promote the UK’s financial sector and wider economy.

Clearly, this new dual role creates a conflict of interest. After all, what’s good for the financial industry is often bad for financial consumers, and vice versa.

Advice firms are businesses, not charities; for most, serving a wider market is not commercially viable

The regulator, then, has a fine line to tread. Financial regulation needs to be simplified, but any reduction in regulation must be carefully targeted at areas such as the advice gap.

Cutting regulatory costs and red tape for small firms will help them offer world-class investment solutions from the likes of DFA — as well as ongoing planning — to a much broader range of people.

But the need to protect consumers from much larger, vertically integrated businesses is as great as it’s ever been.

Robin Powell is a freelance journalist and editor of The Evidence-Based Investor

This article featured in the November 2024 edition of Money Marketing. 

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Who Is Xhoana Xheneti? Meet Gavin Rossdale’s New Girlfriend.

Gavin Rossdale has officially gone red carpet public with his girlfriend, Xhoana Xheneti, after over a year of dating. The couple made their debut at the MTV EMAs in Manchester, England, on November 10, 2024, sparking curiosity about Xhoana, who has even been noted for her resemblance to Gavin’s ex-wife, Gwen Stefani.

xhoana_x – Instagram

What Does Xhoana Xheneti Do? Xhoana is a musician like Gavin, specializing in electro-pop. Describing herself as an “artist” in her Instagram bio, she debuted her seven-track EP The Villain in January 2021 under the stage name Xhoana X, followed by another EP, Girlgun, in 2023.

Where Is Xhoana Xheneti From? Originally from Tirana, Albania, Xhoana moved to Los Angeles, where she now resides. She arrived in the United States as a young girl after her mother won the Green Card Lottery, following her parents’ divorce. The culture shock of moving from post-communist Albania to the United States had a profound impact on her music, blending nostalgia and rebellion into her style.

When Did Xhoana Xheneti and Gavin Rossdale Start Dating? Xhoana and Gavin began dating in 2023, with Gavin making his first appearance on Xhoana’s Instagram in October of that year. They officially “hard launched” their relationship on Instagram in March 2024 and attended the iHeartRadio Music Awards together a month later, though they did not walk the red carpet at the time. Their first official red carpet appearance was at the MTV EMAs.

Xhoana’s Connection to Gwen Stefani’s Music When Xhoana arrived in the U.S. in the mid-90s, Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt was at its peak, influencing Xhoana’s musical journey. Reflecting on that time, she said, “When I came here in ’96, there was Tupac, Biggie, No Doubt, Prodigy, and Radiohead — all of this was nonstop inspiration.” Xhoana credits her diverse background and musical influences for her unique style, which blends attitude, vulnerability, and eclectic sounds.

Growing Up in Post-Communist Albania In a 2021 interview, Xhoana shared insights into her early life in Albania. She grew up in a society still shaped by its communist past, with limited access to Western media until the fall of the regime. “When I was little, finally you could watch different TV channels and see things like MTV,” she recalled, highlighting the stark contrast between her upbringing and the culture she encountered upon moving to the U.S.

Xhoana’s journey, from post-communist Albania to the American music scene, and her new relationship with Gavin, marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the artist. Her evolving music continues to reflect the many layers of her past, now intertwined with her life in Los Angeles.

Is Meri Brown Dating? Updates on ‘Sister Wives’ Star’s Love Life After Split From Kody Brown

Meri Brown gained fame through the reality show Sister Wives alongside her former spiritual partner, Kody Brown, and her fellow sister wives, Janelle, Robyn, and Christine Brown. After spending 32 years in a polygamous relationship, Meri ventured into monogamy following her separation from Kody in December 2022. Now, fans are curious if Meri has found love again.

Is Meri Brown Currently Dating? As of now, Meri is single. However, she did briefly explore a new relationship after her split from Kody.

Who Was Meri Brown’s First Relationship Post-Kody? In January 2024, Meri celebrated her 53rd birthday by introducing her new boyfriend, Amos Andrews, to her followers. “Birthday is looking a bit different for me this year, and might I say, I like how it looks,” she shared on Instagram. “Meet Amos, the good-looking guy I’ve been dating since October! He’s not 6 foot 6, nor is he a pilot, but he loves Christmas almost as much as I do, and we laugh a lot together, both of which are important elements to a relationship!”

Meri explained her initial decision to keep the relationship low-key, noting that they were “enjoying the last few months of dating and getting to know each other.” Shortly after going public, Amos appeared in an episode of her Instagram series Friday’s With Friends, where he discussed the differences in their lifestyles. Amos admitted Meri’s reality TV background was initially a “red flag” for him, considering he is a private person with no social media presence.

Meri further explained, “I think it was the second time we talked [that I told him about my reality TV career]. He was like, ‘Yeah, I’m a really private person.’ I’m like, ‘Really? How private are you really?’”

In February 2024, Meri shared news of their breakup after four months of dating. “Last week, I had to face some hard truths and have some difficult conversations. Just because I care a lot about someone, and him me, does not equate to full compatibility for a long-term relationship,” she posted. “When we have different dreams and aspirations, different communication styles and values, and different visions for our futures, it’s then that we need to make hard decisions.”

therealmeribrown – Instagram

What Happened Between Meri and Kody Brown? Meri confirmed her split from Kody during a sneak peek of Sister Wives: One on One in December 2022, revealing frustration over Kody’s approach to ending their relationship. “It just doesn’t make sense to me that he would be so frustrated with Christine [Brown] and be like, ‘She just made this decision,’” Meri shared, “and then he says, ‘No, I don’t consider myself married to Meri.’ He just made the decision. I’ve never heard him say that to me.”

After the tell-all aired, Meri clarified on Instagram that she did not approve of how the show framed their split, adding that there was “so much more to be told.” She stated, “There is peace in my heart, and I hold no animosity toward Kody.” She also expressed her wish to avoid “rude and demeaning comments” directed at him.

Though they legally divorced in 2014 so Kody could marry Robyn, Meri and Kody remained spiritually married until an October 2024 episode of Sister Wives, when Meri received a “release” from their spiritual bond.

Together, Meri and Kody share one child, Leon Brown.

Join us as we delve into the complexities of long-term investing with Catriona McInally, Investment Specialist at M&G Wealth. We explore how advisers can guide clients through market volatility, prioritise “real” returns over short-term gains, and adapt strategies in a changing investment landscape. Catriona shares insights on:

• The dash to cash: Balancing capital preservation with long-term growth amidst high interest rates.
• Market volatility: Maintaining a long-term perspective.
• The evolving investment landscape: The role of private assets.

Tune in now:

MANY of us like the idea of getting as organised as possible for December 25 to avoid the stress of trying to prepare everything on the big day.

But one resourceful mum is already completely ready for Christmas months in advance – including having cooked her family’s dinner.

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38-year-old Kate Hall, founder of thefullfreezer.com, has had her festive feast prepped and stored in her freezer since mid-October.

Kate, who lives in Orpington, London with her husband Matt, 41, a quantity surveyor, and their two children, said: “I’m not super organised in other areas of my life, but I’m obsessed with freezing food. It really helps me keep on top of our food as a family.”

For the past few years, the savvy mum of Ellie, eight, and Josh, six, has got into the habit of getting Christmas dinner prepped and in the freezer more than two months ahead of the big day.

She said: “I always find November and December are ridiculously busy, so it’s great to have one less thing to think about.”

How Kate got into freezing Xmas dinner

Kate first started doing this back in 2020, during the pandemic and was worried that the big day would be “cancelled” due to covid.

She was also worried about not being able to get hold of certain ingredients at the last minute.

“By having it all in the freezer, we knew we wouldn’t be missing any family favourites. It would also give us complete flexibility about how much food we cooked on the day,” she explained.

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The freezer expert has now done this every year since – and December 25, 2024, is no different. Her Christmas countdown began in October.

“Around two weeks ago, I got a fresh delivery of vegetables,” said Kate. “Over the next few days, I got them ready for the freezer whilst doing other jobs in the kitchen.”

She parboiled her roast potatoes as normal, but instead of putting them into the oven, placed them on a lined tray, covered with a clean tea towel and let them cool.

Kate said: “They then went into the freezer, ready to roast straight from frozen later. I also blanched all the other veggies – including carrots, parsnips, fine green beans, broccoli, sprouts and cauliflower – in boiling water.”

After this, she laid them out on lined trays to cool – ready to freeze in individual pieces.

Kate added: “Once this was done, I bagged everything up and stored them away for the big day.”

Rather than have stacks of meat, the mum prefers to focus on having lots of vegetables – and a small joint. 

She has already picked up a cook-from-frozen turkey crown from the supermarket.

“I’ve tucked this away in the freezer, along with pigs in blankets and stuffing balls,” said Kate

“I’ve even frozen my gravy and cranberry sauce flat, in freezer bags in usable quantities. That way, they can be quickly defrosted and reheated with no waste.”

Having everything prepared in advance helps take the chaos out of Christmas morning.

Kate said. “On December 25, I will cook my veg straight from frozen. I’ll simply put them on pre-heated trays and pop them in the oven.”

As many of us will know, finding enough space in the oven when cooking Christmas dinner can be tricky. But Kate has a solution to this.

“If I’m running out of room, I’ll make use of my air fryer too,” she said. “This can work well for the roast potatoes – and is a lot cheaper to run.”

The cost of cooking in advance

While air fryers use a similar amount of power as ovens, they reduce energy costs by cooking food more quickly.

Uswitch research from Christmas 2023 found that it takes 50 minutes to cook roast potatoes in an air fryer at 1.4kw which at current energy prices costs £0.29. This compares to one hour in the oven at 2kw, at a cost of £0.49, based on October’s price cap.

The findings also showed that it takes 15 minutes to cook parsnips in an air fryer at 1.4kw, costing £0.09. This compares to 30 minutes in the oven at 2kw, at a cost of £0.25.

The money-saving mum reckons the bill for her whole festive meal for a family of four comes in at less than £15.

The pros of being prepared

Kate said there are only upsides to getting her festive feast prepped and frozen weeks ahead of the big day.

“By getting organised in advance, I can wake up feeling a lot more relaxed on Christmas morning,” she said.

“This means I have a lot more time to be with my husband and my children – and to enjoy a glass of fizz.”

Another big benefit of all this is the fact it dramatically reduces food waste.

Kate said: “Many families essentially ‘throw away’ a few hundred pounds a year buying food at Christmas and then just chucking it in the bin if they cook too much, or don’t get around to eating it.”

As they aren’t having visitors on December 25, Kate is only cooking for four this year.

“My kids will barely touch the veggies, so using the freezer means I can buy the varieties of veg that my husband and I love,” she said.

“We can then just cook as much as we need – with some intentional leftovers planned in, of course.”

“There really are some big savings to be had,” she added.

“My husband was pretty sceptical at first, but now he’s a complete convert. I know some people will hate the idea, but honestly, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”