• Set yourself up for financial success in your 30s and 40s by avoiding common money mistakes in your 20s. 
• Even if you don't have money to your name yet, it's important to think about your finances. 
• You should save up a cash fund for emergencies, and take your credit card debt very seriously.
• You also should pay down your student loans as aggressively as possible, and start saving for retirement. 

Ah, to be in your 20s. Brunches are frequent, hangovers are less debilitating, and all the big, serious life stuff seems so far away. So top off your bottomless mimosa, my friend, because you've got absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to your finances … or do you?

Well, I've got good news and bad news.

The bad news is you always need to think about your finances, even when you're just starting out and don't have much money to your name yet.

The good news is that just a few action items now can set you up for financial comfort later. The earlier you start, the less catching up you'll need to do in future decades.

People of all ages make money mistakes all the time, so don't be too hard on yourself if you haven't been maximizing every savings opportunity. Just try to avoid these common errors 20-somethings make (40-something you will be glad you did!).

SEE ALSO: 9 money mistakes to avoid in your 40s

1. Not saving for emergencies

Unexpected expenses are how many people suddenly find themselves in debt. In fact, more than half of Americans don't have the savings on hand to afford a $500 emergency.

Protect yourself by building up a cash cushion. Start by setting aside enough money to cover a month of expenses (rent, utilities, phone, etc.) in a savings account that's separate from your checking account. Gradually grow that amount to three to six months of coverage.

Find the highest interest rate you can for your emergency savings account. You can compare rates on Bankrate. Online banks like Ally often offer the most competitive rates. Set up an automatic contribution from your checking account so your savings can grow effortlessly.

2. Going without health insurance

You may be young, but you're not immune from injury and illness. Failing to insure yourself properly can lead to some serious emergency expenses (and four- or five-figure debt).

Don't go without health insurance! If you don't get this through your employer, open enrollment is happening now through December 15 on Healthcare.gov.

3. Not getting renter's insurance

Many renters mistakenly think their landlord's homeowners insurance policy will protect them, which isn't true. Renters insurance will help you replace items that are stolen or damaged, and can even help with medical costs if someone is injured in your home. By the way, you might not be covered just because your roommate has their own policy! Look into adding yourself to their policy or getting your own.

What else does renters insurance cover? If something you own is stolen from your car, or your luggage is stolen while you're traveling, your losses are covered. If your apartment is so damaged that it's uninhabitable during repairs, your insurance policy would pay for your temporary living arrangements.

Think about how much a fire would cost you: replacing your televisions, computers, furniture, clothing, artwork, and other expensive items (add to that the cost of a few weeks in a hotel). You can't afford to not protect your rental home. And coverage is cheap — under $300 a year for about $30,000 of coverage! You can also add riders to your policy to for additional coverage for high-value items like jewelry, as well.

• We ate dozens of meals at fast-food restaurants in 2017. 
• A couple of the big names came through with strange new menu items that were actually good. 
• A few newcomers wowed us, too, and made our list of the best things we've eaten this year. 

A lot happened in 2017.

McDonald's ran out of Schezuan sauce, inspiring riots. Taco Bell served fried chicken. Millions retweeted a teen desperate for free Wendy's chicken nuggets. And some other stuff, too.

As two fast-food reporters and superfans, we've eaten dozens upon dozens of meals at chain restaurants across the country this year. From Filipino fast-food to all-American McDonald's, we've traversed the culinary globe of chain dining. 

Looking back at the year, we wanted to pay tribute to the menu items whose stars shone the brightest. These aren't all new menu items, but they were new to us. Here's the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the crown jewels of quick service in 2017.

SEE ALSO: Walmart and Amazon's long-simmering feud exploded in 2017 — and it's redefining retail

Raising Cane's chicken fingers

We thought we knew chicken. But no man knows chicken until they have tried Raising Cane's chicken fingers. 

Time for a little Cane's theory: by focusing exclusively on chicken fingers, Raising Cane's is able to perfect the form in a way few competitors can even dream of. They're crispy yet light, perfectly juicy, and tender.  

Waffle House's steak melt

Waffle House is an American icon, but one that Hollis had sadly never visited prior to this year. On a trip to Virginia, we decided to right this egregious wrong. 

The entire menu was fantastic, but the steak melt is a hit more so due to its underdog status. As we said at the time, "the gestalt of its harmoniously greasy, cheesy, perfectly tender, and masterfully toasted creation nearly drove us to tears." 

Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa

Taco Bell's stunt menu items are hit-or-miss. This year, we had a runaway hit on our hands with the Naked Chicken Chalupa. To be honest, we were initially incredibly suspicious of a chalupa that uses fried chicken as a shell.

But our suspicions were soon allayed. The Naked Chicken Chalupa showcases surprisingly tasty and spicy chicken and classic Taco Bell fillings, balanced against the crux of the very chalupa itself: a smooth avocado ranch sauce. 

Santa Jim understands the value of a top-notch beard — no straggly, wispy nonsense or anything that could easily get pulled off.

Instead, he imports his beard, which ties on in three places, from Switzerland for a whopping $750.

To Santa Jim, it's worth every penny.

According to this professional, private events Santa Claus — Jim Manning when he's out of the red suit — a lot more goes into playing Santa than simply showing up, finding the nearest couch, and letting kids sit on your lap.

Below, Manning shares more about the business of being Santa:

SEE ALSO: What it's really like to be a professional Santa Claus

DON'T MISS: How a professional Santa Claus answers 'Can you bring back Grandma?' and more awkward questions kids ask

First: Create an online presence

In 2004 I grabbed the domain name SantaBoston.com, and that's really been what's sent a lot of the Santa Claus traffic to me. The website presence has been important, and I've added social-media presence over the years. I'm now seeing direct social-media results — people see me on Instagram and they're hiring me from that. But the website is still the No. 1 way people contact me.

And having a mobile-friendly website has been huge. My website wasn't mobile-friendly until about three years ago. Now about 78% of people look at my website on their phones or their iPads.

The content that goes on the website is important, too. There are a lot of Santa Clauses who have websites, and fortunately I've had a lot of them helping me in terms of what the site needs.

People want to see ... Do you look good as Santa? Do you seem trustworthy? And what are your prices? And you don't put your prices on your website, because that's just not something you do. But people want all that information, and they want it quickly, and they're going to decide whether to reach out to you from that.

Then, start booking your gigs a year in advance

The busy season is December, Thanksgiving to Christmas. We start receiving calls and emails in August to book events. Some people will book from the year before. But the real majority of the requests start coming in October and November. And a lot of last-minute requests come in, too. The real season starts to ramp up after Thanksgiving.

The first week of December is more promotional work — a lot of photo shoots. I did a photo shoot for Legal Sea Foods, where they had me as Santa Claus taking photos of their clam chowder or their lobster. Drug stores, car dealerships — they'll bring me in to set the tone for the season and whatnot.

Then toward the middle of December, that's when I start getting into more corporate parties, private parties. And then as we get closer to Christmas Eve, the majority of my events are parties in people's homes.

Christmas Eve is the busiest day. I'll do 10 appearances. This year, my first visit is at 11 a.m. and my last visit is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Most weekdays are two to three visits. Weekends are much busier. Sunday I did eight different visits. I'll have five or six days off somewhere in between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Santa Jim charges $499 for a visit, and does upwards of 80 visits during the season.

Be sure to suit up

I've also got a lot of my own costs. This isn't a part-time thing for me — this is my full-time gig. So I have an operations manager, and a lot of money goes into advertising and promotions.

I spend over a hundred dollars on gloves every year. My dry-cleaning bills are pretty expensive.

The gloves I wear are band gloves that have little grips on them. Why do they have grips on them? Because when I'm turning the pages of "The Night Before Christmas" I don't have to fumble around. To me, details like this are super important.

The wigs and beards and mustaches? A friend of mine imports them from Switzerland. One wig, beard, mustache set costs me about $750, and I have five of them, which I've built up over the course of a few years.

My beard is tied on in three different spots. It's really beautiful, and children under the age of 8 have a tough time distinguishing between my beard and a real beard. 

 The belt cost me $400 — that was handmade from a leather maker in Montana, which a big, gold-brass buckle.

I've got a cooling vest, which law-enforcement officers use to stay cool, because I'm playing Santa Claus for upwards of 10 hours. I've got the fat suit. 

I spend over $300 a year on dry cleaning with all my suits. I've got five suits that I keep in regular rotation. So pretty much as soon as I wear a suit I'm dropping it off at the dry cleaners and I'm keeping them on a constant rotation because I want to look as fresh as possible.

Driving-wise, this year I'm driving 75 hours, probably over 3,000 miles. So there's gas, tolls, and so forth.

Then there's food. Normally I cook for myself and my wife, but I don't have time for the month of December, so I end up eating out a lot, doing take-out. I tried finding a meal-delivery service. But at the end of the day, it's a lot of grab-and-go.

By late 1944, Allied forces had pushed Nazi Germany back in much of Europe, retaking Paris and Rome.

US Army intelligence determined that the thick evergreen forest of the Ardennes in Belgium would be a good place to rest and reorganize combat units, as enemy forces in the area were largely low-quality troops.

The Nazis, however, were preparing a great counteroffensive, forming up 30 crack divisions that would cut the Allied army in two and push for the Belgian port of Antwerp.

On the morning of December 16, 1944, more than 200,000 German troops and almost 1,000 tanks drove into the Ardennes across an 85-mile stretch of the front line, running from southern Belgium to the middle of Luxembourg.

Stories abound of German paratroopers dropping behind the lines, of English-speaking Nazi troops impersonating Americans, and of massacres of American prisoners of war at Malmedy.

Bad weather held Allied air power in check, and many American troops were caught off guard. The US 106th Infantry division was encircled in hours, and two out of three soldiers were caught or killed. US forces settled into wholesale retreat, save for a few pockets of soldiers who fought on but were quickly isolated, though they held crucial road junctions.

Allied troops from all over the Western Front rushed to the 50-mile bulge the German offensive pushed into the front lines. Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army arrived at the end of December, and weather improved, but it took until January 28, 1945, to return the front line to where it was on December 15.

Below, you can see photos from the first weeks of the frigid six-week battle that caused 67,000 American and 100,000 German casualities.

SEE ALSO: It's been 77 years since the Battle of Britain — here are 14 photos of the Nazi onslaught in the skies of England

German soldiers, wearing heavy winter gear, walk past a burning American half-track in the Western Front in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, December 1944. This photo is from a batch of film captured from the Germans by American forces.

German infantrymen pass burning captured American vehicles during the drive into Allied lines on the Western Front in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 during World War II. This photo is from a batch of film captured from the Germans by American forces.

An unidentified young American soldier, captured by German troops during their counterattack in the Belgian Ardennes region, leads a march of prisoners at an unknown location in December 1944.

When it comes to stretching, there are a lot of options to choose from.

But what are the best everyday stretches for anyone looking to avoid sore muscles, get more flexible, and protect his or her muscles from injuries?

We turned to Marilyn Moffat, a professor of physical therapy at New York University and author of "Age Defying Fitness," to go over some of the best basic stretches for everyone.

Remember: Don't do these stretches if they make you uncomfortable or if you have existing muscle problems. Instead, consult a physical therapist.

SEE ALSO: Meet the 30 biotech leaders under 40 who are searching for breakthrough treatments and shaping the future of medicine

DON'T MISS: 'Nobody's talking about' 2 medical conditions that affect 8 million women in America — but that could be about to change

First things first: Get seated with good posture. Having that will help you do these stretches correctly.

Start with some neck rotations. Be sure to hold each side for 30 to 60 seconds. This applies to all stretches.

For the neck tilt, be sure to pull your left arm down toward the floor, either holding onto the chair or just pulling down.

• Leonard Steinberg is a New York City-based real estate broker and a president at Compass.
• Working mostly with units inside luxury buildings, Steinberg has been responsible for over $3 billion in transactions throughout his career.
• We followed Steinberg for a day to find out just what his work entails.

Compass President Leonard Steinberg has been responsible for more than $3 billion in transactions in his career as a real estate broker.

Luxury buildings are his specialty. His largest sale to date was on a Tribeca penthouse that sold for $43 million, and in 2009, he worked on the $32 million deal for Dolce & Gabbana designer Domenico Dolce's 11th Avenue penthouse. 

Steinberg's move over to Compass — a real estate company that launched in 2013 and prioritizes data and technology — came as a surprise to many in the the industry. When he left Douglas Elliman, where he was the top agent for Downtown Manhattan, he told The Real Deal, "I like to feel like a bit of a maverick." 

Earlier this month, we followed him around to see what a typical day in his life is like. Between countless meetings, apartment showings, phone calls, and marketing consultations, Steinberg keeps plenty busy.    

SEE ALSO: Facebook was just named the best workplace of 2018 — step inside its New York office, where employees enjoy an in-house pastry chef and tons of celebrity cameos

When I arrived at Steinberg's West Village apartment at 8:30 a.m., it was already an exciting morning. Compass had just announced that it had received the largest real estate tech investment in US history with a $450 million infusion from SoftBank. The investment valued Compass at $2.2 billion. Steinberg rushed over to the TV, where the company's cofounder and CEO, Robert Reffkin, was being interviewed on CNBC.

Source: Business Insider

Before heading into the office, Steinberg sent out his daily company-wide email, one that he's been writing since his first day with Compass. He uses it to deliver company news as well as unique insight into whatever's on his mind. Today's topic? Aging.

Steinberg is originally from South Africa but has lived in Dallas and New York City during his 33 years in the US. Before his days in real estate, Steinberg worked in the fashion industry, and he still designs his own suits. On this day, he wore his very own all-white suite in honor of Compass' office holiday party, which was to be held later in the evening.

In hindsight, some life lessons weren't obvious at the time.

Fortunately, you can glean wisdom from these 12 top entrepreneurs and members of The Oracles on your path to success.

SEE ALSO: 6 entrepreneurs and execs share their top tip on how to get closer to success every day

1. Be ready to run a marathon.

Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerMedia (700+ employees with over $100 million in annual revenue), NYT-bestselling author, and mentor on "Planet of the Apps":

I'd tell my 24-year-old self: "Look, you've chosen long-term marathon running. So, wear a marathon outfit, not a sprinter's outfit. Be patient and accumulate experiences. You're 20 percent into a 100-year life. You haven't even started."

Then I'd pat myself on the back and say: "You're on the right path."

2. Think global.

Kevin Harrington, inventor of the infomercial, pioneer of the "As Seen on TV" industry, and original Shark on "Shark Tank":

At 24, I was a successful entrepreneur running a driveway-sealing business. But I couldn't scale it. Once I got on TV and infomercials, I was able to expand globally.

My advice: "Get into mass media on a global basis asap!" These days, you can utilize Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, influencing millions of people across the globe with mass efficiency.

3. Commit.

Grant Cardone, top sales expert and NYT-bestselling author; follow Grant on Facebook or YouTube:

I lost the first five jobs I ever had and deserved it. At age 24, I was the black sheep of my family, involved in drugs and flat broke. I didn't even like myself.

Talking to that kid now, I'd say: "Get committed to success. You can do anything you want, but first, you have to commit. Every true commitment involves time and money."

Bitcoin is still too risky for many investors with a lot of money at stake.  

But there's a handful of stocks that stand to benefit from bitcoin and the underlying blockchain technology, according to Tom Lee, a strategist at Fundstrat and one of the most prominent advocates for the cryptocurrency.

The basket of 12 stocks he recommended in a note Friday has gained 136% this year. That's more than the S&P 500's 18% rally, but is dwarfed by bitcoin's 1,588% rise.  

"We believe investors should have exposure to blockchain, particularly given bitcoin has essentially zero correlation to equities, bonds and commodities — hence, as a portfolio strategy, bitcoin is a good diversification tool," Lee said. He sees one bitcoin costing $25,000 by the end of 2022. 

The stocks Lee recommends offer "three types of leverage—  (i) price gains of bitcoin/tokens; (ii) transaction activity (either wallets or exchanges); and (iii) mining based on proof of work or proof of stake." 

Here they are, in ascending order of how much exposure Lee estimates they have to bitcoin:

Square

Ticker: SQ

Market cap: $14.8 billion

Year-to-date performance: 179% 

Comment: Allows bitcoin to be bought and sold, accepts bitcoin.

Source: Fundstrat

Goldman Sachs

Ticker: GS

Market cap: $94.4 billion

Year-to-date performance: 4.5% 

Comment: Likely "first mover" investment bank in bitcoin. 

Source: Fundstrat

Overstock

Ticker: OSTK

Market cap: $1.13 billion

Year-to-date performance: 158% 

Comment: Accepts bitcoin and owns Medici Ventures, its blockchain subsidiary.

Source: Fundstrat

Harvard University professors constantly read and assign texts to their students. So they know a good book when they see one.

With that in mind, Business Insider asked professors at Harvard to share the single book they think every student should read in 2018.

The professors include Nobel laureates, scientists, economists, and Pulitzer Prize winners. The books they chose were as diverse as their professional backgrounds.

Read on to see what professors from Harvard think you should read next year.

SEE ALSO: Harvard just released its early admissions decisions — here's how many students got in

'Anna Karenina,' by Leo Tolstoy

"I'm re-reading 'Anna Karenina.' There is no better novel I know about how women (and I don't mean just Anna) – elite, intelligent, educated – are ignored, oppressed, and have little legal recourse. Women are the caregivers, the empathetic. They hold society together and provide salvation even as the priests take the credit.

"Tolstoy's novel is as relevant today as it ever was. As a sideline, one also learns about technical change in agriculture and how to incentivize laborers to adopt it. And there is more … It is clearly the best novel ever written and worth another close read from us all."

- Claudia Goldin, economic historian and a labor economist, author of the forthcoming "Women Working Longer: Increased Employment at Older Ages"

Find "Anna Karenina" here »

'The Internationalists,' by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro

"'The Internationalists,' by the legal scholars Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro, explain a phenomenon you probably didn’t even know existed — the decline of interstate war and conquest — with a historical event you probably think is ridiculous: the Kellogg-Briand Paris Peace Pact of 1928, which declared war illegal.

"But in their gripping and evidence-rich book, they make a plausible case. And like The Clash of Civilizations and The End of History, the book presents a sweeping vision of the international scene, making sense of many developments in the news and recent history."

- Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and the author of ten books, including the forthcoming "Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress"

Find "The Internationalists" here »

'Just Mercy,' by Bryan Stevenson

"I suggest Bryan Stevenson's 'Just Mercy.'"

- Stephen Greenblatt, English professor, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of "The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve"

Find "Just Mercy" here »

• North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children with his wife Ri Sol-ju.
• There are few details on the kids, but they're believed to be between the ages of 10 months and 7 years old.
• The eldest child is believed to be a boy who is expected to one day succeed Kim.

Like much of North Korea, the personal and family life of its dictator Kim Jong Un is shrouded in secrecy.

Little is known about his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and even less is known about the three young children the couple is believed to have.

Most of the currently available information about the family comes from South Korea's National Intelligence Service. But former US basketball star Dennis Rodman has also spoken to media about holding one of Kim's children during one of his controversial visits to the Hermit Kingdom, though the details he provided have not been independently corroborated.

Here's everything we know:

SEE ALSO: The mysterious life of Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, who probably has 3 children and frequently disappears from the public eye

DON'T MISS: How former basketball star Dennis Rodman became one of the few Americans welcome in Kim Jong Un's North Korea

Most sources agree that Kim and his wife have had three children since their secretive marriage in 2009.

Source: Business Insider

Kim's first child is believed to be a boy, born in 2010, and his second child was likely a daughter born in 2013. The fact that Kim has at least one male heir likely means that he will eventually succeed Kim and continue the family's dictatorship dynasty.

Source: CNN

The gender of Kim's third child, however, remains unknown. The child is believed to have been born in February 2017.

Source: Business Insider

College football bowl season is finally here!

Over the next few weeks the best teams in college football will meet for one final game before heading back to the weight room and recruiting circuit to get ready for next year.

But for now, we have more great football to look forward to! During the regular season we picked seven games a weekend against the spread as our best bets, and went a comfortably profitable 54-43-1 in that span.

With bowl season here, we're taking our increased bankroll and letting it ride so we can enter 2018 with even more money to lose on the new sporting year.

Below you'll find our picks against the spread for every bowl game between now and Christmas. After the holiday, we'll check back in and offer some more picks to get you the rest of the way.

All lines courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

New Orleans Bowl: Troy (-7) vs. North Texas

The pick: North Texas +7

The logic: Troy was one of the most notable Group of 5 schools in the country this season after their upset win on the road over LSU. That said, I think they'll be overvalued in this spot simply because casual gamblers know them — "Oh yeah! That's that random team that beat LSU!"— while they won't know North Texas, who have been just as impressive.

When to watch: 1 p.m. Saturday, December 16 on ESPN

AutoNation Cure Bowl: Western Kentucky (-6.5) vs. Georgia State

The pick: Western Kentucky -6.5

The logic: Western Kentucky has won three straight bowl games and thus has a group of seniors who have never lost a postseason game. Let's trust them to finish out their college careers strong.

When to watch: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, December 16 on CBS Sports

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State (+7) vs. Oregon

The pick: Oregon -7

The logic: Oregon has scored an average of 33 points a game this season despite being held to single-digit efforts twice. The Boise State Broncos on the other hand have not had the same dominant offense that once made them the top powerhouse in the Group of 5.

I think Oregon gets to 40 points this game, and I don't think the Broncos can keep pace. Boise already played its biggest game of the season when they won their rematch with Fresno State to take the MWAC championship. Plus, this way you get to root for whatever wild jerseys the Ducks decide to wear.

When to watch: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, December 16 on ABC

• Passion sometimes fades as relationships progress — but it's possible to lure it back.
• Researchers and therapists have a bunch of simple strategies for reestablishing intimacy.
• Those strategies include trying something new and finding reasons to laugh together.

Passion comes and goes in every relationship. The key is not freaking out when you experience a dip — and knowing that you can reignite the proverbial spark that drew you to one another early on.

Read on for five simple strategies that can help you spice up a dull romance, backed by science and expert opinion.

SEE ALSO: 7 strategies that can help make your relationship happier in 10 minutes or less

Try something new together

An oft-cited study by psychologist Arthur Aron found that doing something new and exciting with your partner can lead to greater relationship satisfaction.

For the study, published 1993 in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, couples either spent time together doing novel activities, like dancing or hiking; spent time together doing pleasant but routine activities, like going to a movie; or didn't change anything about their daily lives.

After 10 weeks, the researchers reassessed the couples' relationship quality and found that those who had tried new and exciting things were the most satisfied.

Talk about what you need from the relationship — not what you don't need

Writing on the Gottman Institute's blog, Terry Gaspard says the first step to reestablishing sexual intimacy is fostering emotional intimacy.

Gaspard writes:

"Both partners need to talk about their feelings in terms of positive need, instead of what they do not need.

"According to [research psychologist and couples counselor] Dr. Gottman, expressing a positive need is a recipe for success for both the listener and the speaker because it conveys complaints and requests without criticism and blame.

"Dr. Gottman says, 'This requires a mental transformation from what is wrong with one's partner to what one’s partner can do that would work. The speaker is really saying, 'Here’s what I feel, and what I need from you.'"

Don't keep a relationship 'scoreboard'

A 2012 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science illustrates the importance of being willing to give in a relationship.

Forty-four couples in long-term relationships participated in the three-week study, answering questions about their sexual activity and their feelings about it. Results showed that people who were more interested in meeting their partner's sexual needs also displayed greater sexual desire — and were more satisfied with the relationship overall.

In a review of the research on Psychology Today, psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne writes:

"You don’t have to be a complete pushover and never expect your partner to satisfy your needs to have a sexually intimate relationship that withstands the test of time. On the other hand, this study shows us that it's important not to keep a relationship scorecard, especially in the bedroom. Be willing to give more than you receive, and it’s possible that both of you will experience sexual happiness for many years to come."

If you've got a long drive or flight ahead of you for the holidays, you might be in search of the right audiobook to get you through your travels.

A list compiled by Amazon-owned audio book retailer Audible might help with your decision.

Audible compiled its list by looking at the most listened-to books of 2017. These are the audiobooks that listeners listened to the most — as opposed to simply looking at the most downloaded titles. Readers' listening habits pegged these books as the ones with the most re-listening potential.

Read on to see which nine made the list. Descriptions below are from each book's publisher.

SEE ALSO: 7 books that will make you smarter in a single plane ride

9. 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,' by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale

The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter — but that doesn't stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition.

Then at Halloween, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through — alive!

Listen here »

8. 'How to Win Friends and Influence People,' by Dale Carnegie, narrated by Andrew MacMillan

You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!

For over 60 years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this audiobook has carried thousands of now-famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

Listen here »

7. 'It ,'by Stephen King, narrated by Steven Weber

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made 28 years ago calls them to reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children.

Now children are being murdered again, and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry's sewers.

Listen here »

Two tech companies and a consulting firm make an unusual trio, but according to the employer review site Glassdoor they share one key distinction.

Google, Facebook, and Bain & Company are the three best workplaces in the US.

Since 2009, when Glassdoor began collecting data for its Best Places to Work ranking, the three companies have consistently made the list, and lately they've stayed ins the top 10. Facebook was ranked the best workplace of 2018, Bain & Co. was ranked the best workplace of 2017, and Google was the best of 2015.

There are a number of ways to explain what makes the companies great. Here are the biggest factors.

SEE ALSO: What it's like to work at Bain & Company, the best workplace of 2017

They support open cultures.

Great workplaces demonstrate transparency between leadership and fellow staff. 

At Google, cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin routinely hold company-wide meetings on Friday, called TGIF, where employees can ask any question of the company they want.

"It's truly fair game to ask anything, no matter how controversial, and frequently the executives will be responsive," one employee wrote on Glassdoor.

Offices are designed to maximize productivity.

To help people reach peak productivity, the best companies provide a range of rooms, nooks, and workspaces. 

At Bain and Co., employees can steal away into one-person quiet spaces, camp out in private, high-back chairs, or mingle in the open office with others. 

Facebook and Google make similar design choices in their offices, outfitting them with large and small conference rooms and breakout areas for quick, private chats.

They pay people well.

Still, it doesn't hurt to make a lot of money.

The typical consultant and Bain and Co. makes $140,000 plus $30,000 in bonuses, stock options, and profit sharing. Google employees make about the same.

At Facebook, the starting engineer typically makes $142,000 a year. Including bonuses and equity, the average market salary climbs to $258,000.

• There are a number of countries that are popular with expats and relatively easy for Americans to move to. 
• Most countries will let you stay on a tourist visa or a holiday visa for six months to a year.
• While the United Kingdom, Bali, and New Zealand aren't cheap, they have large numbers of English speakers and big expat communities. 
• Mexico and Canada are also easy to move to for short stints — but establishing permanent residency is harder. 

When it's time to leave the country for a spell — half a year, maybe, or for the rest of your life, who knows? — your very bones tell you. Your feet twitch. You fidget. You start absentmindedly petting any globes you come across. That urge to pick up and go is a powerful sensation. Then your brain gets involved and starts with the nagging questions: finances, time zones, logistics, paperwork.

Whatever you do, don't let your brain talk sense into you. Here, as a start, feed it these relatively low-lift countries for expats. The criteria for an "easy' relocation is relative, but English speakers, an expat tradition, and a Western-friendly culture all help. We also looked for immigration policies that will allow you to spend at least a year abroad, ideally more. Make an exploratory visit to your potential new homeland (duh), squirrel away some savings (double duh), and then square away logistics at home. Then embark on a full-blown adventure.

Who will you find when you go? Some Americans, inevitably. The best guesses at how many come from the Migration Policy Institute, unless specified otherwise. These countries may not be the cheapest (oh, but these countries are) and they may not make you the happiest (that honor goes to these countries here). But if you really need to get the hell out of dodge, these fantastic lands that will accommodate.

SEE ALSO: 18 amazing countries where you can stay, eat, and tour for less than you live at home

1. Mexico

Americans living there: 1 million, according to the US State Department

Why it's easy: It's cheap! And you can drive there! Besides, if you've ever crossed the border legally, you've already completed the paperwork for a six-month stay — that placard you once scribbled on a Cancun-bound plane, three nips deep, is a tourist visa that grants you half a year south of the border. You can't work legally with it, but six months should be plenty of time to pick one of two longer-term options.

Option 1: Scout out a legitimate life and then return to the States, where you can apply for a temporary resident visa. (You can't apply for one in Mexico.) Temporary resident visas can be renewed for up to four years and come in lucrative or non-lucrative classifications. The latter, popular among retirees, requires proof of economic self-sufficiency, either through savings or, say, the regular income of a pension.

Option 2: String together tourist visas, ad infinitum. Mexico's many beachy tourist hubs are always looking for bartenders or waitresses, jobs that usually pay in cash and don't require a work visa. Cross the border every six months, get a new tourist visa, and live the romance of a drifter with the status of a shady gringo. You didn't hear it from us, but since 2008, Mexico has known to be lax about cracking down on Americans with expired documents. As long as you're not accused of a crime, at worst you'll likely be fined, not deported.

The catch: Culturally, the rhythm of life is different. Things happen when they happen. Punctuality and scheduling are ruses. More severely, Mexico's ongoing drug war has finally spilled into tourist destinations like Los Cabos and Playa del Carmen, and although there's no evidence of immigrants or tourists being targeted, violent crime reached a 20-year high in August. Also, there's that whole thing about The Wall.

2. New Zealand

American emigrants there: 22,000

Why it's easy: If you're between the ages of 18 and 30, Kiwis have deliberately made it easy with their generous working holiday visa program, which grants young American travelers 12 months to explore without legal residency. Recipients can work for a year or study for six months with this visa, but your goal, according to the New Zealand immigration website, is to "enjoy your holiday.' This isn't an open invitation to crust punks: You have to demonstrate a cash reserve of at least $4,200 New Zealand dollars (about $3,000 USD) to be considered. If you're over 30, it's a little more difficult. Though you can get work permits and visas, preference goes to fields with employee shortages in New Zealand (engineers, tech workers, nurses).

The catch: New Zealand is the First World's escape plan. Billionaires with doomsday anxiety are buying up property on this Pacific island country at an alarming rate, with regular people following suit. According to the New Yorker, 13,401 Americans registered with New Zealand's immigration authorities the week after the 2016 presidential election, more than 17 times the usual rate. Already, the cost of living there is almost 10 percent higher than in the States, and rent and housing prices still rising. As the Lord of the Rings set becomes the Swiss bank of survival strategies, expect that to get worse.

3. Israel

American emigrants there: 79,000

Why it's easy: Passed in 1950, Israel's Law of Return grants all Jewish people the right to citizenship. With an estimated 5.3 million Jews in the United States— along with their non-Jewish spouses (same-sex included), children, and grandchildren — that makes more than 3% of the American population eligible to become Israeli citizens. The immigration process can take between six and eight months and includes an in-person interview, but the first step is as simple as uploading documents and opening a case online.

The catch: You don't have to speak Hebrew to relocate, but proficiency is a logistical and cultural asset. The pace of life is radically shifted from the States, with Saturday the holy day of rest (Shabbat) and Sunday the American Monday. Driving is a nightmare-cacophony of honking horns, though hitchhiking is still common here. Beer averages about $8 USD a pint in Tel Aviv. For non-Jews, immigration is a much more arduous commitment that requires extended residency and a Hebrew proficiency exam. If you're fundamentally opposed to commingling church and state, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

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Whether it's smart or totally analog, a watch will always be considered part of the fashion world. 

Apple had that idea in mind when it created its smart watch, which ships with your choice of a few different bands. 

You can buy additional bands from Apple, or save a tremendous amount of money by buying alternatives from third-party companies. 

There's no doubt that Apple's official bands will ultimately be made out of better materials, with a very precise look, and come in better packaging. But most people won't be able to tell the difference on sight, and you'll be able to buy several of the bands below for the price of a single genuine one. 38mm and 42mm options are available for each style, so whichever watch you have, you're covered. 

I've found alternatives to all but two of Apple's official band styles (the Sport Loop and Modern Buckle are elusive), so you can switch up your style without breaking the bank. 

SEE ALSO: 5 tech accessories under $50 that every MacBook owner should have

SEE ALSO: 10 practical iPhone accessories under $20

Sport Band alternative

Woven Nylon alternative

Uitee Woven Nylon Band for Apple Watch (38mm), $11.99, available at Amazon

Uitee Woven Nylon Band for Apple Watch (42mm), $9.99, available at Amazon

Classic Buckle alternative

BERGEN Single Tour Calf Genuine Leather Strap with Classic Buckle for Apple Watch (38mm), $19.99, available at Amazon

JSGJMY Apple Watch Band Black Leather Replacement Wrist Strap (42mm), $12.99, available at Amazon

The athlete's village for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is now complete.

Organizers held a ceremony on Friday to celebrate the opening of the village, which will house up to 3,894 athletes, according to the press release.

The apartments are clean, basic, and best of all, appear functional and not in a state of disrepair, as Rio experienced early on in 2016.

Check out the photos below:

The village consists of eight 15-story buildings. There is also a smaller village in a nearby town.

The village has a dining facility, laundry facility, general store, bank, post office, and rec center for athletes.

The celebratory opening ceremony was attended by several high-ranking organizers.

During her 64 years on the throne, the Queen has racked up more international trips, state visits, and tours than any other head of state.

In fact, the Press Association reported last year that all of her air miles combined equate to more than 42 trips around the world.

With all that travel under her belt, Her Majesty must have some pretty antidotes to jet lag and homesickness.

Whether it's multiple copies of a well-planned itinerary or sausages from one of her favourite shops, there are certain things that the Queen always takes on her travels, according to the Telegraph.

Scroll on to discover a list of surprising and heartwarming things that the Queen always takes with her overseas.

SEE ALSO: The Queen gives a Tesco Christmas pudding to every member of her staff each year

Sugary sweets.

The Queen reportedly sucks on barley sugar boiled sweets in order to tackle jet lag during transit to her many public appearances and state visits across the globe.

GP Dr Nick Knight told the Telegraph that this is probably an attempt to regulate her sugar levels and acclimatise her body clock to the new time zone by mimicking the energy rush of mealtimes.

"Carrying out your daily habits like eating and sleeping in line with your new destination's time zone — both en-route and on arrival — helps re-synchronise our body clock to our new environment," Dr Knight said.

"What the Queen is doing by having barley sugar is essentially using her body's sugar metabolic pathways to help adjust her body clock."

A special supply of her blood type.

The Queen is apparently accompanied by a Royal Naval doctor at all times. If any illness or emergency were to arise, this means that she can be seen to by medical help immediately.

The doctor carries a wide range of emergency medicines for all situations, including refrigerated packs of blood in both the Queen's and Prince Philip's blood types — just in case.

A black outfit.

The Queen may be known for her colourful ensembles, complete with matching hats, but she never goes anywhere without a black mourning outfit in tow.

When the Queen's father, King George VI, tragically and unexpectedly died in 1952, Queen Elizabeth was on a state visit to Kenya.

When she arrived back in the UK, it's reported that she didn't have an appropriate mourning outfit with her — only a floral summer dress. The Queen and her contemporaries had to wait in the aircraft on the runway until a black outfit could be brought onboard for her to change into.

Nowadays, the Queen takes a black outfit with her everywhere, in case tragedy strikes.

Almost no one is bearish. 

This year is poised to be one of the most profitable for the S&P 500 in this bull market, now entering its ninth year, with a double-digit gain. And all the lead strategists at top Wall Street firms expect many of the same catalysts to lift stocks again in 2018, particularly earnings growth and US economic expansion. 

Across the board, the GOP's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is expected to boost the profits of America's largest companies, and possibly reward shareholders through more buybacks.    

But 2018 may not rival 2017 as one of the most peaceful in market history. Some strategists warn that the regular pullbacks that create volatility could resume.   

Here's what strategists forecast for 2018, in ascending order of their year-end targets for the S&P 500:

HSBC: 2,650

"US M&A levels are down 20% year-over-year," said Ben Laidler, HSBC's global equity strategist and head of Americas research, in a Bloomberg TV interview on December 4.

"So I think we’re certainly due for a pickup. We've got a bit of visibility with the tax reform that will allow that to accelerate. US corporates are sitting on a lot of cash. They are sitting on high multiples. I definitely think we're going to see a pickup here.

I also think we'll see something on the capex front, and a little will go a long way given that US capex is the most depressed in the world. But I still think most of it goes on share buybacks."

Citi: 2,675

"Tax cuts could be quite stimulative to S&P 500 EPS," said Tobias Levkovich, Citi's chief US equity strategist, in a November 15 note.

"We suspect that investors may not be willing to accord the same P/E for earnings generated by a lower tax rate versus one for underlying operating performance. Nonetheless, even if we assumed half the market multiple on the incremental tax-related EPS gains, it will still be additive to the S&P 500's upside potential."

Bank of America Merrill Lynch: 2,800

"Optimism was building this year, and we think 2018 could be the year of euphoria," said Savita Subramanian, the head of US equity and quant strategy, in a November 20 note. 

"Of our five target models, only our Fair Value model suggests negative returns. Valuation matters, but is only predictive over multi-year time horizons. We think sentiment will be a more important driver of returns in 2018, and drives the bulk of our market call."

• The three most popular skyscrapers to see the New York skyline are the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and One World Trade Center.
• All three have incredible views, but One World Trade Center offers the most expansive panorama of the city.
• All three are around the same price, but the Empire State Building charges $20 extra to go to the very top.

It's a truism that New Yorkers never visit the tourist attractions in their own city.

Despite living in New York for my entire life I've never taken a boat to the Statue of Liberty, looked at the skyline from Rockefeller Center, and I avoid Times Square at all costs. I visited the Empire State Building once, when I was around five years old. 

But with friends and family visiting the city for the holidays and wanting to know which tourist hotspots are worth the dough, I decided to head out to three of New York's most popular: the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and One World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower).

It's time to settle once and for all which skyscraper has the best view.

SEE ALSO: New York's oldest restaurant is so iconic, George Washington celebrated winning the Revolutionary War there — here's what it's like

Here's our three skyscrapers for today. One World Observatory in the Financial District, the Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center in Midtown.

One World Observatory: Directions / Tickets

Empire State Building: Directions / Tickets

Rockefeller Center: Directions / Tickets

I started my journey at One World Trade Center. 1WTC lets you schedule your tour ahead of time to avoid lines. Security seemed well organized with lots of screening lines.

There are a lot of ticket options. I opted for the cheapest: $36. The more expensive options just seem to let you skip the line whenever you come.