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The 55 most candid photos of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Kate Middleton from 2017 and 2018

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Royal Family Trooping the Colour 2017

The past two years have been huge for the royal family.

With an engagement and wedding, a pregnancy and birth, the family has grown and found news reasons to celebrate even as the usual packed schedule of events and foreign trips continues.

For people constantly in the public eye, the royals are unsurprisingly great at shaking the right hands, smiling at the right moments, and generally keeping it all together to make sure they get things done.

But every now and again, even watching from a distance, we get a bit more than that. Away from the setpiece events, these are photos of the royals laughing, gawping, eye-rolling, and generally acting like normal folk.

Here are the best from 2017 and of 2018 so far.

In January 2017 Prince William made a solo venture to Centre Point, a homelessness charity in London. Here he plays a game with a young woman being helped by the charity (he has to guess the name on the note — which says "David Beckham").



It's not all relaxed though — here's all three royals making a run for it at a sports event in east London in February.



Prince William had more fun and games trying to put up a tent blindfolded in Abergevenny, Wales, while launching a children's award scheme.



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12 signs you should dump the person who cheated on you

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holding hands coupleShould you leave your partner after they cheated? While you're the only one who can ultimately make that decision for yourself, there are some tell-tale signs that it's a better idea than not. 

If you’re weighing the pros and cons, here’s a list of red flags that might mean it’s not worth staying together.

You caught them red-handed but they still won’t admit it happened — or they don’t tell you the whole truth.

If you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your partner has cheated on you but they refuse to admit it, or they downplay the details, this isn’t a good sign.

"Spouses repeatedly tell me that what made them leave the relationship wasn’t the affair — it was the drip, drip, drip of the truth that slowly leaked out over a long period of time," Caroline Madden told HuffPost. "They would just get used to the facts that had been revealed, start to adjust and trust again and then boom — more information would surface."

The best approach is for your partner to be up-front in the very beginning. If they’re willing to lie or withhold information at any point, it’s not a good sign for your relationship’s longevity.



Your partner refuses to apologize.

A refusal to apologize can bely greater issues that need resolving. Dr. Harriet Lerner covers the psychology behind apologies in her book, "Why Won’t You Apologize? Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts."

"Some people who hurt you will never apologize and the worse the harm, the less likely an apology will ever be forthcoming,"Lerner told Forbes. "People who do serious harm stand on a small rickety platform of self-worth. They can’t allow themselves to really experience the harm they’ve done because to do so would flip them into an identity of worthless and shame."

A person in this headspace might not be able to do the emotional work necessary to repair a broken relationship.



Your partner said sorry once, and thinks that should be enough.

It’s often traumatizing to find out your partner’s cheated. It merits more than one apology.

But some cheaters don’t see it that way. "I already said I was sorry," your partner might say, "what more do you need?"

"Often I hear something like, ‘I told you I was sorry about the affair 10 times so let’s drop it already,’"Lerner told Forbes. "That won’t cut it. High-stakes situations calls for an apology that’s a long-distance run — where we open our heart and listen to the feelings of the hurt part on more than one occasion."



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Tiger Woods is back — here's how he spends his millions and lives his life off the course

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Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is back.

After playing in just two tournaments in over two years, and after a tumultuous few months that included his fourth back surgery in four years and an arrest after being found asleep in his car on the side of the road, Woods is finally back.

In fact, he looked so good at the PGA Championship over the weekend that people have already started whispering about Jack Nicklaus' record again.

This isn't the first time Woods has needed to come back. His career was derailed by affairs and a subsequent divorce from his wife, and his return to golf dominance has been hampered by injuries.

But despite this, Woods was worth an estimated $740 million in 2016 and is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time. That means plenty of cash to spend on yachts, private jets, megamansions, and video games.

Take a look at how he spends it all.

Tony Manfred and Mary Hanbury contributed reporting to a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: Injuries, infidelities, and poor choices: How Tiger Woods unraveled from the greatest golfer in the world

Tiger Woods has made more than $1.4 billion since turning pro in 1996.

Source: Golf Digest and Forbes



More than $113 million of that came from on-course winnings. He's No. 1 on the all-time money list, by far.

Read more: The 30 highest-paid golfers of all time »



Roger Federer recently passed Woods as the highest-paid athlete of all time from a non-team sport.

Read more: Roger Federer has overtaken Tiger Woods as the top money-maker in individual sports with $110.2 million in earnings »



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The real-life inspirations for the characters on the Netflix series 'Glow'

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GLOW Season 2.JPG

Netflix's "GLOW" is loosely based on the real-life women's wrestling and variety show "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling," which aired in syndication from 1986 to 1990.

The series about a ragtag group of women trying to create a professional wrestling show in the 1980s, is a fictionalized account of the world of women's wrestling.

"GLOW" co-creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch were inspired to develop the series after watching Brett Whitcomb's 2012 documentary, "GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling," which featured interviews with the original wrestlers.

"We were so moved by the way that these women were talking about how this crazy experience transformed them and changed their lives, how it took them down these paths they would have never had walked down if not for this totally weird opportunity that they all came together," Flahive told Variety ahead of the first season's release on Netflix in 2017.

Take a look at the real-life inspirations behind "GLOW" below.

Russian villain Colonel Ninotchka helped inspire Zoya the Destroyer.

Alison Brie plays struggling actress Ruth Wilder on Netflix's "GLOW." Though Ruth is a fictional character, she wrestles as Zoya the Destroyer — a Soviet villain with a cartoonishly heavy accent — inspired by real-life wrestler Colonel Ninotchka, who was played by Lori Palmer on the original show in the late 1980s.

Like Zoya, the character of Ninotchka poked fun at the on-going cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States and was frequently heard talking on the phone to a KGB spy named Vladimir and would promise to dominate  over "puny Americans."

In an interview with Uproxx in 2017, Brie said she intended for Zoya to be her own "monster," but revealed she watched Ninotchka's matches and "mostly wanted to steal her moves and voice."

 



Super strong Mountain Fiji was the inspiration for Machu Picchu.

Wrestler Mountain Fiji was one of the show's most memorable and beloved characters. Played by Emily Dole, Fiji somewhat inspired "GLOW's" Machu Picchu, who is portrayed by Britney Young on the Netflix show.

Weighing in at 350 pounds, Fiji was one of the show's biggest wrestlers and it was nearly impossible to take her down, even with half a dozen competitors working together. Fiji was the heart of the show and beloved by fans and her fellow cast members. In the 2012 documentary, former wrestler MTV (Eileen O'Hara) said she used to call Fiji "Shirley Temple" because "she was so good and so forthright."

Dole, who died in January 2018 at the age of 60 after suffering health problems for years, was a nationally ranked shot putter before she became a wrestler.

In an interview with Meaww in June, Young stressed that she tried to make Machu Picchu her own character, but was inspired by Dole's "athleticism" and "how this larger woman could go into the ring and become this gentle yet strong presence."



Self-proclaimed terrorist Palestina was likely an inspiration for the equally problematic Beirut the Mad Bomber.

The original "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" prided itself on being as politically incorrect as possible. Since wrestling narratives rely on the clear-cut binary of good vs. evil, most of the wrestlers were caricatures based on cultural stereotypes rather than fully developed characters.

On the Netflix series, the character of Arthie (played by Sunita Mani) struggles with portraying the Middle Eastern terrorist, Beirut the Mad Bomber.

The character is loosely-based on Palestina (played by Janeen Jewett), a self-proclaimed terrorist, who would throw down against the show's all-American heros Americana and Babe the Farmer's Daughter— and would rile up the crowd by rapping,"I'll get you all, you're on my list/you can't escape this terrorist/so when you hear my battle cry/all infidels prepare to die."



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13 affordable and top-rated laptop sleeves you can find on Amazon — all under $25

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

laptop sleeve main

A laptop is an essential piece of tech for every college student or commuter who carries their computer home. After investing in a good laptop that can handle all your work, you should also find a case to protect it from those inevitable scratches, drops, and water spills. 

With so many things on your mind as you prepare to return to school, don't forget this small but important accessory. It won't cost a lot for some peace of mind, and the added plus of these particular laptop sleeves is that they've all earned the approval of your fellow students. 

Nearly all of them are available in a range of sizes to suit your specific laptop, as well as a variety of colors to match your personal style. 

Protect your tech with one of these top-rated laptop sleeves you can buy on Amazon: 

AmazonBasics

AmazonBasics 15.6-Inch Laptop Sleeve, $11.49, available at Amazon

4.5 stars from 10,600+ reviews 

It doesn't get any more basic than this no-frills sleeve that fits your laptop or tablet like a glove. It's available in five colors and these additional sizes: 7, 8, 10, 11.6, 13.3, 14, and 17.3 inches.

 

 



MOSISO

MOSISO 15-15.6 Inch Lycra Sleeve with Small Case, $15.09, available at Amazon

4.5 stars from 3,600+ reviews 

This one is a great deal — the padded sleeve with soft fleece lining comes with a matching bag for your mouse, charger, or earphones. It's available in 13 colors and these additional sizes: 11-11.6, 12, 13, 13-13.3, and 14-15 inches. 



MOSISO

MOSISO 15-15.6 Inch Quatrefoil Laptop Sleeve, $15.99, available at Amazon

4.7 stars from 1,300+ reviews 

The patterned version is also a popular, top-rated choice if you want a more distinctive sleeve. It's available in seven colors and these additional sizes: 11-11.6, 12, 13, 13-13.3, 14, and 14-15 inches.

 



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The best wetsuits you can buy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

wetsuits 4x3

The Insider Pick:

  • The title of "best wetsuit" varies widely based on what you'll be doing in the water, so we've rounded up the best wetsuits for a variety of activities based on personal testing and recommendations from surfers, divers, and watersport enthusiasts.

  • The O'Neill Psycho Tech Wetsuit Line is best for most people's wetsuit needs with its water-resistant neoprene material and top-notch stitching.

Apologies for being the bearer of bad news for those who long for endless summers spent in bikinis and board shorts, but wetsuit season is nearly upon us — at least in the more northern reaches of the northern hemisphere.

The good news for surfers is that so are the waves, along with cleaner, clearer water. And while I don’t exactly want to be elbow to eyeball with half of Gotham this fall and winter, I'll admit that fall may well the best time to find yourself swimming, surfing, diving, or whatever it is you like to find yourself doing in or under the water.

I tested a number of wetsuits, consulted with diving and surfing enthusiasts, and conducted much research to come up with a guide to the best wetsuits you can buy. But first, let's break down how to choose the right wetsuit for your needs.

Open cell vs. closed cell wetsuits

Apart from temperature, what you’ll be doing in or on the water is the other major deciding factor for which wetsuit is best for you. If you’re swimming or surfing, a floaty, hydrodynamic “closed cell” or single-piece suit is probably your best bet. These are either chest- or back-zipped and come in different sleeve and leg cuts.

But if you're diving, a closed cell wetsuit allows too much water flow between it and your skin. You'll find yourself feeling stiff, and probably cold, too, and stiff and cold are never good signs for the living. An "open cell" wetsuit provides suction between the skin and suit that's nearly watertight. While these things are a pain to get in and out of (Tip: If you use a little eco-friendly dish soap and it will be much easier), they keep you much warmer and allow for much greater flexibility underwater.

Closed cell suits usually don't have zippers apart from the wrist and leg cuffs, but closed cells come in a variety of different zipper configurations. Some manufacturers are starting to develop zipperless models, which could eliminate zippers altogether — at least on more expensive suits.

Wetsuit designs vary based on zipper placement

  • Back-zip suit: Back-zip wetsuits are the original design, and almost always cheaper than chest-zip or zipper-less suits. They’re fine for swimming in temperate waters on relatively warm days, but I’ve found that having cool water seep down your back on a chillier day — or in the middle of winter, for that matter — can be miserable.
  • Chest-zip suit: Usually more expensive, chest-zip wetsuits tend to keep you warmer thanks to a smaller, well-protected zipper that sits on the front of the suit. This also makes them the most difficult to get in and out of, but, overall, we think they’re worth it. They tend to last longer, and some even allow for the neck piece to be replaced, which is often the first thing to wear and tear on a wetsuit.
  • Zipperless: I haven’t yet tried out a zipperless wetsuit, though I’ve been hearing positive buzz about O’Neill’s Hyperfreak Comp zipless model. It would be more of a performance suit than most require, and it's hard to say whether the lack of a zipper will, in turn, stretch the suit more or keep us warmer, but we will see how they fare over time and update this guide with our findings.

Wetsuit thickness and temperature rating is key

Wetsuit thickness is measured in millimeters, and the core is most often thicker than the extremities to keep your body temperature up while allowing for more mobility in the arms and legs. This is why you’ll see two — or sometimes three — numbers, listing the core’s thickness first (e.g., 3/2, or 4/3/2).

Temperature rating corresponds with thickness, for the most part, but varies some from company to company and material to material, but here’s a basic rule of thumb:

  • Mid 60s to low 70s: 2 mm
  • Low 60s to high 60s: 3/2 mm
  • Low 50s to low 60s: 4/3 mm, or 4/3/2 mm
  • Low to high 40s: 5/4 mm, or 5/4/3 mm
  • Low to mid 40s, high 30s: 6/5 mm or 6/5/4 mm
  • Upper 30s and below: While a good 6/5- or 6/5/4-millimeter suit can do you well in the upper 30s, it’s tough to stand it any colder. There are 7/6- and 7/6/5-millimeter wetsuits, but they become impedingly stiff at that point. A good 6/5 or 6/5/4 with hood, boots, and gloves will take care of most of us through winter.

Sizing can be tricky and varies widely

Size charts vary from company to company, so make sure to have a look at the chart to be sure of which one will fit you best. Unless you get a custom suit, none are likely to fit you perfectly, but you should be able to get close enough.

Stitching and seams are vitally important

Not all wetsuits are created equal, and while most are made of neoprene — and come from the same factory in Taiwan, despite different brand names — it’s the stitching and seams that make all the difference.

  • Overlock stitching: This is the most basic stitching, and it will let water flow through your suit like Victoria Falls. Okay, not really, but I save these cheap suits for spring and summer, or when it’s not exactly board-short temperature, but a constant flush is actually refreshing.
  • Flat stitching: This is probably a little fancier than the stitching they taught you in Home Economics class. By no means is it watertight, but it lies flatter and holds up better than basic overlock stitching.
  • Blindstitching: Blindstitched suits have even narrower stitching than flat-stitched ones, and the seams are usually glued, which does a pretty good job of preventing water seepage.
  • Sealed, taped, glued: This is a definitive step up, and usually what you'll find with blindstitched suits. Once you get into blindstitching, you start to notice that very little water seeps through your suit, and you stay relatively dry inside. The best of these suits are also sealed and taped both inside and out, but the full combination is where suits start to get above the $500 price tag, which isn’t crucial for most. Still, if you plan to be surfing in sub 55-degree Fahrenheit temps, we highly recommend forking over the extra dough.

Here are our top picks for the best wetsuits you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best wetsuit for most scenarios

Why you'll love it: The O'Neill Psycho Tech is made with water-resistant neoprene to keep it from retaining water, and its top-notch stitching makes it almost watertight.

O'Neill's Psycho Tech is the kind of cozy, stretchy, almost watertight suit that becomes oh-so-precious to cold-water surfers when winter storms roll through and leaky seams threaten to end surf sessions early.

If there's one company I'd put all my good faith in keeping me from the wrath of hypothermia, it's the late, lauded laureate and godfather of the modern wetsuit, Jack O'Neill.

O'Neill puts a lot of money into research and design, and while the US military doesn't exactly endorse or use any one wetsuit, they've frequently sent personnel out in O'Neill suits. That alone may or may not speak volumes to you, but the US military is not known to be one to skimp on matters of national security.

This wetsuit is flexible, and I've found it to hold up in temperatures considerably lower than their rating. My old Psycho II model from 2009, which saw heavy service through 2010 and has seen service in most of the years since, is still, shockingly, in pretty darn good shape. The new Psychos are miles ahead, but there aren't enough problems or even one single tear in my suit that warrant my tossing it out just yet.

Cleanline Surf, the Pacific Northwest's coldwater surf aficionados, called the Psycho Tech "the pinnacle of wetsuit technology and performance" just this spring (2018). The site went on to taut it for being lightweight, warm, durable, and flexible, and I don't disagree. Also, the "TechnoButter" neoprene rejects water so well that it stays light even when wet, and it dries much faster than most suits.

A happy customer from Backcountry who claims to have put the Psycho Tech"through the wringer" calls it "super duper stretchy and soft," and even better than the previous Psycho Tech model.

Sure, you can arguably find more technical and ecologically-responsible wetsuit manufacturers like Matuse, and you can order custom suits from what I'd venture to call boutique outlets like Axxe and Imperial Motions, but they're much, much more expensive, and won't necessarily last longer. They will, however, almost certainly fit better, if after a few tweaks.

Pros: Warm, almost watertight stitching, lightweight, quick-drying

Cons: A little pricey

Buy the O'Neill Psycho Tech with F.U.Z.E. chest zipper at Backcountry for $264.12 and up (depending on thickness)



The best budget wetsuit

Why you'll love it: VISSLA's 7 Seas is economical but doesn't cut any corners to deliver a functional wetsuit at a fair price. Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suits for women are equally great and affordable.

I tried VISSLA’s 7 Seas model in New York this late spring and was hot in the 3/2-millimeter full suit. That’s a good sign. I also caught up with an old friend on Montauk who’s in his third season with the same model, which is as much as most people ask of even a luxury suit. That was good enough for me.

It fit me exceptionally well, which is a shock because I’m six feet tall, generally stay shy of 160 pounds, and almost no company designs standard suits sized for stick-figured string beans like me.

The seams are held together by double blind-stitching and taped three times over, which somewhere around five years ago was unthinkable for a suit under $200. Matter-of-factly, this suit is designed in much the same way one of my nicer suits from about 10 years ago was, only that one cost me about twice as much. The suit's also backed by respective 1-year warranties for both the neoprene and the stitching.

Surf-centric site The Inertia reviewed and lauded the VISSLA 7 Seas, concluding that it’d be hard to find a better mix of sex appeal,” — they’re a zealous bunch, but I'll editorialize here and second that it is a pretty handsome-looking suit — “comfort and utility, so long as the suit is warm enough for where you’re surfing.”

Although the neoprene retains water and gets heavy, the suit is remarkably stretchy — maybe stretchier than Patagonia’s Yulex suits — and the wrist gaskets that are located a few inches above the cuff really kept water from getting up my sleeves and slowing my paddling. Further, taking water up the sleeves in fall or winter is shockingly chilling.

I also liked the fuzzy lining, which is akin to Patagonia’s, but, again, this suit is less than half the price (at the time of this publishing). While Patagonia’s suits are nice, and I love mine, I don’t see any need to step up unless you really feel like spending the extra money or you're going to be surfing in exceptionally cold waters where you'll probably want the best technology you can get.

Unfortunately, VISSLA is not manufacturing wetsuits for women yet — the sister company is underway — so we'll have to steer you elsewhere for now. Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suits are extremely flexible, thoroughly stitched, taped, and glued, and very reasonably priced.

Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suit has been a bestseller for several years and being blindstitched, glued, and taped for under $200 certainly hasn't hurt its reputation. It also comes in both men's and women's designs, but, I must make a full disclosure: I've never owned one, though I've envied them from close and afar over the years. 

Pros: Price tag, sleeve gaskets, stitching and gluing, 1-year warranty

Cons: Neoprene retains water and gets a little heavy

Buy the VISSLA 7 Seas from Backcountry for $139.96-$199.95

Buy Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol suit in a 3/2-mm Chest-Zip model for $159.96

Shop Rip Curl's Dawn Patrol Line on Backcountry



The best non-neoprene wetsuit

Why you'll love it: There are other non-neoprene suits emerging on the market, but my Patagonia suits have lasted through a lot, and it will take a lot for another suit to knock them off their throne.

Patagonia's first round of suits got a pass from me because, while the lambswool-lined inside was plush, I noticed that after a few sessions, my friends' nice new suits were really starting to reek. As much as I like the idea of a natural liner to reduce the amount of neoprene used, the smell was enough to rattle my eco-conscious inner hippie and keep me away from these suits.

The next round of suits was made by a biochemical company called Yulex, which makes neoprene from the guayule plant, a hardy shrub native to the Southwestern United States that's used to make rubber that is both renewable and almost chemical-free. It also has a fuzzy synthetic liner that works wonders and makes me feel like I'm warmer. It also makes the inside of the suit feel silky smooth.

Patagonia has now introduced yet another generation with new patterning intended for "improved fit and increased mobility." Yulex's brand of rubber has gotten a reputation among wetsuit users as being stiff compared with neoprene, which is generally not a good thing for the water enthusiast. The company is now using water-based glue, eliminating the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have been used for decades. The new suit also includes solution-dyed fabrics that reduce water consumption and CO2 emissions by 86% and 96% respectively.

Of course, as goes with the Patagonia story, everything is Fair Trade Certified, and you'll also get Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee, so if you're not thrilled with your new suit, you can send it back.

This new round of suits just came out at the time of this writing, and there aren't any customer reviews yet. I'm also still waiting to try the suit, and while I'd still stand by the last generation, I'll put my good faith in Patagonia's favor until I get my chance this fall — we'll update on findings when I do.

What might excite me most about this suit is that, although Patagonia hasn't made the leap to zipperless suits, the corrosion-resistant zipper on this suit is now actually replaceable, so if it wears out before the wetsuit does, you can extend its life a little longer. This is great news, because oftentimes the collar or zipper area is the first thing to wear out on a wetsuit.

Learn more about Patagonia and Yulex's bio-rubber here.

Pros: Long-lasting (as long as if not longer than most neoprene suits), neoprene-free, almost petroleum-free, very warm, so you can often get away with a thinner suit

Cons: Not cheap, maybe a little stiffer than neoprene suits

Shop Patagonia's new men's wetsuit line at Patagonia

Shop Patagonia's new women's wetsuit line at Patagonia



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7 of the biggest financial problems millennials face that their parents didn't

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millennials friends

  • Millennials are the generation born between 1981 and 1996.
  • Because they came of age during the Great Recession, millennials are dealing with a number of financial problems.
  • Some of millennials' most critical money problems are student loan debt, inflating living costs, unexpected expenses, and needing to save more for life milestones.

Defined as the cohort born between 1981 and 1996, millennials are the generation known for being tech-savvy, pursuing their passions, and killing a bunch of industries. They're also known for shouldering a number of financial burdens specific to their generation.

This is in large part due to the fact that millennials grew up or entered the workforce during the Great Recession, creating unique financial challenges.

Even though millennials benefited from a 67% rise in wages since 1970, according to a Student Loan Hero report, the increase hasn't kept up with inflating living costs. That's not to mention that millennials are bogged down with student loan debt, are working to catch up on lost income, and have to save more for life milestones, like a buying a house and retiring.

But many millennials are so strapped for money that they are relying on others — like their parents or grandparents — for financial help.

Below, see some of the most significant money issues millennials are facing today. 

SEE ALSO: It looks like it's not just crushing student loans holding millennials back anymore — it's also their aging parents

DON'T MISS: More than half of 20-somethings still count on money from their parents to pay their bills

Millennials are burdened with student loan debt that's higher than ever

Crushing student loan debt is one of the most notorious expenses burdening millennials. College tuition has more than doubled since the 1980s; as a result student loan debt is at an all-time high, with the average student debt per graduate who took at loans at $17,126, Business Insider reported in November.

Not only has the number of students taking out student loans increased by 10% from 2000 to 2012,  according to a report by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, but students began borrowing more money too — the median cumulative loan amount rose to $20,400 from $16,500 in that time.



Millennials have to save longer to buy a house

Home prices are on the climb and millennials are paying for it — literally. 

Millennials buying their first home today will pay 39% more than baby boomers who bought their first home in the 1980s, according to Student Loan Hero. In fact, the value of homes has increased by 73% since the 1960s, when adjusted for inflation. 

Maybe this is why homeownership among millennials is at record low — they have to spend more time saving money to buy a house. In some cities, it can take nearly a decade to save for a 20% down payment on a house, according to a SmartAsset report.



Millennials are shelling out money for soaring rents

Meanwhile, many none-homeowning millennials are devoting their hard-earned cash to soaring rents.

Rents increased by 46% from the 1960s to 2000 when adjusted for inflation, according to Student Loan Hero. In 1960, the median gross rent was $71, or $588 in today's dollars. By 2000, that number rose to $602, or $866 in today's dollars.



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All the TV shows that have been canceled in 2018

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Shadowhunters Clary and Jace

As the year flies by, the list of canceled TV shows piles up.

While there's been somewhat of a quiet period since May, some networks are still cutting shows throughout the summer, including USA, which recently canceled two series after three seasons: "Colony" and "Shooter." In June, Freeform canceled the supernatural teen drama, "Shadowhunters."

ABC also canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival in late May, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC announced a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr coming this fall.

Amazon kicked off the year with a slew of cancellations, announcing the end of three quirky comedies, including the Golden Globe nominee "I Love Dick" and the comedian Tig Notaro's semi-autobiographical show, "One Mississippi." It canceled Golden Globe nominee "Mozart in the Jungle" in April, after four seasons, and recently canceled "Transparent," which will end after the upcoming fifth season.

The long-running "The Jerry Springer Show" is ending after 27 seasons and 4,000 episodes. NBC's "Timeless," was also canceled for the second year in a row. NBC reversed its first decision to cancel the show last year after fan outcry. However, fans may have a movie to look forward to that gives the series a proper finale, though no official decision has been made.

We'll update this list as more are announced.

Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

Amazon



"Jean-Claude Van Johnson"— Amazon, one season



"I Love Dick"— Amazon, one season



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Jeff Bezos runs Amazon with 14 demanding leadership principles — here's how a 23-year-old engineer leveraged 5 of them to land a job

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Amazon

  • You may want to know how to get a job at Amazon.
  • One Amazon engineer recommended memorizing Jeff Bezos' 14 leadership principles, which are a set of guidelines that Amazon employees use to solve problems and innovate on a daily basis.
  • After memorizing the principles, the engineer specifically used them in conversation during her interviews. 

 

Amazon has outlined 14 leadership principles for its employees. From "Ownership" to "Dive Deep," these guidelines are designed to drive innovative thinking and quick action.

For those interested in working for Amazon, which was ranked in a LinkedIn survey as the most desired workplace of 2018, memorizing and using those principles is a key way to show your fit in the company culture.

Corey Salzer

Corey Salzer, a 23-year-old solutions architect who has been working at Amazon Web Services since August 2017, said that mentioning the principles in your résumé, cover letter, and interview is one of the major ways to impress recruiters.

"One of the big things, I would say, is that Amazon really focuses on our leadership principals," Salzer told Business Insider. "They basically encourage a set of guidelines for how Amazon culture operates, so really learning those leadership principles (is important)."

"Memorizing them would definitely help (applicants), and being able to even use them in their language during the interviews," Salzer said. 

Use the leadership principal in its exact phrasing, and connect it back to something you've done at a previous job, internship, or project.

Take a look below to see which five of the 14 leadership principles Salzer highlighted in her interviews, and how she recommends using them in real life.

SEE ALSO: A head recruiter at Amazon says the biggest mistake people make on their résumés comes down to their job title

DON'T MISS: An Amazon recruiter says she doesn't expect new grads to be business majors, but there's a line on their résumés that makes them stand out

1. Customer obsession

Here's how Amazon explains customer obsession: "Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers."

"Customer obsession is really the big one," Salzer said. "We focus on Amazon's customers and always working backwards from what they need and what they're doing."

During her Amazon interview, Salzer said she emphasized that she and her team focused on the needs of her users and customers while designing a product.



2. Deliver results

Here's how Amazon defines deliver results: "Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle."

To show your own investment in delivering results, Salzer recommended the following phrase:

"I was able to have a lot of responsibility and decision-making ability for X project and, by doing Y tasks, I delivered results in Z number launches."

You might also explain any setbacks that this project faced or what the turnaround was.



3. Learn and be curious

This is how Amazon defines learn and be curious: "Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them."

To demonstrate your interest in becoming more knowledgeable, Salzer recommended the following phrase:

"I displayed learning and being curious in my classes where we were learning X. But, I was interested in Y, so I learned about that through Z method."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I would play the Nintendo Switch way more than I do if it had these 3 features (NTDOY)

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Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is an incredible game console. But I wish I could justify playing it more often.

Some of my favorite games over the last year have been on the Switch: I played through the entirety of "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" twice, and my fiancée and I shared — and loved — every moment of "Super Mario Odyssey."

There are other great games worth checking out, like "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and the "Bayonetta" games, not to mention hit indie titles like "Stardew Valley,""Hollow Knight," and "Dead Cells."

But more often than not, I'm choosing to play on my PlayStation 4 instead of my Nintendo Switch. And it comes down to a few features the Nintendo Switch simply doesn't have.

SEE ALSO: 10 reasons you should buy a Nintendo Switch instead of the PlayStation 4

1. There's no built-in support for wireless audio

I mostly play video games at night. My fiancée likes to go to sleep early, so that's when I tend to dig into games I want to play.

But the Nintendo Switch's lack of native Bluetooth audio support means I can't quietly listen to my games on a wireless headset — I have to play all the audio through my TV, which means it either needs to be really quiet or totally muted.

To me, it's a huge omission for a game console in 2018.

The PlayStation 4, on the other hand, has a wired audio jack in every controller, so you can plug in your pair of wired headphones, and the system also supports plenty of first- and third-party wireless headphones. Some headphones require a USB dongle, while others work with the system natively. Either way, Sony made audio a major consideration; Nintendo didn't.

To wit: The Nintendo Switch can play wireless audio, but you have to buy a third-party audio transmitter, like this one from Creative Labs. Audio might have some lag, but customers say it isn't very noticeable. There's also a popular Kickstarter project that's promising a Nintendo Switch USB-C solution for wireless audio, but that won't be widely available until late 2018.



2. No voice chat, and no messaging

Voice chat and messaging are relatively new features for game consoles, but they're extremely important for any kind of online games. Coordinating with other players is crucial for popular games like "Fortnite," and without any real solution for voice chat, it doesn't make sense to play those kinds of games on the Nintendo Switch.

The Nintendo Switch app for iPhone and Android actually does make voice chat possible...but it currently only works with Nintendo's own "Splatoon 2," and you need to have your phone on and a headset connected to it in order to use it. 

I also find it confusing that I can't send text messages to anyone, not even my friends.



3. Hardly any other apps besides games

Most game consoles these days also double as entertainment systems. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can both run dozens of streaming apps, from video apps like Netflix and Amazon to music apps like Spotify and Pandora. The PlayStation 4 even offers Sony's PlayStation Vue over-the-top streaming service, in case you want to watch live television on your PS4.

The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, is more of a true game console for now. It notably does support the Hulu app, but all of the other consoles have that one too, plus plenty of other services the Switch doesn't have.

Having all of the streaming services on your game console isn't a dealbreaker for me, but it's just one less reason to boot up the Nintendo Switch compared to the others.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 21 best countries in the world to live in if you're a woman

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USA women

Denmark has overtaken Sweden as the best country in the world to live in for women, according to a 2018 ranking from US News & World Report.

Ahead of International Women's Day in March, the media organisation surveyed more than 9,000 women as part of its wider Best Countries ranking in order to determine which of 80 countries around the globe are the best for women to live in.

The full 2018 Best Countries List surveyed 21,000 business leaders, informed elites, and general citizens to discover how 80 countries are perceived on a global scale for a range of criteria, from economic influence to citizenship and quality of life.

The Best Countries for women were given a score out 10 on these five attributes: Human rights, gender quality, income equality, progress, and safety.

Scroll down to see the 21 best countries in the world to live in if you're a woman, ranked in ascending order.

21. Poland. This right-leaning country is slightly lacking across all scores, with just 0.8 for income equality and 2.5 for progression, but its average scores of 5.3 for gender equality and 5.3 for human rights gave it a spot on this list.



20. Portugal. This Western European nation has struggled financially, and income equality remains low (1.3). However, it's relatively safe (7.3), with an above average score on human rights (6.2).



19. Italy. The home of art, wine, and good food had mediocre scores for gender equality (5.8), progression (4.20), and human rights (6.2), but female unemployment is still a huge concern.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

17 real women share what it takes to land the job, grow your paycheck, and get ahead in your career

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business woman career advice

  • Business Insider asked regular women for their best career advice.
  • Women across different industries and levels contributed.
  • Responses ranged from the practical (don't work for free) to the psychological (you deserve your job).

Everyone wants advice from the most successful businesswomen out there: Sheryl Sandberg. Indra Nooyi. Meg Whitman.

But anyone would be smart to take advice from a little closer to home, too: your boss, your coworkers, your professional connections. No matter the level, industry, or location, we can all learn something from each other.

Business Insider surveyed women across various industries about their advice for others. Responses ranged from advice on knowing your worth to effectively communicating your vision to a team. For example:

  • Remember that getting your job wasn't a fluke. You deserve to be there.
  • Keep a list of your accomplishments and skills so you can refer back.
  • If you're dreading a job or project, you aren't being paid enough.
  • Don't give up your life for a job.

Below, read 17 different women's best career advice, lightly edited for clarity:

SEE ALSO: The 21 best countries in the world to live in if you're a woman

Find your advocates, and take a seat at the table

"Find your advocates.

"As women, we often have to work twice as hard for our performance to be recognized. Participating in teams, committees, even if it doesn't pertain to your role, will help build a network of advocates of varying levels across the organization.

"Always expect your name will come up when you're not in the room — the more advocates you have, the more people will root for you when opportunities arise.

"And always take a seat at the table. You deserve to be there."

— Jen, 30, New York City
Director of Sales working in Adtech/Media



Don't work for free

"For new entrepreneurs, do not work for free or undervalue yourself! You are more than capable and qualified.

"Too many times starting out I said 'yes' to a low-ball offer or free work for the mere possibility of leads, only to end up spending far too much time on a project that yielded too little compensation.

"I heard a thought one time: 'If you wake up in the morning dreading working on a project, you asked for too little money,' and that couldn't be more true. If you feel valued, the work never feels like a drag.

"As a new entrepreneur (or even more experienced!), lack of confidence is common after the initial excitement wears off. It's easier to feel confident as an employee because you receive regular feedback on your quality of workmanship. Don't let fear of failure drive you to accept less than you're worth."

— Stacey, 28, Austin, Texas
Business Owner: Nutrition Communications & Media

 



Recognize who is on your team

"When someone is on your team, they are on your team for life.

"I am a big networker, and recently someone I really admire told me he was 'on my team.' I took this to mean I did not need to try as hard to impress him — he was already impressed!

"Inevitably in professional relationships and in networking you'll transition from wanting to impress someone to being their friend, or at least someone they respect and like. Recognize when that transition happens and breathe a sigh of relief! I keep a list of people who are 'on my team' and look to them for support and advice, as well as professional advancement."

— Alex, 30, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Associate Attorney



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These are the 20 best-selling sedans in America in 2018

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Toyota Camry 2018

  • Kelley Blue Book has released data showing the best-selling sedans in America through the first half of 2018.
  • Passengers cars such as sedans have, on a whole, been less popular with consumers.
  • Through the first six months of 2018, compact car sales are down 11.1% over 2017, subcompacts 20.4% lower, midsize sales down 15%, and the full-size sales down 5.6 %.
  • The Toyota Camry remains the best selling sedan in 2018, with the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra notching positive year-over-year growth numbers.

No trend better exemplifies the American auto industry in 2018 than consumers' move away from the family sedan. Through the first six months of 2018, compact car sales are down 11.1% over 2017, subcompact sales fell 20.4 %, midsize sales are down 15% while full-size car sales slipped 5.6 % according to data shared with Business Insider by Kelley Blue Book.

In fact, half of the top-20 best-selling vehicles in the country were crossover SUVs, while the top-three listed were pickup trucks. Sedans made up only six of 20 spots in the best-selling rankings of 2018.  

This change in consumer preference has been fueled over the past few years in part by depressed gas prices. New crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks have made great strides in terms of improved fuel economy, thereby one of the sedan's great advantages. In addition, carmakers have worked to make their once rough and tumble trucks and SUVs much civilized and family friendly.  It may also be a practical choice: Americans could prefer these vehicles over sedans due to their commanding view of the road, larger storage space, and greater versatility. 

Among the top-20 passenger cars sold in 2018 only three models— the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, and Nissan Sentra — saw positive year-over-year sales growth, with the Sentra leading the way at a minute 2.8%. The market may be coming off a 7-year upswing in sales, but consumers are clearly making a move away from sedans. Shrinking as it may be, the market for sedans is still massive — commanding roughly 25% of a market that is expected to once again sell 17 million cars this year. 

Due to the way certain manufacturers report their data, sales figures for certain models such as the Honda Civic, Kia Forte, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Prius, and Ford Focus also includes hatchback and coupe sales. 

Take a look below at each of the best-selling sedans of 2018 and see how they compared to their sales numbers last year. 

SEE ALSO: The 11 best-selling pickup trucks in America so far this year

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

20. Volkswagen Jetta: 33,023 sold in the first half of 2018. Down -40.5% over 2017



19. Mazda3: 35,796. -10.1%



18. Subaru Impreza: 37,814. -12.1%



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We shopped at Whole Foods and Walmart to see which curbside pickup service is better — and the winner is clear

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amazon whole foods curbside online delivery pickup service sacramento 6

  • Amazon recently launched a curbside pickup service at two Whole Foods locations. 
  • Walmart has been operating a similar service since piloting a grocery pickup program in 2013.
  • I went to Whole Foods to test Amazon's curbside pickup service against Walmart's — and there was a clear winner.

Amazon is not slowing down in its mission to venture into the grocery industry if its new curbside pickup service is any indication.

The company recently announced that it was launching a curbside pickup feature at two Whole Foods locations in Sacramento, California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Available on the company's Prime Now platform, which launched Whole Foods grocery delivery earlier this year, the service allows Prime subscribers to create a grocery list for a Whole Foods employee to assemble, choose a pick-up time, and drive to the store, where their orders can be loaded into their cars.

Walmart has been operating a similar service since piloting its grocery pickup program in 2013.

Curious as to how the two stack up against each other, I ventured to the Sacramento area to test both services — and I'm definitely partial to one of them. This is what I found:

SEE ALSO: I ordered the same items from Amazon and Walmart to see which site does it better — and they both had major flaws

First, I went to the Whole Foods in Sacramento, California, which is one of only two locations that offers the curbside pickup service through Amazon right now. The other location is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Amazon plans to launch in other cities this year.



To use Amazon's curbside pickup feature at Whole Foods, you have to have an Amazon Prime subscription and download Amazon's Prime Now app, the same one customers use for the company's home delivery service.



After I downloaded Prime Now and entered my Prime log-in information, I chose my pickup location, which in this case is one of two zip codes since only two Whole Foods are providing the service currently.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Google's parent company revealed its plan for a high-tech neighborhood in Toronto — and it could be the world's largest tall timber project

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Toronto Sidewalk Labs

Sidewalk Labs— the urban innovation subsidiary of Google's parent company, Alphabet — is thinking about using an unprecedented amount of tall timber technology, in which layers of timber are glued together in panels, to build a high-tech neighborhood on Toronto's waterfront.

Waterfront Toronto, a local group that administers revitalization projects, is working with Sidewalk Labs to design the new neighborhood, called Quayside. The 12-acre development — expected to cost at least $1 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal — will feature heated roadways and other innovations. 

If the neighborhood is built as planned, it could be the largest tall timber development in the world, according to Bloomberg.

The new development has generated some criticism. Business Insider previously reported that residents felt Quayside could become a "new Silicon Valley," leading to gentrification, income inequality, and higher housing prices.

After remaining quiet for several months about its exact plans for the Toronto waterfront, Sidewalk Labs shared a series of ideas for the development in a Tuesday announcement. Take a look.

SEE ALSO: Google's parent company just reached an agreement with Toronto to plan a $50 million high-tech neighborhood

SEE ALSO: Google’s parent company is building a futuristic neighborhood in Canada — but locals don't want to live in a 'new Silicon Valley'

Toronto, like many other cities, is struggling to maintain its socioeconomic diversity due to a rise in housing costs and congestion. Climate change is also contributing to the city's challenges.

Quayside, which used to be an industrial space and dockland, is Sidewalk Labs' planned pilot location for testing what could be implemented on a larger scale. 

The proposed modular housing, for example, could be used as a model for more neighborhoods that offer low-cost, quickly built residential spaces, according to Sidewalk Labs. The planned self-driving shuttles could form a transit system that doesn't rely on private cars, and the neighborhood's renewable energy system could act as a blueprint for other locations.

 



Sidewalk Labs has committed about $50 million to the project's first phase, though the company is still waiting on a final approval.

Waterfront Toronto intends to build infrastructure that can help protect Quayside from flooding, and it received a $996 million investment from the local and national governments to support the project.

Quayside is one of the largest areas of underdeveloped urban land in North America. Sidewalk Labs plans on devoting 90% of the neighborhood to residential space, or about 3,000 units.

The entire neighborhood covers about 3 million square feet. 



A sustainable building model is the first step toward creating an affordable neighborhood, according to Sidewalk Labs. The Alphabet subsidiary plans on using Canadian timber to achieve this.

Sidewalk Labs is interested in building all or most of Quayside's buildings using tall timber.

Proponents of tall timber technology say the material is a viable replacement for steel and concrete because it is strong and fire-resistant. According to Sidewalk Labs, tall timber supports Canada's timber industry, provides warmth to residential spaces, accelerates construction times, and saves money in the long run.

But tall timber comes with some restrictions. The Canadian construction code limits tall-timber buildings to six stories in order to avoid structural issues, so regulations would need to be amended for Quayside. Current timber supply chains also need to grow before they can support such a large construction project. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A woman successfully borrowed an orange cat for a Garfield-themed dinner party for her kids, and should really win 'Mom of the Year'

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garfield dinner party

  • A mother of two in Oklahoma organized a Garfield-themed lasagna dinner party for her kids.
  • She reached out to friends and family and posted online to crowdsource a cat for the evening.
  • Her search was successful, with the guest of honor belonging to a local medical student who contacted her via Craigslist.
  • The story went viral and won over the internet.

Clara Edwards, a mother of two in Oklahoma, might just be the mom of the year. Since her kids are big fans of the cartoon cat Garfield, Edwards turned to the internet to crowdsource an orange cat to borrow for a lasagna dinner party (the fictional feline's favorite meal).

She also tried finding a cat the old-fashioned way by hanging up posters. The charming flyer, which went viral, reads:

"Wanted: to BORROW an orange cat for 24-48 hours, to have a lasagna dinner with Garfield-loving 4-year-old and 2-year-old children. Will return cat happy and cared for. Cat will not be required to eat lasagna if contraindicated. Please. No feral cats. And please take your cat back at the end. Not looking to adopt. Thank you, An increasingly desperate (but not crazy) mom-of-two with no friends that own orange cats."

Keep scrolling to see adorable photos of the party Edwards organized.

Edwards was prompted to plan the dinner party by her oldest child's request for lasagna.

"A lot of people actually think it was a birthday, but it was just for fun. Our oldest, Madison, just wanted to eat lasagna," Edwards told INSIDER. "We cooked her lasagna and she got sad because Garfield wasn’t there. That’s what really started it."



To find a Garfield stand-in, Edwards turned to family and friends before posting on Craigslist.

She even hung up a sign at her office. After two months searching for a Garfield look-alike, she had luck via Craigslist. 



A medical student from the Oklahoma City area responded to Edwards' ad.

Edwards herself is earning a PhD in nursing. "It didn’t feel like it was a complete stranger," she said.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We went shopping at Macy's and JCPenney to see which was a better department store, and the winner was clear (M, JCP)

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macy's 1900

  • Macy's and JCPenney are two of the biggest department stores in the United States.
  • A number of factors, including the rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic to malls, and a higher demand for off-price products, have caused department stores to suffer in recent years. 
  • Macy's reported on Wednesday that comparable sales were up 0.5% in the most recent quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of sales growth for the brand.
  • JCPenney reported quarterly sales growth of 0.2% for the first quarter in May. It reports second-quarter earnings on Thursday.
  • We visited both stores, and the difference between them was drastic. 

Macy's and JCPenney are two of the most well-known department stores in the United States, and each has been around for over 100 years.

But department stores are no longer in their heyday. The rise of e-commerce, declining foot traffic to malls, and a higher demand for off-price products are just some of the factors that have caused department stores to suffer in recent years. Several department-store chains, including both Macy's and JCPenney, have recently closed locations across the country as they struggle to adapt to shoppers' changing habits.

Macy's, however, has appeared to be on the upswing. It reported on Wednesday that comparable sales were up 0.5% in the most recent quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of sales growth for the brand. When we visited the store, it was packed with shoppers looking for clothes, electronics, food, furniture, and more.

JCPenney reported quarterly sales growth of 0.2% for the first quarter in May. It reports second-quarter earnings on Thursday. Business Insider's Mary Hanbury reported that part of why JCPenney has been unprofitable for 15 of the last 17 quarters is because it is struggling to reach its core customer. 

We visited both stores' locations in Manhattan's Herald Square, and it couldn't be more clear why Macy's is seeing some success while JCPenney has struggled: 

SEE ALSO: We went shopping at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's to see which was a better department store, and the winner was clear

Macy's in Herald Square was the first store I visited.



I was immediately overwhelmed. There were people everywhere, and there was so much to see in each direction that I wasn't sure where to go.



Right by the entrance were a handful of tech displays, including a wall of TVs and a Samsung kiosk.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 back-to-school traditions from around the world

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classroom school computers

To parents, it may feel that each summer passes faster than the last and before you know it, it’s time to prepare your little one for school. And for kids, the seemingly endless hours of freedom and popsicles and boring summer jobs comes to a close abruptly.

To make the start of this school year something to look forward to, INSIDER took a look at first-day-of-school traditions from around the world. While not every school year starts in August, and not every country is covered, it’s interesting to see how many diverse traditions there are to help students prepare for their first day back.

In Germany, kids starting first grade are gifted with a giant cone filled with goodies.

In some parts of Germany, the first day of first grade is marked with cones filled with candy and school supplies. Folklore expert Christiane Cantauw explained in an interview with DW that the tradition is not about cheering up children or treating them, but rather it’s about "making clear that a child's status is changing."

Because there is no pre-K or Kindergarten, a child goes directly from preschool programs into twelve or thirteen years of schooling. The first one is a big one.



Making friends is an important aspect of any first day of school. In some parts of Indonesia, the first day serves as an orientation for students to get to know each other.

According to an interview in Kid World Citizen, schools in Indonesia use the first day to split the students into groups to do activities that will help facilitate a community environment. The students are presented with opportunities to get to know their classmates better before the classroom learning begins.



Most students starting out in Japan receive a backpack, or a randoseru, as a present on their first day of school.

Similar to Germany, the first day of school in Japan marks a new stage of life or a welcoming of sorts into a different part of society.. School is all about "new beginnings" or a sense of renewal, so the first day of school is actually on April First.

Most first-year students receive a stiff backpack or a randoseru. Many parents will also gift their child with a new desk in the home hoping to set them up for academic success by making a space in the house dedicated to their studies.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A day in the life of a Disneyland manager who's worked there for 23 years, walks 5 miles daily around the park, and has a 'long-distance' marriage with his wife

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Disneyland employee day in the life

  • Disney California Adventure Park West general manager Gary Maggetti has worked at the Disneyland Resort full-time for 23 years.
  • Before he landed a full-time role, he did a stint as a Jungle Cruise skipper in college.
  • Maggetti shared his typical daily routine — which features a morning pick-me-up of green tea and lots of walking — with Business Insider.


Gary Maggetti's Disneyland journey began long before he landed his first full-time role there in 1995.

Before the iconic resort became his workplace, he was just another kid at the park, swinging by all the best attractions with his twin brother Chris. Their family visited Disneyland every two years, starting when they were four.

Then, Maggetti was a Northern Arizona University hotel and restaurant administration major applying for the Disney College Program. He landed a summer gig as a skipper on the Jungle Cruise, one of his favorite rides.

Finally, in 1995, he landed his first full-time role at the park. By that point, Maggetti knew that Disneyland was where he wanted to stay.

In the 23 years since, Maggetti has held 13 different roles at the Walt Disney Company, including one that took him all the way to Japan. Today, he's a general manager representing the western part of Disney California Adventure Park. Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park are the two theme parks that make up the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

Maggetti said his story isn't "unique" at Disneyland.

"You go to a meeting and you look around the room and it's like: 'Oh my goodness, you were in my management training class in 1996,'" he told Business Insider. "This is not an unusual story because there are so many opportunities with Disney to have different experiences."

Maggetti recently shared his daily schedule with Business Insider. His routine sheds light on both the culture at Disneyland, and the behind-the-scenes inner-workings of the park.

Here's what a typical day at Disneyland looks like for Maggetti:

SEE ALSO: Many Disney employees say they bring their own lunch to work — but there are 7 park treats they just can't resist

DON'T MISS: Disney cast members share their 11 favorite things to do in the park

SEE ALSO: Disneyland is home to a squad of feral cats who have free rein in the park — and you can adopt one if you work there

Maggetti wakes up early and typically passes on coffee

Maggetti kicks off his day at 6 a.m. He's not big on breakfast, but he said that he'll sometimes eat a morning meal with his two teenage sons.

According to Maggetti, the boys take after his twin brother Chris — an executive chef at Disneyland.

"They're actually pretty good cooks, so sometimes they'll make me breakfast in the morning," he told Business Insider.

But two figures are typically absent from the breakfast table: Maggetti said he has a "long distance marriage" with his wife, who lives and works in Northern California with his stepson. The family reunites on the weekends, though.

After breakfast, Maggetti drives his sons to school and then embarks on the 35-minute commute to Disneyland. He usually arrives at work around 8 a.m.

To prepare for the workday, Maggetti skips coffee and instead opts for decaf green tea. He said he prefers the "calming effect" of the beverage.



He meets up with his team mates and enjoys watching the park open

First up, Maggetti heads to his team's morning huddle. Patrick Finnegan, the vice president of Disney California Adventure Park and the Downtown Disney District, leads the daily meeting. Everyone discusses the previous day and establishes a "game plan" for the coming day.

Maggetti said the team often makes a point of huddling out in the park, where they can watch early-bird guests trickle in around 9 a.m.

"It's incredibly enjoyable to be there when the first guests go through the turnstiles," Maggetti said. "There's this sense of adventure and hope and excitement. You can kind of see the guests making decisions early in the day. Like, 'Am I going to the new Incredicoaster?' or 'Am I going to head over to Radiator Springs Racer?' It's great to be a part of that."



Up next, Maggetti learns about any cool opportunities for his cast members

Once the park is opened, all of the general managers will connect with one of the resort's duty managers for a daily "roll call."

Maggetti said this is his chance to learn about cool opportunities for Disney California Adventure Park cast members, such as trying out new attractions before they open to guests.

"They'll let the leaders know, 'Hey make sure your cast members know we have this great experience before the guests arrive,'" Maggetti said. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 genius tips from a couple who paid off $330,000 of debt in 5 years

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Family Mortgage Payoff Picture

TaiMcNeely almost didn't marry her now-husband Talaat after discovering he had debt: he owed more than $30,000 from credit cards and vehicles.

Talaat wasn't alone in his financial struggles. The average American household carries $5,700 in credit card debt alone, and those who take out student loans have more than $37,000 to pay back on average. 

After initially struggling to learn how to handle their money as a couple, the McNeelys were able to pay off that $30,000 in their first year as a married couple. This journey inspired them to start His & Her Money to help other couples manage their money as a team.

After getting rid of that debt, however, the McNeelys had a goal in mind that would bring them back too square one: buying a house

By being super organized, turning their hobbies into side hustles, and using 13 bank accounts, the McNeelys bought their Illinois home in June 2013 and made their final payment five years later in June 2018 — that's 25 years ahead of schedule. 

It's official 😭😭🙌🏾🙌🏾 #MortgagePaidInFull #WeOweNobody #GodDidIt #IfHeDidItForUsHeCanDoItForYou #DebtFreeCommunity

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More impressively, they managed to do it while living off a single income. Tai was a stay-at-home mom while Talaat worked as a special education teacher and then a school administrator, earning what they called a "middle-class salary."

Their strategies and lessons for getting out of such a massive amount of debt can apply to credit card debt, student loans, or just managing your day-to-day spending. 

Here are their six simple, yet effective, strategies to help you pay off any amount of debt.

1. Open multiple bank accounts.

Tai and Talaat have 13 bank accounts. Yes, 13. 

"We probably started off with three, then it grew to four, five, six, seven, eight, and now 13," Tai told INSIDER. "So we have an account for dining out... At the beginning of the month, we put money into that account and once the money's gone, it's gone."

They also have a vacation account, a car fund account, and an account for bills that are only paid once a year or once every six months. Tai also suggested having a "main hub" account.

"For us, it's our main household checking account," she said. "[Our direct deposit] comes in there and we don't have a debit card for that account because that it's simply a hub for the money to come in and the money to shoot out to all these different 13 bank accounts."

Separating everything made it much easier for them to budget their money, Tai said.

"We tell everybody to try it," she said. "It's just organization. It's just keeping order." 



2. Make payments at least two times a month.

Tai and Talaat made a house payment once every two weeks instead of once a month.

"By doing that, we were able to pay the same amount of money each month, but it ended up being an extra payment a year," Tai said. "So that knocked off some years of our mortgage."

This strategy doesn't just apply to paying off a house. 

Reyna Gobel, author of "CliffsNotes Graduation Debt: How to Manage Student Loans and Live Your Life,"encourages student loan borrowers to make bi-weekly payments so that you're paying the equivalent of 13 monthly payments per year instead of 12.



3. When you get a raise, put it toward your debt instead of giving in to "lifestyle creep."

Beware of lifestyle creep, or increasing your standard of living whenever you start making more money. Personal finance experts agree that it will keep you from ever becoming rich.

Tai said anytime her husband got a raise, they would put that extra money toward their house payment.

"We still maintained our lifestyle at his original pay," she said. "So every time we would get a raise, I would do the calculations, I would break it up by 12 months, and I would call our mortgage company and say, 'Hey, I need you all to increase our mortgage payment by XYZ.'"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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