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Here are the 6 nightmare charts that worry the Bank of England the most

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Investors are starting to worry – like this guy, battling for the ball during the annual Lelo match in the village of Shukhuti, about 290 km (180 miles) west of Tbilisi, April 24, 2011. The villagers of Zemo (upper) Shukhuti and Kvemo (lower) Shukhuti have played the game every Easter Sunday for generations, with each side trying to carry the 16 kg (35 lbs) ball to their end of the neighbouring villages.

The Bank of England published its financial-stability report on Tuesday, and it's full of useful charts and graphs about threats to the UK's banking system.

On the whole, the financial world is looking more stable now than during the summer, which was dominated by Greek political instability and market crashes in China.

But lots of risks still remain, and some, like the threat of a cyberattack or a downturn in Asian economies, worry the Bank of England more than ever.

Lending to people who buy houses specifically to let the houses out is rocketing.

The BOE has long been concerned about buy-to-let, because landlords are seen as more vulnerable to an increase in mortgage rates than owner-occupiers.

Here's the BOE:

Strong growth in buy-to-let lending, and the potential for underwriting standards to slip, may have implications for financial stability.



Historical ties with Asia mean UK banks are the most exposed to a slowdown in China and Hong Kong.

UK banks have strong ties with China. This is great when the country is growing strongly but can pose a risk when there's a downturn.

The BOE said:

Crystallisation of these risks could pose a threat to UK financial stability, particularly if shocks to asset prices were amplified by fragile market liquidity. This vulnerability came to the fore in August 2015, when an episode of intense volatility in some markets materialised against the backdrop of concerns among market participants about a possible slowdown in economic growth in China.



The threat of a cyberattack on the financial system is increasing.

Cyberattacks on financial institutions are costly to protect against and dangerous if they succeed. The central bank is trying to encourage lenders to do more to protect themselves.

The BOE said:

The risk from cyber attack has grown over time, reflecting increased use of technology in financial services. Firms need to build their resilience to cyber attacks, develop the ability to recover quickly from attacks, and ensure effective governance — which means viewing cyber risk as a strategic priority, rather than a narrow 'technology' issue.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 brilliant photos from London's stunning New Year's fireworks show

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London fireworks new years

London entered 2016 with a stunning fireworks display along the River Thames.

The vibrant show featured over 12,000 fireworks, with the city’s London Eye the centre piece of the spectacular celebrations.

While celebrations in other European capitals had been cancelled or curtailed, London’s went ahead without a problem with 3,000 police officers patrolling central London.

Londoners said goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016 with a fantastic fireworks display on the city's River Thames.



Landmarks such as Big Ben, Parliament, and the London Eye were at the centre of the celebrations.



Over 100,000 people packed out the banks of the river to watch the ticketed event while many more found other vantage points around the city.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I got to ride inside the £1.8 million Aston Martin Vulcan supercar – and it was insane

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Is it the new year and already you're thinking about what adventures you should have in 2016?

Well, one of the highlights of my 2015 was being flown out to Marseilles, France by Aston Martin to drive in one of the most exclusive and insanely fast cars on the planet.

You know you have reached the world of the ultra-wealthy when you can afford to buy an exclusive car that costs more than the average person will earn in a lifetime.

Supercars are the biggest, boldest, and most brutally luxurious statements of wealth and the latest offering from Aston Martin makes James Bond’s previous cars of choice look like old clunkers.

The Aston Martin Vulcan is so exclusive and so expensive, it costs more than some penthouses in the most sought after locations in London and New York. It also has some of the most cutting-edge technology that is set to revolutionise the world of motoring.

Aston Martin flew me out to Marseilles and I stayed in the Grand Prix Hotel – which of course was adorned with various F1 memorabilia. Here is a car mounted to the wall.



After a 10 minute trip from the hotel, we arrive in Aston Martin HQ in Le Castellet, which is near Marseilles.



It is housed next to the Paul Ricard motorsport race track. It was built in 1969 by an eccentric magnate of the same name.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Britain's workers have chosen the 25 best companies to work for in the UK

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Easyjet employees attend a media event to celebrate 20 years in business at Luton Airport, southern England, November 10, 2015. British low cost carrier easyJet said it would launch a loyalty scheme for its most frequent travelers, the latest perk to be added that is more usually associated with traditional airlines. At an event marking 20 years since its first flight on Tuesday, easyJet said it would reward customers who fly with it more than 20 times a year by offering them benefits such as flight changes for free.

Anonymous company review site Glassdoor Wednesday released its Best Places to Work in 2016 list on Wednesday.

The company has published the 25 highest rated companies in the UK based on reviews on its site. Glassdoor lets people anonymously rate companies they've worked for, so the list is a likely a pretty honest assessment of which companies in Britain have the happiest staff.

Glassdoor used a special algorithm to calculate its list, taking into account the quantity, quality and consistency of company reviews. Companies had to get at least 25 ratings from British employees in the year to November 1 to qualify.

Google took the top spot last year but has dropped down the rankings this time around.

Check out the 25 that made the cut below.

25. WAITROSE — "We are like a big family"

Rating: 3.8

What it does: Supermarket.

Employee view: "We are like a big family and there are always people to talk to and are willing to help you. I can honestly say I don't see my shift as another day at work instead it's a day with another one of my families! I wouldn't swap my job here for the world."— Waitrose Customer Service (Bristol).



24. KANTAR WORLDPANEL — "The whole business from CEO down appear to be people focused"

Rating: 3.8

What it does: Market research.

Employee view: "The whole business from CEO down appear to be people focused and compared to other organisations in the market research industry this certainly seems to be backed up by actions."— Kantar Worldpanel employee, London.



23. PROCTOR & GAMBLE — "Plenty of training opportunities"

Rating: 3.8

What it does: Cleaning products such as Ariel, Febreze, Head & Shoulders, Gillette, and more.

Employee view: "Plenty of training opportunities and a dynamic career progression throughout the company. Global reach helps you get exposure to different ways of working."— Proctor & Gamble Employee, location n/a.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The top 13 booming housing markets in the world

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Housing markets around the globe have had a good year.

According to the Global Property Guide, 29 of the 42 housing markets they track made price gains this year.

"The world's housing markets continue to surge, and the boom now includes most of Europe, North America, and some parts of Asia," said the group's new report. "The five strongest housing markets in our global survey are Qatar, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and two European countries: Sweden and Iceland."

Using Global Property Guide's analysis, we've compiled the 13 hottest housing markets around the world. Each market has had prices increase by at least 5% between third quarter 2014 and the ame quarter in 2015. Also included is the increase (or decrease) during the previous year, Q3 2013 through Q3 2014, the quarterly change between the second and third quarters of 2015, and a comment from the new report.

Check them out below.

China (Shanghai)

2015 price change: 5.07%

2014 price change: -0.45%

Change from Q2: 2.21%

Comment: "The Chinese government recently announced a plan to purchase unsold residential properties and convert them into low-cost housing to reduce inventory levels."



Iceland

2015 price change: 5.27%

2014 price change: 6.69%

Change from Q2: 1.12%

Comment: "Other strong European housing markets included Iceland, with house prices rising by 5.27% during the year to Q3 2015."



Philippines

2015 price change: 5.41%

2014 price change: 3.58%

Change from Q2: 1.27%

Comment: "The average price of 3-bedroom condominium units in Makati CBD rose by 5.41% during the year to Q3 2015, after annual increases of 6.61% in Q2 2015, 5.4% in Q1 2015, 4.29% in Q4 2014, and 3.58% in Q3 2014. Housing prices increased 1.27% q-o-q during Q3 2015."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's how people around the world celebrated the New Year

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Famous landmarks around the world lit up as spectacular firework displays rung in 2016.

Despite terror threats in capital cities across Europe, revellers came out in their thousands to watch Big Ben, Times Square, and other iconic sites illuminate beneath breathtaking pyrotechnics to celebrate the New Year.

We've gathered 13 of the most breathtaking images from last night's celebrations.

Fireworks lit up Times Square in New York City in perhaps the most famous annual New Year's celebration in the world. The New York City Police Department deployed more than 6,000 officers in the Times Square area, including more than 1,100 officers who graduated from the police academy on Tuesday.



In Beijing, dancers performed to celebrate the new year during a countdown event at Tai Miao, the imperial ancestral temple in the Forbidden City.



Fireworks lit up Athens, Greece, as they went off over the historic temple of the Parthenon.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These are the 10 companies that spend the most on advertising in the US

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Collectively, the top 200 advertisers in the United States spent a record $137.8 billion on advertising in 2014, up 2% year on year, according to Ad Age's annual "200 Leading National Advertisers" report.

But while this reads like promising news for the advertising sector, the growth rate was the lowest since the ad market recovery began in 2010, according to the report, which notes that leading advertisers are striving to make their media buys more efficient.

Overall, there were 38 marketers that spent more than $1 billion on advertising in the US last year. Here are the top 10 biggest spenders. 

 

SEE ALSO: This was the best of the best in advertising over the past 12 months

10. WALT DISNEY COMPANY. Ad spend up 7.4% to $2.1 billion. The company spent big on marketing its box office phenomenon "Frozen" with fresh content and merchandise long after its 2013 opening.



9. L'ORÉAL: Ad spend down 2% to $2.2 billion. The report notes that many of the brands that grew the fastest for the company in 2014 actually had very low or no ad spend — such as Kiehl's, Urban Decay, and NYX. In April, the company's US division launched a review of all its media, with a decision expected by the end of the year.



8. FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES: Ad spend up 14% to $2.2 billion. Fiat launched a number of high-profile campaigns in 2014, including its "Fix It Again, Tony" ad (a derogatory acronym that was once widely used to describe the quality of its cars) and a big push for its Fiat 500 minicar starring Sean 'Diddy' Combs.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 7 best lessons successful people have taught us about money this year

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Alexa von Tobel

If you want to be successful and grow your wealth, start by learning from those who have already done it.

"Successful people look at other successful people as a means to motivate themselves," writes T. Harv Eker in "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.""They see other successful people as models to learn from. They say to themselves, 'If they can do it, I can do it.'"

To help you out, we rounded up seven of the best money lessons we heard this year from self-made millionaires, CEOs, and bestselling authors.

If you want 2016 to be a year of building wealth, take notes on what they had to say:

SEE ALSO: The 9 best pieces of advice we've heard about money this year

Focus on the skills you build, not your paycheck.

Tim Ferriss, angel investor, best-selling author of "The 4-Hour Workweek":

"Optimize for learning, not earning. Work directly under or with master dealmakers and acquire skills. This is particularly true for negotiating and hard skills, like coding.

"What would you rather have: $20,000 more per year in your 20s, leading to making $100,000 to $200,000 a year in your 30s, or a lower-paying job from 20 to 25 — but one like a real-world MBA you're paid for — leading to making millions in your 30s?

"It often comes down to prioritizing skill acquisition over immediate, post-college earning. McKinsey or Goldman can be seductive, but it's easy to get trapped in a 20-plus-year path of paying for a bloated lifestyle that is always a bit more expensive than the year before. Serfs can become self-made kings, but consultants tend to remain consultants. The only true job security is a superior skill set."

Source: Business Insider



Investing from a young age can give you a huge advantage.

Kevin Cleary, CEO, Clif Bar & Company:

"In my 20s, I wish I better understood the power of investing. At the time, I had fewer expenses, more free time, and a long investment horizon — it would have been the perfect time to learn about investing.

"While I was disciplined about saving money, I missed the opportunity to leverage my money over the long haul."

Source: Business Insider



It's better to do something you love than chase money.

Blake Mycoskie, founder, chief shoe giver of TOMS:

"In my 20s I wish I knew that the best advice for any person is to follow their passion as opposed to chasing money. I've seen time and time again that the people who foster their true passions and true callings are the ones that end up the most successful.

"It's hard in your 20s not to worry about money, but to focus on making sure you do something you love. Today, I feel like every time I've made a decision at TOMS that I'm passionate about and improves someone's life, the company grows and makes more money."

Source: Business Insider



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The 20 best-selling books of the year

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Jessica Knoll Luckiest Girl Alive

One surefire way to find great books to read is to see which ones top the best-seller charts.

Amazon recently released its list of the 20 best-selling books of 2015, and chances are, if you haven't already read a few of these yourself, you know someone who has.

It's not too late to read — or reread — the best sellers of the year. Keep scrolling to see which books made the list.

SEE ALSO: The 17 best books of the year, according to readers

20. "A Spool of Blue Thread" by Anne Tyler

"A Spool of Blue Thread" spans four generations of the Whitshank family — a loving group of people who share laughter, tender moments, milestones, and the challenges of growing up — but just like any other family, they also experience disappointments, heartache, jealousy, and deep-rooted secrets.

From Baltimore in the 1920s to the summer in 1959 when Abby Whitshank fell in love with Red, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler paints an intimate picture of a flawed, but close-knit, family.

Buy the book here »



19. "The Stranger" by Harlan Coben

Adam Price is living the American Dream, with a big house, beautiful wife, great job, and two wonderful kids. Then he runs into The Stranger and learns a secret about his wife, Corinne, that could unravel everything.

No one knows who The Stranger is. He appears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly, but not before leaving people, like Adam, in the dust. "The Stranger" is another dramatic cliffhanger from prolific suspense writer Harlan Coben.

Buy the book here »



18. "The Crossing" by Michael Connelly

Even though Harry Bosch retired from his detective job with the LAPD, the work isn't over. Bosch's half-brother is an attorney who believes his client has been framed for murder, and he need's Bosch's help now more than ever.

Bosch takes the case as a favor to his brother, but when the real killer discovers that Bosch is hot on his trail, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues.

Buy the book here »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 books billionaire Warren Buffett thinks everyone should read

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warren buffett

When Warren Buffett started his investing career, he would read 600, 750, or 1,000 pages a day.

Even now, he still spends about 80% of his day reading.

"Look, my job is essentially just corralling more and more and more facts and information, and occasionally seeing whether that leads to some action," he once said in an interview.

"We don't read other people's opinions,"he said. "We want to get the facts, and then think."

To help you get into the mind of the billionaire investor, we've rounded up 18 of his book recommendations over 20 years of interviews and shareholder letters.

SEE ALSO: 17 books Bill Gates thinks everyone should read

'The Intelligent Investor' by Benjamin Graham

When Buffett was 19, he picked up a copy of legendary Wall Streeter Benjamin Graham's "The Intelligent Investor."

It was one of the luckiest moments of his life, he said, because it gave him the intellectual framework for investing.

"To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information,"Buffett said."What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline."

Buy it here »



'Security Analysis' by Benjamin Graham and David L. Dodd

Buffett said that"Security Analysis,"another groundbreaking work of Graham's, had given him "a road map for investing that I have now been following for 57 years."

The book's core insight: If your analysis is thorough enough, you can figure out the value of a company — and if the market knows the same.

Buffett has said that Graham was the second most influential figure in his life, after only his father.

"Ben was this incredible teacher; I mean he was a natural,"he said.

Buy it here »



'Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits' by Philip Fisher

While investor Philip Fisher— who specialized in investing in innovative companies — didn't shape Buffett in quite the same way as Graham did, Buffett still holds him in the highest regard.

"I am an eager reader of whatever Phil has to say, and I recommend him to you,"Buffett said.

In "Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits," Fisher emphasizes that fixating on financial statements isn't enough — you also need to evaluate a company's management.

Buy it here »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How Elon Musk's SpaceX is upending the spaceflight industry

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When billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, no one could anticipate just how fast and high Musk would take the company.

This December, SpaceX realized one of Musk's dreams for a fleet of reusable rockets by shooting a Falcon 9 rocket up into space and then landing its first stage back on Earth, completely intact.

This incredible feat is just the latest in a series of milestones for SpaceX, which is paving the road toward a new era of spaceflight unlike anything we've ever seen.

Here are nine ways that Musk and his company have already upended the spaceflight industry as we know it:

 

CHECK OUT: SpaceX makes history with the first-ever orbital rocket landing

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's rocket landing could make space travel costs cheaper than a penthouse in NYC

Today, SpaceX is the fastest-growing launch services provider in the world.

In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX with the intent to revolutionize the spaceflight industry. The company had a slow start: At the end of 2002 it had 14 employees, which had grown to just 160 by November, 2005. Today, it employs over 4,000 and is the fastest-growing launch services provider in the world.



SpaceX is one of the few companies that builds and launches its own rockets.

SpaceX is one of the few spaceflight companies that doubles as an aerospace manufacturer and launch services provider. That means it designs and manufacturers most of its rocket parts in-house, including its "all-American" Merlin 1D rocket engines (shown here), which power its Falcon 9 rocket fleet.



SpaceX has the most affordable rockets on the market.

Because they manufacture most of their own equipment, SpaceX has rapidly risen to become one of the most formidable competitors in the spaceflight market. In 2014, the company's CEO and founder, Elon Musk, said they could lift US Air Force satellites into orbit for $90 million per launch compared to SpaceX's competitor, the United Launch Alliance, who was charging $460 million per launch.



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14 insights about getting rich, from a 90-year-old book on wealth that's still relevant today

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Nearly a century ago, George S. Clason boiled down what it takes to get rich in his 1926 personal finance classic "The Richest Man in Babylon."— and the steps are surprisingly simple.

He articulates the steps through a collection of amusing parables based in the wealthiest city of the ancient world: Babylon.

We scoured Clason's pages to come up with some of his best insights about investing, success, and accumulating and growing your personal wealth:

SEE ALSO: 17 insights about getting rich, from a 78-year-old book on wealth that's still relevant today

Learn from those who are richer and more successful than you.

"When youth comes to age for advice he receives the wisdom of years. But too often does youth think that age knows only the wisdom of days that are gone, and therefore profits not.

"But remember this, the sun that shines today is the sun that shone when thy father was born, and will still be shining when thy last grandchild shall pass into the darkness."



The money you save and invest can earn even more.

"Every gold piece you save is a slave to work for you. Every copper it earns is its child that also can earn for you. If you would become wealthy, then what you save must earn, and its children must earn, that all may help to give to you the abundance you crave."



Pay yourself first.

"I found the road to wealth when I decided that a part of all I earned was mine to keep. And so will you.

"Impress yourself with the idea. Fill yourself with the thought. Then take whatever portion seems wise. Let it be not less than one-tenth and lay by it."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

People shared their biggest regrets in life, and some of their answers will make you cry

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An elderly man stands in Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro September 13, 2011.  REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, and oftentimes it can lead to regret.

Some people have the philosophy that everything happens for a reason, and there is no point in having regrets.

But for so many of us, looking back on our lives can lead us to linger on one poignant moment or period when we wish we had done things differently, and that nagging question, "What if ...?," plays on repeat in our heads.

"This may sound a little melodramatic, but no matter how happy you are, at my age your regrets are countless,"writes Quora user Gary Teal in response to the question, "When people look back on their lives, what are common regrets they have?""You have made decades' worth of little miscalculations you can't completely erase from your memory, as well as a number of big mistakes that made life permanently harder."

Quora user Bradley Voytek points to a national survey about the regrets of a typical American, which found 13 common sources for regret. They are, in order: romance, family, education, career, finance, parenting, health, "other," friends, spirituality, community, leisure, and self.

Vaughn Bell at Mind Hacks notes that there are two ways people frame their regrets: The things they did that they wish they hadn't, and the things they wish they had done but didn't.

"The difference between the two is often a psychological one, because we can frame the same regret either way — as regret about an action: 'If only I had not dropped out of school;' or as a regret about an inaction: 'If only I had stayed in school.'

"Despite the fact that they are practically equivalent, regrets framed as laments about actions were more common and more intense than regrets about inactions, although inaction regrets tended to be longer lasting," Bell writes.

Here are some of the most common regrets as chronicled by Quora users (answers have been edited for clarity): 

SEE ALSO: 13 bad habits you should break in 2016 to be more productive

Romance

"I regret that I never fell in love with someone who was in love with me, when that would have been easy for me to do.

"I regret being like an old song sung by Buffy Sainte-Marie: 'Must I go bound and you so free, Must I love one who doesn't love me, Must I be born with so little art, As to love the one who would break my heart?'"—David Kahana



Children

"For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to have kids. But in my younger years, I foolishly assumed that unlike certain accomplishments like a career, the marriage and kids thing would just happen.

"Well, they didn't. I dated plenty of people but never even thought about making family a priority. Then, in my late 30s, a bout with ovarian cancer left me permanently infertile.

"I think about the kids I never had every day, several times a day. I have a great relationship with my nieces and nephews, and volunteer at a children's hospital on a regular basis, but it's just not the same to be around other people's kids. I would love to adopt or be a foster mother, and hopefully be in a financial and domestic situation that would make this feasible one day.

"But again, not the same. And it pisses me off when people say, "You're lucky you don't have kids, they're so much work, blah blah blah." Yes, but a lot of things in life that are worthwhile are also so much work.

"I think the mothering instinct is so strong in some women that the knowledge that one will never get a chance to give birth and raise their own child goes beyond regret. One that a bar chart cannot capture. I can deal with most of my other regrets in life but am having a hard time dealing with this one."—Caroline Zelonka



Parents

"I regret not choosing to spend more time with my parents in my twenties. I lost my mother in 2000, and I feel the loss of the friendship we never had.

"She was very demanding, very strict, and from the perspective of a young man, very unreasonable. It turned out, as I live through middle age, that most of the ideals I have today ended up being the ones she put on me.

"Sometimes, after a setback, I feel the impulse to call her, and in the second or so that it takes for me to realize she isn't alive to speak to any longer, I realize how much I still need her.

"You cannot negotiate with death. It is final, often sudden, and personal. The last night I had with her, at a hospice in Chicago, I was exhausted and asked her if she minded if I went home. She immediately whispered that absolutely, I should rest, and to be careful driving home. I curled her fingers around the nurses call button, and kissed her on the forehead. I remember I felt some relief that I was leaving.

"I know it didn't make a difference, leaving at that time, or leaving a few hours later. She was going to die either way. But reflecting on that moment today I know then that I didn't understand how precious those minutes were, and how a door was being closed that would never open again."—Jim Wagner



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30 items that cost women more than they cost men

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It's expensive to be a woman, and it's not just because it costs a lot to maintain one's appearance.

There's a "pink tax" involved, or a surcharge in which women are sometimes charged more than men are charged for many products.

A recent study from New York's Department of Consumer Affairs, called "From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being A Female Consumer," demonstrated how this is a problem that often plagues females from birth until they're senior citizens.

Here are 30 items that, according to the study, are on average more expensive for women than they are for men.

SEE ALSO: Goldman Sachs polled hundreds of college-age women on their favorite clothing brands — and 3 clear winners emerged

Shampoo and conditioner

Percent difference: 48%
Average women's price: $8.39
Average men's price: $5.68

Based on 16 products sampled



Razors

Percent difference: 11%
Average women's price: $8.90
Average men's price: $7.99

Based on 20 products sampled



Cartridges for razors

Percent difference: 11%
Average women's price: $17.30
Average men's price: $15.61

Based on 18 products sampled



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LaGuardia airport's American Express Lounge is incredibly stylish

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American Express Centurion Lounge New York's LaGuardia Airport gets a bad rap. It regularly appears on "America's worst airport" lists, and Vice President Joe Biden once claimed it belonged in a "third-world country."

But things are looking up for the beleaguered airport  at least for a certain group of customers. In late 2014, American Express opened its Centurion Lounge, a drastic departure from the often drab domestic lounges that populate most major airports around the country. 

Located inside Terminal B (home to American, United, Southwest, Jet Blue, Air Canada, Spirit, and Frontier Airlines), the Centurion signaled a major upgrade in culinary fare for LaGuardia's domestic rest stops. Visitors are treated to a variety of fine dining options, specially paired wines, and signature cocktails. 

Like most airport lounges, access to the Centurion comes at a price. All American Express card holders may drop in by buying a $50 day pass. If you hold a Platinum or Centurion cards, however, membership is included. 

The Centurion Lounge is on Level 3 of Terminal B. It's located before the security checkpoints, so passengers from other terminals can drop in.



The LaGuardia location was the third Centurion Lounge in the U.S., joining lounges at Las Vegas McCarran International and Dallas/Ft. Worth International.



Instead of over-the-top opulent, the lounge is stylish and comfortable. The design is chic, modern, and tastefully restrained.



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The 6 most dangerous trips in the world

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Some of us prefer vacations spent lying on the beach.

But others don't consider travel a treat unless adventure is involved. For this latter group, we've come up with plenty of lists of destinations and activities that will get your heart racing.

But we haven't yet covered ones that will make your heart stop — at least, not until now.

Of course, this new list of six of the deadliest tourists attractions in the world includes feats that many a traveler has successfully conquered, and lived to tell the tale.

But each of these sites is known to be particularly dangerous; inexperienced and experienced adrenaline junkies alike have died at these six locales, so  while we encourage you to follow your adventuring dreams  be sure to do so with the upmost caution. 

SEE ALSO: 10 travel myths that just aren't true

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

According to the International Shark Attack File (yes, that is a real thing), Florida's New Smyrna Beach is the "shark capital of the world."

And yet, plenty of tourists flock to its budget-friendly shores annually, despite the fact that the beach has reported about 250 shark attacks in its recorded history  making it the beach with the highest number of attacks per square mile in the world.

We guess some ocean-lovers are comforted by the fact that most attacks did not result in death; the waters are known for young bull sharks, who are simply confusing humans for marine-life food. Still, we'll just enjoy a spot safely placed on the sand, thank you.

If you're brave enough to stay, consider the Islander Beach Resort, with apartment-style rooms and a beachfront pool.



Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

One of the longest  and certainly most dangerous  hikes in Yosemite National Park, the Half Dome requires a full day's trek to reach its peak, and at the summit climbers must rely on metal cables to reach the top.

This is where some have met their death  either slipping from the cables, or falling from "Death Slabs," massive, slick rocks that are particularly treacherous during inclement weather. Over 60 have died on the Half Dome, or on the hike towards it; other means of death include lightning strikes, heart attacks, and failed base jumps.

If you're brave enough to stay,The Ahwahnee has a prime location in the heart of Yosemite Valley; many rooms have views of the Half Dome.



Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's County Clare

The stunning, and staggering, Cliffs of Moher attract about a million visitors annually. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, these cliffs of shale and sandstone rise nearly 400 feet above the oftentimes rough waters, making for gorgeous views  albeit dangerous ones.

Though the exact number of deaths here is unknown, several reports of deadly falls have been recorded. These were oftentimes caused by steep, uneven ground, a lack of safety rails, rain (causing slick terrain), and strong winds; in fact, sometimes the attraction is closed when winds are considered too strong.

Unfortunately, the Cliffs of Moher are also known for suicides, the most recent confirmed one being in March this year.

If you're brave enough to stay, we fell in love with the family-run Ballinalacken Castle Country House. This 15th-century castle, where tours are held, overlooks the Cliffs of Moher.



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Here's how much it costs for a family to live in 20 major US cities

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San Francisco

It will only cost you about $49,114 a year to raise a family in Morristown, Tennessee, but if you move to Washington, DC, that expense more that doubles, to $106,493.

That's according to the Economic Policy Institute's 2015 Family Budget Calculator, which measures the annual cost of necessities for a family to live a secure yet modest lifestyle by estimating the costs of housing, food, child care, transportation, healthcare, other necessities, and taxes.

(Read the EPI's full methodology for the budget calculator here.)

The EPI gathered data in 618 metro areas throughout the US for several different family types. Here, we've highlighted the cost of living for a four-person family (two adults, two children) in 20 major US cities.

If you're looking to start a family in an urban area, consider the annual and monthly cost of necessities, and remember, these numbers do not include savings or discretionary spending:

SEE ALSO: How much you have to save per day to put a down payment on a house in 19 major US cities

20. Houston, Texas

Estimated cost of annual necessities: $60,608

Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,051



19. Cleveland, Ohio

Estimated cost of annual necessities: $60,900

Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,075



18. Dallas, Texas

Estimated cost of annual necessities: $61,150

Estimated cost of monthly necessities: $5,096



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A look inside the insanely successful life of billionaire Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

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travis kalanick, ceo uber

Five years ago, Travis Kalanick launched a startup called UberCab in San Francisco.

Fast-forward a few years and Kalanick's company, now just called Uber, is one of the most lucrative in Silicon Valley.

Uber operates in more than 300 cities in 58 countries, and it could be worth as much as $60 billion.

Thanks to that sky-high valuation, Kalanick made Forbes' list of the world's billionaires this year, where the 39-year-old serial entrepreneur is said to have a net worth of about $6 billion.

SEE ALSO: Uber drivers reveal 10 rules to live by if you want a perfect 5-star passenger rating

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick grew up in Northridge, California, a suburb outside Los Angeles. When he was a kid, he wanted to be a spy.

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But Kalanick would eventually follow in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his mom, a retail advertiser. He went door-to-door, selling knives for Cutco as a youngster. He started his first business at 18, an SAT-prep course called New Way Academy.

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Kalanick's parents, Don and Bonnie, would be "rider zero" when Uber launched in Los Angeles.

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GOLDMAN: 10 stories will dominate world markets in 2016 (SPY, SPX, DJI, QQQ, IXIC, USO, WTI, OIL, VDE, BNO, GLD, GLX, SLV, USD, TLT, TLO)

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grand canyon hiking

The experts at Goldman Sachs have begun rolling out their outlooks for 2016.

In a client note on Thursday, they outlined what they believe will be the top-10 themes across global markets in the new year, which inform their various forecasts for stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and everything else in between.

"Growth has consistently disappointed over the past several years, but this has not prevented risky assets from increasing substantially," the strategists, including Charles Himmelberg, wrote. "In 2016, we expect activity to continue to expand in the advanced economies, led mostly by the consumer."

For stocks, Goldman forecast that the S&P 500 would end next year at 2,100, implying only a 5% return from current levels. And, betting on the US dollar, and against the euro and the yen, is Goldman's top trade recommendation for 2016.

The themes reiterate some of the same big discourses of 2015, like monetary policy divergence, lower-for-longer commodity prices, and modest S&P 500 returns.

These are the 10 themes from Goldman's report.

1. Stable global growth

The strategists project that global GDP will rise to 3.6% next year from an expected post-crisis bottom of 3.2% in 2015. This should calm concerns that developed markets are stuck in "secular stagnation," or slow growth with little investment and excess saving.

They wrote that "for investors, the relative stability of the growth outlook for both DM and EM economies should be sufficient to offset concerns about the downside risks implied by this year's slowdown in global manufacturing activity, tightening of US financial conditions and prospective rate hikes by the Fed."

Source: Goldman Sachs



2. Lower inflation, but not by as much as expected

With the unemployment rate at a seven-year low of 5%, inflation is not likely to fall by as much as markets have priced in. That's because labor-market slack is less, and the unemployment rate is dipping to a range that would push inflation higher.

"As US unemployment rates reach our forecast of 4.6%, we expect to see an unwind of the deflation premium that is still priced into rates and inflation markets," the analysts wrote.

"In sharp contrast to the loose intuition that 'low commodity prices are deflationary', commodity-price inflation could easily exceed 20% next year," they forecast.

Source: Goldman Sachs



3. Sustained monetary policy divergence

"While one of the lessons of 2015 is that the Fed will likely be cautious about giving a green light to large and rapid US Dollar appreciation, the resilience of the US economy in the face of the substantial Dollar appreciation since mid-2014 gives us confidence that the Fed will ultimately tolerate further Dollar strength as it tightens policy through 2016," the analysts wrote.

On the other hand, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan would still be dovish amid the "fragility of their recoveries."

Source: Goldman Sachs



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12 ways people get America all wrong

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Jeremy Grantham

People prefer good news over bad news.

That bias is the theme of Jeremy Grantham's new quarterly message to GMO's clients.

"As a bear in the bull market of 1999 I was banned from an institution's building as being 'dangerously persuasive and totally wrong!'" the investment legend wrote. "The investment industry also has a great incentive to encourage this optimistic bias, for little money would be made if the market ticked slowly upwards. Five steps forward and two back are far more profitable."

To illustrate how this bias pervades society, Grantham identified 12 ways the US is thought to be a global leader. And in his charting, he reveals how the facts tell a different, more depressing story.

"It is my attempt to bring home how extreme is our preference for good news over accurate news," he said.

We grabbed his charts to give you a quick summary of what he's talking about.

SEE ALSO: 28 charts that show how America changed since the Fed gave us 0% rates

American wage growth has lagged most of the developed world.



American unemployment is low only because many folks aren't even trying to look for jobs.



America used to be a leader in labor force participation, but not anymore.



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