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Here are 7 books on investing to add to your holiday reading list

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Compiling your winter break reading list and looking for some titles that may make you a better investor? Here’s some help.

I recently asked BlackRock strategists and portfolio team members to name the most useful book they have read recently from an investing perspective. Here are their top recommendations, in alphabetical order.

Looking for more reading inspiration? Last year, we polled BlackRock’s top investing minds to find out what books they’d recommend to those looking to become better investors, and here are the seven titles that made our 2015 summer reading list.

What must-read investing books did we miss?

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann. This survey of what we now know about the pre-Columbus Americas is a good reminder to always do your own legwork and not just rely on the conclusions of others.



Capital Returns: Investing Through the Capital Cycle: A Money Manager’s Reports 2002-15 1st ed. by Edward Chancellor (Editor)

Capital Returns: Investing Through the Capital Cycle: A Money Manager’s Reports 2002-15 1st ed. by Edward Chancellor (Editor). This collection, examining how the capital cycle approach to investing works, provides a reminder of how important (and rare) excellent capital allocators are.



The Curse of Cash by Kenneth S. Rogoff

 

The Curse of Cash by Kenneth S. Rogoff. Harvard economist Rogoff argues for getting rid of most paper money, with particularly interesting implications for monetary policy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 13 most mind-boggling photos and GIFs on Imgur this year

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Deep sea fish Imgur WTF album

It's that time of year — the time to look back and reflect on the roller coaster of 2016. But we're here to peer back into a place known for celebrating the oddities of the internet. We're talking, of course, about Imgur

Imgur is self-described as "the internet's super entertaining image sharing community site and app used by 150 million people monthly around the world." We asked Imgur to round up some of the best images and GIFs that made the people think "WTF?!" this year, because who doesn't need a little more weird in their 2016?

Let's dive into the weirdness.

With over 2.5 million views on Imgur, this GIF submitted with the simple title of "seals with guns" speaks for itself.

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This is a WTF album worth scrolling through (if you dare). Deep sea creatures are more horrifying than you'd imagine.


The images are taken from a Russian deep-sea fisherman who has been posting his finds on Twitter.



Okay here's where things get a little more gross. This Imgurian posted photos of medical scans of a woman's body allegedly occupied by hundreds of worms.

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Jaguar's Tesla Model X rival is coming in 2018 — here's everything you need to know

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Jaguar is gearing up to release its very first electric car.

Several automakers, like Mercedes and BMW, are aiming to produce an electric SUV by 2020 — and for its very first electric car, Jaguar is taking the same strategy. It's a smart move at a time where demand for smaller sedans is waning and electric cars still only make up roughly 1% of auto sales

Jaguar showed off its electric SUV concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Called the I-PACE concept, the SUV is serving as the basis for a production model set to hit the market in 2018. The car puts Jaguar in direct competition with Tesla, particularly with the Model X.

Here's everything you need to know about the new I-PACE:

SEE ALSO: Tesla just jacked up the price for its entry-level Model S

Behold: Jaguar's I-PACE, a five-passenger SUV. Here, it looks somewhat similar to Tesla's Model X.



See what I mean?



The I-PACE is a preview of Jaguar's electric, five-passenger production car, scheduled to arrive in 2018. That vehicle will be Jaguar's first ever battery-powered vehicle.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

27 Wall Street movies to watch over Christmas

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Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, tis the season to sit around and do next to nothing.

The market is closed (or quiet), everyone's with family, and it's time to get some much needed rest.

That, however, does not mean you can't get a little Wall Street in your day. Why not kick back on the couch and watch one of these Wall Street movies?

You'll definitely enjoy yourself, and you might even learn something.

"Equity" (2016)

In a sentence: The story of a multi-billion dollar deal and the greed that surrounds it.

Plot: A banker who once botched an IPO tries to take another Silicon Valley giant public. And you know how that is.

Genre: Drama



"The Big Short"(2015)

In a sentence: The story of the financial crisis as only Michael Lewis, the famous novelist and author of Wall Street classic 'Liar's Poker', could tell it.

Plot: There are a few weird cameos and asides done by big name movie stars to explain some of the finer points of finance. You will either like those or hate them, but the movie as a whole is enjoyable either way.

Genre: Drama



"It's A Wonderful Life" (1946)

In a sentence: It's a heartwarming classic that will never get old.

Plot: A guardian angel shows businessman George Bailey what life would be like if he never existed.

Genre: Family



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 things every guy needs for his living room

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living room

A living room needs to be livable. 

That's what a living room is for: receiving and entertaining guests, relaxing, and pretty much everything else you do in your home that doesn't take place in a kitchen or bedroom.

Unfortunately, too many guys treat their living rooms as afterthoughts, stuffing them with futons and not putting the proper care into making it a space worthy of spending such a large amount of time.

Make sure that's not the case for your living room by ensuring you have all of these 12 essentials.

SEE ALSO: The best watches at every price point

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

A real, authentic, honest-to-goodness sofa.

There's nothing more necessary to a living room than a sofa. It's a cornerstone.

And no, a futon doesn't count.



Without accent pillows, your sofa will look pretty boring.

Spice it up with an interesting color combination.

Pillows like these from One Kings Lane can turn any drab couch inherited from your relatives into something that might actually look like it belongs in your apartment.



A chair to go along with your sofa.

Unless there's actually no extra room, a chair is an absolute necessity to go along with your sofa.

It completes the look of the living room area, and provides a nice L-shape where a rug can sit.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 giant infrastructure projects that could reshape the world

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The world is full of unfathomably huge projects happening right under our noses.

Take the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which will link three major Chinese cities in the country's quest to bring 42 million people together. Or Norway's plan to build the world's first fully-submerged floating tunnel to cut travel times between fjords in half.

Those efforts and many others illustrate how investing billions of dollars in enormous projects can collectively make the world a better place to live.

Here are some of the biggest projects the world has seen so far.

SEE ALSO: A floating school in Nigeria has collapsed after getting battered by heavy rain

Completed in September 2016, China's Pingtang telescope is now the world's largest radio telescope. Its dish measures 1,640 feet across and is capable of capturing signals more than 1,000 light-years from Earth.



After 17 years of construction, the Gotthard Base Tunnel opened in Switzerland on June 1, 2016. At 35 miles long, it's both the longest and deepest train tunnel in the world, offering unprecedented efficiency when traveling through the Alps.



The newly expanded Panama Canal was unveiled to the public in early June, 102 years after it first opened. It took $5.4 billion and 40,000 workers to triple the capacity of the waterway.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's every new movie you can see in theaters over the Christmas holiday weekend

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Over the last couple of weeks you've been hit with tons of ad campaigns around movies coming out over the Christmas weekend, but with the amount of releases and all the different release windows you probably have no clue when a movie is actually playing in a theater near you.

Well, we got you covered.

From the wide releases like "Passengers" and "Sing" to the limited openings for Martin Scorsese's "Silence" and Denzel Washington's "Fences," here's every movie opening in the next few days. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 best movies of 2016

NOW PLAYING: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Why you should see it: If there's a "Star Wars" fan in your family, it's kind of required viewing.



NOW PLAYING: "Assassin's Creed"

Why you should see it: Though it's not getting the best reviews, if you're a fan of the game (or Michael Fassbender) it's a fun time.



NOW PLAYING: "Passengers"

Why you should see it: It's got a "Titanic" in space-type vibe, but in this one Chris Pratt has some questionable methods to make Jennifer Lawrence fall in love with him.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's how the Obama family decorated the White House for their last holiday

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No one decks the halls quite like the Obama family.

The White House has been transformed for the family's last holiday living there, complete with snowball arches, a 19-foot Douglas fir tree, and a gingerbread replica of their famous address.

Step inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to see how the First Family celebrates Christmastime.

SEE ALSO: 100 gifts under $100 for everyone on your list

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.



Each year, the First Family chooses a theme.



2016's pick was "The Gift of the Holidays."

The Associated Press reported the theme was selected "to reflect the joy of giving and receiving, along with such gifts as service, friends, family, education and good health."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Being a truck driver on Siberia's 'ice highway' is one of the most dangerous jobs in Russia

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As temperatures dip below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the rivers of Russia's Arctic north freeze solid. While for most it's an excuse to stay indoors, winter is when the trucking business comes to life.

Truck drivers ferrying supplies to the farthest, coldest reaches of Russia hop into their vehicles and drive over those frozen arteries. The work is dangerous — especially as the ice eventually melts and thins — and lonely.

Photographer Amos Chapple of Radio Free Europe joined one young truck driver on a 12-day journey to deliver groceries to Russia's Arctic north. See what their experience was like.

SEE ALSO: 'Mammoth pirates' spend months in the Siberian wilderness trying to strike it rich — take a look

Ruslan Dorochenkov, 28, loves cursing, heavy metal music, his kids, and his religion. For eight years, he's risked his life on Siberia's ice highway.



On this particular journey, he was tasked with delivering groceries from Yakutsk to the Arctic town of Belaya Gora. This type of gig typically pays about $600.



The trip began in a warehouse outside Yakutsk, where pasta, cooking oil, soft drinks, and pounds of chocolate croissants were loaded into the truck. It weighed 25 tons.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 ways to make your Mac run faster right now (AAPL)

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There's nothing like a brand new Mac computer. 

There's also nothing like saving money when you can.

Macs are great computers, but they're also expensive, so you want to make sure you get your money's worth before buying a new one.

Here are a few suggestions to make sure you get more life out of your computer and keep it running in tip-top shape.

SEE ALSO: I tried Google Wifi, Eero, and Orbi — here's which one you should buy

Remove apps you don't use anymore.

Browse your Applications folder and see if there are any programs in there you don't use anymore. If so, use an uninstaller to get rid of them and free up hard disk space.

To uninstall apps, just click and drag the app icons to the trash can on macOS.

 



Free up hard drive space if you have an older Mac.

The more stuff you have on a traditional hard drive (versus an SSD), the longer it'll take your old Mac to sort through it to find what you want.

If your drive is filled with stuff, either delete it or move it to a cloud service like Google Drive.



Run Monolingual to delete the extra language files you don't use.

Your Mac and many of the programs you install come with alternative languages that you'll never use. You can delete them to free up hundreds of megabytes of storage space with a free app called Monolingual.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Former 'Top Gear' host Jeremy Clarkson reveals the cars he loved the most this year

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Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson is no stranger to controversial statements.

Over the years he's offended everyone from truck drivers to the British Prime Minister.

The former host of the BBC's "Top Gear" is also a long-time automotive journalist and reviewer, with more than three-decades worth of experience.

Suffice to say, when Clarkson speaks, people listen.

In August, Clarkson revealed the cars he loved driving the most over the past year, through his weekly column in the Sunday Times.

His top 10 ranges from diesel SUVs to high-powered supercars. According to the bombastic TV personality, each of the cars he selected was able to stand out above the fray by making the driver "feel special" every time he or she climbs inside.

"A car must have something to elevate it from the norm. It may be speed, or cleverness, or the fizz, or styling to die for," The host of Amazon Prime's "The Grand Tour" wrote in his column.

"But there must be something. Something that makes you excited every time you climb inside. Because if it doesn’t, then it’s just a tool. And if it’s just a tool, you may as well use the bus."

Here's a closer look at a selection of Jeremy Clarkson's favorite cars from the past year.

Read Jeremy Clarkson's column on The Sunday Times »

SEE ALSO: These are the cars former 'Top Gear' host Jeremy Clarkson hated the most this year

Ferrari 488 GTB

The latest generation mid-engined supercar to emerge from Ferrari is the 488 GTB. And it's about as good as it gets.

"As a driving machine, it’s — there’s no other word — perfect," Clarkson wrote in his review.

The TV host loved the 488's thoroughbred racing technology, melodic engine note, and docile driving dynamics.

"When you drive a Ferrari 488 GTB round a corner on a racetrack, it doesn’t feel like a tool that you’re operating. Or even a comfy, well-fitting glove. It feels like an extension of your very self," he added.

The Ferrari 488 GTB received a total of four out of a possible five stars from Clarkson.



Mazda MX-5

In his review, Clarkson praised the all-new Mazda MX-5 for its joyful personality and driving dynamics. In fact, the Mazda proved to be so wonderfully lovable that Clarkson compared it to a cure for depression.

"The new one is better than ever. Because it’s so organic and raw and simple, it feels how a sports car should. It sings and fizzes and jumps about. It always feels eager and sprightly, and that makes you feel eager and sprightly too," he wrote.

Clarkson gave the MX-5 a full five stars.



Vauxhall Zafira Tourer

Your eyes have not deceived you. A Vauxhall Zafira Tourer with a diesel engine is one of Jeremy Clarkson's favorite cars.

(For those of us in the US, the Zafira is a small MPV/van produced in Germany by GM's European Division.)

Clarkson was impressed by the Zafira's strong turbo-diesel engine, good efficiency, and well-executed interior. But most of all, Clarkson was simply blown away by the Zafira's comfortable ride.

"And then I went over a speed hump and I simply didn’t feel a thing. Never in all my years in this business have I encountered any car — including the Rolls-Royce Phantom — that’s quite so good at refusing to transmit road surface irregularities into the cabin," he wrote in his review.

Naturally the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer received a full five stars from Clarkson.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A man who's played Santa for 13 years explains exactly how to respond to the most awkward things kids say at Christmas

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Santa Jim Boston

Kids really do say the darndest things, especially when they're excited.

And when you've been playing Santa Claus for more than a decade, you hear it all.

So we asked Jim Manning, a full-time children's entertainer who's played Santa Jim in Boston for the past 13 years, to shed some light on the most awkward things kids say at Christmas and how he responds.

Feel free to take some notes for your own curious Santa fans.

Manning says:

DON'T MISS: What it's really like to be a professional Santa Claus

SEE ALSO: Inside the school where men train to be the perfect Santa Claus

'Will you get me that toy?'

I never commit to any presents. You could have a child grab me by the shoulder and ask, "Santa, will you bring me an X-box?" And I will say, "We will see what we can do." Because even if a parent is whispering in my ear "We will definitely get them that toy," I don't know that they're going to find it in the store, and I don't know that they're going to deliver. So I never commit to any single present.



'Can I have a puppy?'

I also get asked about pets a lot — "Can I have a puppy?""Can I have a kitty?"— and I explain that, because it gets so cold on the sleigh, I don't bring animals with me. And that's a decision to make with Mommy and Daddy.



'You don't look like the other Santa I saw'

Sometimes kids will come up and say, "You're different from the other Santa Claus I saw," and I'll say, "Well, that was one of my helpers," which is something I encourage all Santas to do.

You're the real Santa, and everybody else is your helper, so as to not cause confusion.

It's really a case-by-case basis, but I try to stay on the kids' level as much as I can.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 of the best American cities to live comfortably on $40,000 a year

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Canon City, Colorado

Much of America's charm is predicated on small-town life. It's community-oriented, nostalgic, and generally more affordable than living in a big city.

In its October-November print issue, AARP The Magazine highlights 10 great hometowns for anyone on a modest budget of $40,000 a year. (See the shorter online version here).

To create the list, the magazine teamed up with Sperling's Best Places, which focuses on quality-of-life research, to determine a livability index, factoring in metrics on housing affordability, access to work and recreation, transportation, healthcare, and safety. Each city on the list has a score above the average livability index score of 50.

Read on to check out 10 US cities where life is robust and affordable.

DON'T MISS: 15 of the most fun American cities that are actually affordable

SEE ALSO: The 25 cities with the best quality of life in the US

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Livability index: 65

Population: 115,300

Median housing price: $127,300

Sunny days per year: 188

Just one hour north of Milwaukee, you'll find this distinctly Midwestern town on the shores of Lake Michigan at the opening of the Sheboygan River, the area's main draw and a hotspot for surfing and sailing. Residents laud Sheboygan's free and affordable events and activities, including the annual Brat Days festival, a celebration of the city's most famous culinary export.



Eugene, Oregon

Livability index: 59

Population: 358,300

Median housing price: $222,000

Sunny days per year: 155

Nestled in the lush Willamette Valley, Eugene has "carefully cultivated its image as an outdoor-lover's paradise," according to AARP The Magazine. Its high concentration of nature mavens — including the area's college students and retirees — frequent farmers markets, vineyards, hiking and biking trails, museums, and galleries.



Cleveland, Ohio

Livability index: 56

Population: 2 million

Median housing price: $124,000

Sunny days per year: 166

Situated on the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland has experienced a cultural renaissance of late, led by growing populations of baby boomers and millennials alike. The city's robust art and music scene is complemented by lively nightlife and award-winning restaurants, not to mention a renewed excitement among NBA fans with the return of hometown hero LeBron James.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This 32-year-old left his life and career behind to work remotely while traveling the world — and help others do the same

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Charles Du

Charles Du left his career as an award-winning product manager in Los Angeles to travel the world.

But that doesn't mean he stopped working.

Now, the 32-year-old, who has designed apps for NASA and Ticketmaster, teaches other people how to follow in his footsteps. He's become a "digital nomad" who works everywhere from Portugal to Peru.

Through trial and error, Du has figured out how to make this unique lifestyle work for him. Here's how he does it: 

SEE ALSO: A woman who quit her job as an investment banker now earns just as much traveling the world on her own

Before committing to life as a digital nomad, Du experimented with working remotely.

First, he went to Costa Rica and Colombia, and then he made a separate trip to Chile.

"The first experiment failed," Du says. "I joined a surf camp in Costa Rica and did all this adventurous stuff in Colombia. I did a lot of playing but didn't get a lot of work done."

The second time around was much more successful after he found a coworking space in Chile. "Being surrounded by a community of people working helped him be more productive," he says. It gave him the confidence to take a longer trip.



Once he figured out how to work and travel at the same time, he signed up for a yearlong program to help him do it.

That yearlong program is Remote Year, which invites 75 professionals to work in 12 countries around the world. Du plans to continue traveling after it ends.

"I felt like I was plateauing," Du says. "But when I travel, I have these growth spurts. I wanted to travel for long periods in a sustainable way, and the answer was to create my own online business."



Du's passion for technology helps him adapt on the road.

Du considers himself a digital nomad. "I've always been an early adapter," he says.

He relies on video chatting, Slack, WhatsApp, and other tools to schedule meetings, stay organized, and keep in touch with clients.

"These tools help me communicate in ways there weren't possible just a few years ago."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

New York City's 11 best oyster happy hours

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Oysters are wonderful.

But they're even more wonderful when they're meaty, shucked properly, and just a buck.

And so, presented in no specific order, Business Insider's list of the best oyster happy hours in New York.

We tried to get a range of spots for connoisseurs and neophyte fans alike. Shoot us an email if we missed any of your favorites.

Upstate Beer & Oyster Bar

Deal: Six oysters and a beer for $12
Hours: 5-7 p.m. daily
Address: 95 1st Avenue, New York, NY

Upstate is the best of the best. It's a chill, intimate neighborhood gem with wide selection of oysters (both east and west coast) and local craft beers. The place just works — what more can we say?

Pro-Tip: Since Upstate's on the smaller side, it's tough to snag a spot. However, right around the corner is its also-wonderful sister spot, Edwin & Neal's, where you can get a variety $1 oysters and $5 drafts from 5-7 p.m. daily. We daresay it's almost as good as Upstate if you sit at the bar.



Maison Premiere

Deal: Oysters starting at $1.25
Hours: Monday to Friday 4-7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Address: 298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Excellent oysters and New Orleans-esque cocktails are the main attractions at Maison Premiere, a Williamsburg bar with an old-world allure. For the particularly daring, they serve absinthe cocktails — which we highly, highly recommend.



The Mermaid Inn

Deal: $1 oysters, $5 beers
Hours: All night Monday; Tues-Fri 5-7 p.m.; Sat-Sun 4-7 p.m. 
Address: 96 Second Ave. and 568 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY

The nautical theme can look really kitschy really fast, but Mermaid Inn manages to get the ambiance just right. Seafood-wise, Mermaid Inn's secret sauce is consistency: everything's always pretty good. The oysters were smaller relative to other happy hours, but, hey, they were clean.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 33 best entertainment photos of the year

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As it comes to a close, it's safe to say 2016 was a mixed bag.

Beyoncé had two killer performances at the Super Bowl and VMAs this year and we all watched as Ellen DeGeneres humbly received the presidential medal of freedom.

But those feel good moments were punctuated with the loss of some of entertainment's greatest icons, from David Bowie to Prince.

Send off 2016 with a journey down memory lane recounting the biggest stories and best moments of the year.

January 11: People visit a mural of British singer David Bowie in Brixton who died from cancer at age 69.



January 17: “The Big Short” director Adam McKay kisses Christian Bale at the Critics’ Choice Awards as he accepts the award for best comedy for their movie.



February 7: Beyoncé and Bruno Mars slayed during a performance with Coldplay at the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Disneyland pulls out all of the stops during the holidays — here's what it's like inside

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Disneyland undergoes a special transformation every winter.

In the spirit of the holiday season, the usual decor is swapped for holiday-themed counterparts.

To truly grasp the breadth of transformation, would-be visitors need to spring $100 for a ticket. But thanks to photo-sharing platforms like Flickr and Instagram, you can experience the magic right from your computer. 

Keep reading for a peek inside "The Happiest Place on Earth" during its most festive season. 

First stop: Main Street. The entrance to Disneyland hosts an enormous Christmas tree.

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Main Street leads visitors towards the iconic castle.

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The castle at night is stunning.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 things that will trash your home's value

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For many of us, a home is the biggest investment we'll ever make — yet most Americans are clueless about their home's value, including the things that can ruin it.

From unappealing renovations to an unfortunately placed sinkhole, numerous factors can devalue your greatest investment.

We've rounded up 13 threats that could dampen your home's value.

Kathleen Elkins contributed to a previous version of this story.

SEE ALSO: The No. 1 sign you can't afford to buy a home

DON'T MISS: 9 signs you can afford to buy a home — even if it doesn't feel like it

Sinkhole damage

While there's insurance coverage specifically for sinkhole damage in case your property is hit by one, they still hurt property values.

"It definitely stigmatizes the property," Rob Arnold, a Florida real-estate investor and realtor who has bought and sold more than 30 sinkhole properties in the last five years, told CF13 News. He tells owners of damaged homes to knock 30% off their asking price, plus the cost of any repairs.



City dumps and power plants

When researchers looked at five municipal landfills near residential property in Cleveland, Ohio, they found the stench was enough to drag down property values by 5.5% to 7.3%. Landfills are most hurtful in populated, expensive, residential areas. The effect was basically nonexistent in sparse, rural areas.

Likewise, the University of California at Berkeley found that homes within 2 miles of a power plant drop 3% to 7% in value.



Hoarders or messy neighbors

If your neighbors' homes and yards look sloppy, home shoppers tend to put a lower value on your home.

A nearby property's overgrown yard, peeling paint, and clutter can easily knock 5% to 10% off the sale price of your home, Joe Magdziarz, president of the Appraisal Institute and a real-estate appraiser with 40 years of experience, told MSN Money.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I shipped my spit to AncestryDNA to see how much I could learn from my genes — and found out my family history is more complex than I thought

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I have to admit: I've become a genetics geek. Ever since I sent my first saliva sample to be analyzed by consumer-genetics company 23andMe, I've become obsessed with what I can find out from a sample of my DNA.

After trying out 23andMe's $199 test, I wanted to see how one of its competitors' tests stacked up.

For $99, AncestryDNA will sequence your genes to help trace your geographic roots. It doesn't provide health and wellness information, although Ancestry launched a program aimed at tracking family-health history called AncestryHealth. The company also recently teamed up with Alphabet's biotechnology company, Calico, to study the genetics of the human lifespan. 

Here's what it was like to use AncestryDNA:

RELATED: I tried 23andMe's new genetics test — and now I know why the company caused such a stir

SEE ALSO: The 7 best science-backed fitness apps

Shortly after I ordered it online, my AncestryDNA kit arrived in the mail in a small box the size of a hardcover book.

Learn more here.



Opening it up, I found a collection tube (and a bag to seal it in once I was done), a set of instructions, and a smaller box to send it all back in.



No stranger to collection tubes, I wasn't quite looking forward to spitting up to the top of the line on this tube. As I learned previously, generating enough spit for the collection process (which helps ensure the company has enough DNA to run it a second time in case of errors) can be hard work.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL 2016 [SLIDE DECK]

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The retail industry is on the cusp of a fundamental transformation driven by digital technologies. And as retailers adapt to the digital age, the line between physical and digital commerce is becoming increasingly blurred.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck exploring the most disruptive trends in e-commerce.  Access the full deck now for free by clicking here.

Some of the topics covered include:

  • The size of the retail and e-commerce markets.
  • The breakdown of e-commerce sales by product category.
  • How legacy retailers are adapting to digital.
  • Which e-commerce companies are leading the way.
  • What omnichannel strategies retail companies are adopting.
  • And much more.

The companies mentioned in this year's presentation include:  Sports Authority, Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Wayfair, Target, Dollar Shave Club, Instacart, Walmart, CVS, and Sam's Club.

Below are 8 sample slides from the 65-page deck.  Want the full deck? Access it here for FREE >>

Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



Want the full 65-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>



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