This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

Regtech solutions seemed to offer the solution to financial institutions' (FIs) compliance woes when they first came to prominence around 24 months ago, gaining support from regulators and investors alike. 

However, many of the companies offering these solutions haven't scaled as might have been expected from the initial hype, and have failed to follow the trajectory of firms in other segments of fintech.

This unexpected inertia in the regtech industry is likely to resolve over the next 12-18 months as other factors come into play that shift FIs' approach to regtech solutions, and as the companies offering them evolve. External factors driving this change include regulatory support of regtech solutions, and consultancies offering more help to FIs wanting to sift through solutions. Startups offering regtech solutions will also play a part by partnering with each other, forming industry organizations, and taking advantage of new opportunities.

This report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, provides a brief overview of the current global financial regulatory compliance landscape, and the regtech industry's position within it. It then details the major drivers that will shift the dial on FIs' adoption of regtech over the next 12-18 months, as well as those that will propel startups offering regtech solutions to new heights. Finally, it outlines what impact these drivers will have, and gives insight into what the global regtech industry will look like by 2020.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Regulatory compliance is still a significant issue faced by global FIs. In 2018 alone, EU regulations MiFID II and PSD2 have come into effect, bringing with them huge handbooks and gigantic reporting requirements. 
• Regtech startups boast solutions that can ease FIs' compliance burden — but they are struggling to scale. 
• Some changes expected to drive greater adoption of these solutions in the next 12 to 18 months are: the ongoing evolution of startups' business models, increasing numbers of partnerships, regulators' promotion of regtech, changing attitudes to the segment among FIs, and consultancies helping to facilitate adoption.
• FIs will actively be using solutions from regtech startups by 2020, and startups will be collaborating in an organized fashion with each other and with FIs. Global regulators will have adopted regtech themselves, while continuing to act as advocates for the industry.

In full, the report:

• Reviews the major changes expected to hit the regtech segment in the next 12 to 18 months.
• Examines the drivers behind these changes, and how the proliferation of regtech will improve compliance for FIs.
• Provides our view on what the future of the regtech industry looks like through 2020.
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• Your coworker has started taking extra-long lunches, seems to be coming to work every day in a suit, and stopped joking around so much.
• Those are all common signs that they might be about to quit their job. 
• As career experts explained to Business Insider, one or several employees leaving the workplace can destabilize how your team functions. 

Most bosses are caught off guard when facing a mass employee exodus, and the same can happen when just one valued employee resigns.

"As the boss, it's important to watch for the symptoms of an impending departure so you can address the issues before it's too late," said Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."

And a co-worker's departure — or several co-workers' departures — can quickly destabilize operations.

"Losing employees can create a substantial impact on everything from service delivery to scheduling,"Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage," said. "It can impact the culture in a team in a negative way. And there's a substantial cost and time commitment involved in replacing and training new employees, so the more time a manager has to prepare for the changes, the better."

Taylor and Kerr shared 17 signs that your coworkers might be about to quit. Remember, however, that these are possible signs and indicators, not concrete proof that an employee is about to leave the company.

These are the signs you should watch out for so you can act before it's too late:

SEE ALSO: 14 things people think are fine to say at work — but are actually racist, sexist, or offensive

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There's a change in their appearance

If they start dressing unusually sharply, it may be because they are slipping out to job interviews during or after work, Kerr said.

The opposite might also happen.

"If someone is unhappy in their job, they may begin to dress down because they feel that no one is really paying attention anyway — or because they just don't really care anymore," Taylor said.

They start taking more time off

Folks who are liable to quit soon may begin calling in sick more often. They might use up their vacation days in bits and pieces, which could suggest that they are using the time off to search for other employment, Kerr said.

"And using up their sick days and vacation time (and even getting a lot of dental work done suddenly) might be a red flag that they are getting ready to jump ship and want to make sure they max out any benefits they feel owed to them," he added.

They show a drop off in any interest in work

Have you noticed that some of your coworkers have stopped offering suggestions or ideas at meetings, they offer little input into new projects, or seem suddenly disinterested in any of the broader details related to work? 

"This can be a sign they've lost their mojo and no longer really care what happens down the road because they know they won't be there in the future," Kerr said.

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• My apartment's bath tub is strangely configured to lack ledge or corner space for my products, and my shower head is about two feet above where it normally should be, so I can't reach caddies that hang from it.
• This $130 tension shower caddy from simplehuman solved all of these problems, and it's held up perfectly over two and a half years of use. 
• I really just think everyone should know it exists, because it was super helpful for me and might be for you, too.
• It's expensive, but it lasts forever and can transition to any type of bath tub or shower configuration.

As someone who tests products for a living, and whose focus was once specifically on skin care and beauty, you can imagine how filled my bathroom is with bottles and potions of every size. 

When I moved to my apartment in Brooklyn, the task of keeping all of the body products in my shower organized (or, at least, not slipping down into my tub every five seconds) was made especially challenging by the fact that my new bath tub had very little ledge space. My shower head was also so close to the high ceiling that I couldn't hang a caddy from it without having to use a ladder to reach my shampoo.

At one point, I even tried to tie a caddy to the shower head using string so it would hang low enough that I could reach it, a DIY project that... did not end well.

It turned out my downstairs neighbor, whose apartment is laid out exactly like mine, had already figured it out. She told me that she used this Simplehuman shower caddy, which had a tension rod long enough to hold the caddy securely into place between our high ceiling and the tub, and shelving that was extensive enough to support an excessively large collection of products.

So I got one (admittedly, as a Christmas gift from my wish list), and it turned out to be an excellent addition to my bathroom that has held up beautifully after two and a half years of use.

Every time my friends would come over and use the bathroom, they'd ask me about the caddy — where I got it (Amazon), how it's held up (amazingly well), how much it cost ($130), etc. A lot of them were looking for a solution to store three roommates' worth of products in the shower, which it can easily hold without taking up much real estate.

The caddy can be configured in quite a few ways, with up to three shelves and a built-in razor and toothbrush holder. The shelving features strategically placed holes in the wired bottoms that are designed for sticking bottles upside down so it's easier to dispense every last drop of product. 

There are also little towel hangers that clip anywhere along the main pole so you not only have a place to put your washcloths, you also have a sanitary way to dry them. And because no detail goes left unattended to by Simplehuman, there's even a designated spot for bar soap.

As for the tension rod, it can fit with as little as six and as many as nine feet between ends, and each end has a no-slip rubber base that won't budge out of place, even when your cat tries to dislodge it. It gets tall enough to use in bathrooms with high ceilings or standing showers, but small enough to install in a bathtub that just has terrible ledge configurations (like mine). 

The one downside to this caddy is that it's not cheap at $130. But, as with all Simplehuman products, the goal is that you pay once for a high-quality, well-designed product that always works how it's supposed to.

After nearly three years of using it, I can safely say that's just what you'll get. There's been no rust, no warping, no shape shifting, and no loose screws since I got it in 2015. If you're looking for a smart caddy that will serve multiple roommates, a weirdly shaped tub, or just a large product collection, this is the one I recommend whole heartedly.

Simple Human Tension Shower Caddy, $129.99 on Amazon

SEE ALSO: 22 useful home and kitchen products that got their start on Kickstarter

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• A Frontier Airlines flight had to turn around Friday after part of an engine cover fell off the aircraft.
• A Frontier representative told Business Insider that part of an engine cover "separated from the aircraft." The representative said the flight landed safely.
• Frontier Flight 260 was traveling from Las Vegas to Tampa, Florida, but returned to Las Vegas around 30 minutes after takeoff.

A Frontier Airlines flight had to turn around Friday after part of an engine cover fell off the aircraft.

Frontier Flight 260 was traveling from Las Vegas to Tampa, Florida, and departed from McCarran International Airport, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. The aircraft, an Airbus 320, returned to McCarran around 30 minutes after takeoff.

Read more: Southwest fits all its Boeing 737 MAX planes with new safety device to avoid a repeat of the Lion Air crash that killed 189 people

A Frontier representative told Business Insider that part of an engine cover "separated from the aircraft." The representative said the flight landed safely.

"During takeoff on Frontier flight 260 from Las Vegas to Tampa this morning, a section of an engine cover called a cowling came loose and separated from the aircraft," the representative said. "The engine continued to operate normally and the aircraft, an Airbus 320, landed safely." 

WGN reporter Dan Ponce posted a photo on Twitter that appears to show the torn engine cover. He said via Twitter that the photo was taken by his aunt, and that all of the flight's passengers received a breakfast voucher.

SEE ALSO: The amazing history of the Boeing 737, the best-selling airliner of all time

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• General Electric's price target was to $7 at Deutche Bank.
• The bank says it will ignore the bull case of the GE's free cash flow but doesn't foresee "a liquidity crisis" for the conglomerate.
• GE's management has sped up efforts to reduce debt by selling assets.
• Watch General Electric trade live.

General Electric tumbled Friday, down as much as 6.7% to $7.41 a share, after Deutsche Bank cut its price target to $7 from $11. The firm noted GE's struggling power business "remains flattish but does not continue to decline."

"We think the key debates can be boiled down to the trajectory of GE Industrial [free cash flow] and whether the company is headed for a liquidity crisis," said Deutsche Bank analyst Nicole DeBlase in a note distributed on Friday, according to CNBC.

The firm will ignore the bull case of the GE's free cash flow "since it probably wouldn't be viewed as credible," said DeBlase, adding that she sees "execution mishaps" from CEO Larry Culp's strategy review as a key risk moving forward, as well as outside factors like an economic downturn, or geopolitical instability.

Culp was appointed as GE's new CEO on October 1. At that time, management said the company would take a $23 billion goodwill writedown on its struggling power business, and that it remains committed to strengthening its balance sheet by ways which include deleveraging.

Shares rallied by more than 20% after Culp's promotion, as investors looked past the company's lagging power business, price-cost pressures compounded by US-China tariffs, and behind-schedule deliveries of its LEAP engine.

However, GE's stock has been under pressure recently, trading at post-financial crisis lows, after the conglomerate reported disappointing quarterly results, slashed its dividend to a penny, and said that the recent writedown of its power business was being investigated by federal regulators.

In order to increase investor confidence, GE management has been speeding up efforts to reduce debt by selling assets. Two weeks ago, GE announced plans to expedite efforts to sell a $4 billion stake in the oilfield-services provider Baker Hughes. Additionally, its finance arm, GE capital, sold a $1.5 billion healthcare equipment finance portfolio to US lender TIAA Bank.

With these efforts, there could be "positive trends in the company's Power business, upside to debt reduction targets, improved margin dynamics in the company's renewable energy business, general economic strength," making it unlikely that company will have "a liquidity crisis," DeBlase said.

By her calculation, in the most likely scenario, GE could see about $0.34 a share of free cash flow in 2019 and $0.25 in 2020.

GE was down 58% this year.

• Read more:
• GOLDMAN SACHS: GE Capital has a $20 billion funding gap that needs to be filled by 2020
• General Electric plunges to its lowest level since the financial crisis after JPMorgan slashes its price target
• General Electric spikes after announcing plans to speed up the sale of some of its $4 billion stake in oilfield-services provider Baker Hughes

Join the conversation about this story »

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• In a single night four years ago, party promoter and restaurateur Larry Morrow gambled away $35,000.
• Today, Morrow is a rising star in the entertainment and restaurant industries in New Orleans and has an extensive network of influential clients like Drake, Migos, and Floyd Mayweather.
• After his biggest loss, Morrow started investing in himself and the industries he knows well. Even if he still lost money, he learned something and built relationships.

In a single night, party promoter and restaurateur Larry Morrow gambled away $35,000.

Four years later, Morrow is a rising star in the entertainment and restaurant industries in New Orleans and has an extensive network of influential clients like Drake, Migos, and Floyd Mayweather. He owns a restaurant called Morrow's New Orleans and is the author of "All Bets on Me."

The then-23-year-old Morrow bet all of his money while watching an NBA game on a casino television. Losing it was a wake-up call, he said on an episode of Business Insider's podcast "This Is Success."

"I took it as a sign from God. He was trying to humble me because I was young. I was making fast money, I was partying, I was drinking, I was gambling. So I was just doing too much, and I think it got the best of me. And I used that little time to just refocus and get my mind right," he said.

Read more: A 27-year-old entrepreneur who built a million-dollar business with clients like Drake and Lil Wayne says a game he played at age 10 taught him 2 lifelong lessons about money

From that night on, Morrow realized he had to start investing in himself.

"If you want to come up, you've got to go grind and get it. If you make some money in a casino, cool. Extra money. But don't let that control who you are, because the casino got the best of me," he said.

Morrow began praying, became more spiritually connected, and ate better. He didn't stop gambling, but this time he took bets on himself and the industries he knew well. Even if he still lost money, he learned something and built relationships. Earning a profit isn't the only goal, he said.

"I was able to endure those things because I lost in the past. I lost money coming up. I lost money in the casino. I lost money with the restaurant. I lost money with a bunch of different things. So, my endurance for it was totally different," Morrow said.

For example, after he had already established himself in New Orleans' entertainment scene, he threw an event for the hugely popular rapper Drake. Despite the event's success, the bill was larger than the return — by a significant amount. But it didn't phase Morrow, and he was able to find the positive side of it.

"When I lost that $25,000 I'm, like, 'You know that? It's done something bigger for me. It built my brand. It added to my résumé.' It motivated me to go a lot harder. I'm like, 'You know what? I've got to make this back.'"

"One thing a lot of people, entrepreneurs, they lose, or they fail at something. And that's the end. But with me it's like, every time I failed, I came back stronger. It motivated me to continue to reach that next level. I didn't give up easy."

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to "This Is Success" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

SEE ALSO: A 27-year-old promoter and restaurateur explains how he built a million-dollar business with clients like Drake, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, and Floyd Mayweather

DON'T MISS: A 27-year-old entrepreneur who built a million-dollar business with clients like Drake and Lil Wayne says a game he played at age 10 taught him 2 lifelong lessons about money

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This 26-year-old accidentally signed up for a poker tournament and won $973,683

• The Saver's Credit is a little-known tax credit that can reduce, or even eliminate, your tax bill.
• Tax credits are subtracted directly from the amount you owe in taxes on a dollar-for-dollar basis, whereas tax deductions are subtracted as a percentage from your gross income.
• You may qualify for the Saver's Credit when you file your 2018 tax return if you earn less than $31,500 as a single filer and less than $63,000 as a joint filer.

If you saved money in a retirement account in 2018, you may be eligible for a tax break called the Saver's Credit.

The Saver's Credit enables low- to moderate-income taxpayers saving for retirement to reduce or eliminate their tax bill by up to $1,000, or $2,000 if married and filing jointly.

Only 12% of American workers with an annual household income of less than $50,000 know about the Saver's Credit, according to Turbo Tax.

Tax credits, like tax deductions, can help you pay less income tax, according to the IRS. Tax credits, however, are subtracted directly from the amount you owe in taxes on a dollar-for-dollar basis, while tax deductions are subtracted as a percentage from your gross income. 

Read more: 10 things you probably didn't know you could deduct on your taxes

To be eligible for the Saver's Credit, you must meet three requirements: You're at least 18 years old, not a full-time student, and aren't claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. Your adjusted gross income (AGI) also must be less than $31,500 if you're a single filer, and less than $63,000 if you're a joint filer.

Depending on your income, you can claim a credit that's equal to 50%, 20%, or 10% of the first $2,000 in contributions to your retirement account or Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account (a tax-advantaged savings account for people with disabilities and their families). That means the maximum possible credit is $1,000.

Here's how the credit amount is determined based on income:

Receive credit equal to 50% of 2018 retirement contribution

• Married filing jointly: $38,000 or less
• Head of Household: $28,500 or less
• Single filers: 19,000 or less

Receive credit equal to 20% of 2018 retirement contribution

• Married filing jointly: $38,001 - $41,000
• Head of Household: $28,501 - $30,750
• Single filers: $19,001 - $20,500

Receive credit equal to 10% of 2018 retirement contribution

• Married filing jointly: $41,001 - $63,000
• Head of Household: $30,751 - $47,250
• Single filers: $20,501 - $31,500

Here's an example: Let's say Jennifer files as head of household and her adjusted gross income is $28,000 for 2018. During the course of the year, she contributed $1,000 to her employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. Jennifer can claim a 50% credit when she files her 2018 tax return, which cuts $500 off her tax bill.

The Saver's Credit can be taken for contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA,  401(k), SIMPLE IRA, Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SARSEP), 403(b), 501(c)(18) or governmental 457(b) plan, or ABLE account (new in 2018 under the new tax law).

Note that rollover contributions and employer contributions aren't eligible, and any recent distributions from your ABLE account, IRA, or retirement plan may lessen your eligible contributions.

The Saver's Credit can be claimed by filing Form 8880.

SEE ALSO: Here's a look at what the new income tax brackets mean for every type of US taxpayer this year

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• Apple may have set a one-day app sales record in the United States on Black Friday with $52 million in sales.
• That's according to a new analysis from Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm. 
• Games, many of which were discounted, drove the big day. 

Black Friday isn't just for doorbusters and deals — a lot of people download apps, too.

That's according to a new analysis from Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm, which found that US consumers set a new single-day revenue record for the App Store, the software distribution platform for iPhones and iPads. 

Apple grossed $52 million that day — of which about 70% go to the app makers, and 30% goes to Apple.

That's nearly 32% over last year's Black Friday, and even tops last year's Christmas sales. 

From the analysis: 

U.S. consumers spent an estimated $52 million on Apple’s App Store this Black Friday, setting a new single-day revenue record for the store. This marked an increase in spending of 31.6 percent over last year’s Black Friday, when gross revenue on the store hit an estimated $39.5 million, and 31 percent more than Christmas 2017’s $39.8 million spent, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data shows.

What drove the sales? According to Sensor Tower, a lot of it was games. Many games offered discounts on in-app purchases and other bundles, which drew players in.

But other app categories saw big gains, too, including Food & Drink and Sports, according to Sensor Tower.

Apple doesn't disclose App Store sales, even though it is believed to be the biggest chunk of its online services business, which analysts and investors hope can keep Apple revenue and profits high as the company seems to be facing slowing or shrinking iPhone and hardware sales. 

However, in early January, Apple traditionally releases a number of data points related to its App Store business. Last year, Apple said that users worldwide had made $300 million in purchases on New Year's Day in 2018, for example, and that iOS developers had earned $86 billion since the App Store launched in 2008. 

Now tell us about your holiday shopping!

SEE ALSO: 'Alexa, play Despacito on Apple Music': Apple's streaming service finally fully works with the Amazon Echo

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• Most states in the US are majority-female.
• Using recently released data from the US Census Bureau, we found the share of each state's population that is male.
• Only ten states had more men than women.

There are only a handful of states where men outnumber women.

The US Census Bureau recently released statistics from the 2017 American Community Survey, an annual program that asks millions of Americans each year about several social, economic, and demographic attributes. The Bureau publishes figures for each of the 50 states and Washington DC.

One of the many metrics released by the Census Bureau is the sex breakdown of each state, expressed as the percent of male and female residents.

Read more: All 50 states and Washington DC, ranked from least to most average

Only ten states had a population that was over 50% male: Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii, and Montana.

SEE ALSO: The economy of every state, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Lewis Hilsenteger from the YouTube channel Unbox Therapy created up the craziest gaming rig we've ever seen.
• With all the various components, the entire setup costs about $30,000.
• You have to see it to believe it.

Lewis Hilsenteger is always showing off the latest and coolest technologies over on his YouTube channel, Unbox Therapy.

But Hilsenteger may have outdone himself with this particular setup, which he filmed earlier this year. He rigged up a $20,000 gaming computer to probably the craziest-looking game chair we've ever seen, added three monitors, and designated snack areas to create the "ultimate gaming PC setup." He even threw in a PlayStation 4 Pro, just for good measure.

Check it out.

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This is it: the "ultimate" gaming experience, according to Hilsenteger.

It's comprised of an elaborate gaming chair, a high-end gaming PC, a PlayStation 4 Pro, computer accessories from SteelSeries, a snack cart, a refrigerator, and three massive displays.

Hilsenteger says this setup costs around $30,000.

• Emile Ratelband is asking a Dutch court to allow him to shave 20 years off his legal age.
• Ratelband argues that he should be able to have an age that's as young as he feels. But he doesn't think the privilege should extend to people who feel older than their age.
• A decision in the case is expected on Monday. Ratelband's lawyer thinks he has about a 30% chance of winning. 

Age ain't nothing but a number, but it's not a number we can simply change as we see fit.

Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old Dutch motivational speaker and author, doesn't see it that way. 

Ratelband is seeking to legally change his age to be 20 years younger than what his birth certificate says. He believes that if he feels like he's in his 40s, he should be able to alter his official age to reflect that.

The Netherlands government doesn't allow such a move. So Ratelband is suing, and asking a court in the Dutch town of Arnhem to consider his case. 

"My aging has stopped," Ratelband told Business Insider by phone from Germany, where he was preparing for another in a string of TV and radio appearances related to his case. (He seems to be enjoying the new media spotlight as much as the legal battle.) 

The Dutchman said he feels "condemned" by his elderly status and wants society to recognize the age he feels is most appropriate.

"I'm 69, but I like to work my ass off," he said. "I look at my biological age, and my biological age is 40, 42."

Ratelband argues that his age brings some unfair constraints, since being classified as a sexagenarian makes it harder for him to live an active, youthful life. It's harder for older folks to get a mortgage, Ratelband said, and near impossible to get work. He could avoid age-related discrimination, he claims, if his numbered years better aligned with the way he feels.

A Dutch court is set to announce its decision in his case on Monday.

How Ratelband keeps himself feeling young

It's not uncommon for people whose livelihoods have age restrictions to claim they're older or younger than they really are. Actors, actresses, gymnasts and footballers have all tried to obscure their ages to qualify for competition or to save face in a culture that cares (perhaps too much) about age.

But Ratelband is not hiding his real age right now. He just claims that his strict diet, exercise routine, and mindset have given him a "different point of view."

Read More: Cutting down on calories could slow the aging process, according to new research

"I don't drink coffee or tea, no alcohol, no smoking, no drugs, no dairy products, no meat," he said, adding that he takes a cold bath to wake up in the morning (a practice Silicon Valley biohackers are also embracing).

Ratelband says that ever since he worked with fitness guru and motivational speaker Tony Robbins in the late 80s, time seems to have stood still for his body and mind. (Robbins didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's requests to verify this.) 

He also argues that the world has changed as he's aged — we now live in an era of joint replacements, Botox injections, and smartphones. Ratelband thinks this progress helps us feel younger and sharper, something that should be reflected in our ages.

"In Europe, they're very old fashioned, and they're not used to change," he said. 

Ratelband is even ready to give up his €1,500 Euro monthly pension in return for 20 years off his official age. 

But there is some merit to the idea that aging doesn't always march forward in a linear fashion. 

Humans age, but not all life forms do

Earthlings haven't always aged. The earliest life forms on the planet were single-celled microbes that didn't breathe or grow old. They only got killed off by illness or injury.

The same is true of some endlessly replicating cancer cells, such as those of cancer patient Henrietta Lacks. Scientists have studied those cells for decades, and still use them in research today.

Although humans can't live forever, they have demonstrably slowed down their biological aging processes by eating better, exercising, meditating, and maintaining community ties with family, friends, and spouses. Scientists think part of the way this works is by helping maintain the health of our chromosomes.

At the same time, as healthcare and sanitation conditions improve around the world, people are living longer, healthier lives than before through science and technology. Data shows that as people gain access to better toilets and vaccines, their life expectancy soars.

Some studies have also shown that getting old is about more than the passing of time. Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer discovered that by putting men in their 70s into an environment that felt like it was frozen 20 years in the past, she could improve their "physical strength, manual dexterity, gait, posture, perception, memory, cognition, taste sensitivity, hearing, and vision," in just one week.

Those studies on aging suggest that the power of perception isn't something to be brushed aside when talking about longevity.

The logical holes in Ratelband's quest to change his age

At its simplest, Ratelband's argument can logically be reduced to: I feel young, therefore, I am young.

Troublingly, he has likened this fight to change his age to the transgender movement. That comparison is problematic and caused offense — trans writer Shon Faye called it pure "nonsense" in The Guardian. 

But there are other flaws in Ratelband's logic. According to his concept of age, shouldn't an especially astute, learned, and mature child be able to assert that they are older than their birth years? 

Ratelband balked at that notion.

"No, no, no," he said, quickly brushing aside the counterargument. "Because that's forbidden by law."

One judge hearing his case pointed out another big hole in his argument, asking: "For whom did your parents care? Who was that little boy then?"

Ratelband simply replied that his parents are dead, as if no one should care that he might erase some history if those who've seen it are already gone.

'Chronological' versus 'subjective' age

Ratelband thinks of his case as something of a "pre-cursor" to a future aging crisis and considers himself an age crusader. 

"In 25 years, all kinds of people who are then at the age of 70 will feel like if they are 40," he said. "Everything has changed... only the government doesn't change at all." 

But changes in how we define age are nothing new. One wouldn't expect people today to die of old age in their 30s, as many did in the middle ages. And while the US birth rate fell overall last year, it rose 2% among women between the ages of 40 and 44, and 3% for those from 45 to 49 — a change that would have been inconcievable in decades past.

Some experts refer to the disconnect between how we expect people to behave and feel at certain ages and the reality of how they actually feel as a conflict between "chronological age" and "subjective age." 

Even Thomas Jefferson grappled with this idea.

"I have observed, that at whatever age, or in whatever form, we have known a person of old so we believe him to continue indefinitely, unchanged by time or decay," he wrote from Monticello in 1826.

Of course, that's not always the way the world works. Age discrimination has been shown to have a detrimental effect on health care, employment, and, yes, even dating prospects. Ratelband, who tried to have his eighth child using a surrogate earlier this year, jokes that's been a problem for him. 

"I made a joke with the Tinder," he said of the online dating app. "If you go on Tinder, you are 69, you have no connections at all, but if you are 49, that's good."

As far as his case is concerned, Ratelband's lawyer expects that he has about a 70% chance of losing.

Whatever the outcome, both sides have said they plan to file an appeal in this fight for the ages.

SEE ALSO: Cutting down on calories could slow the aging process, according to new research

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NOW WATCH: Scientists discovered that people who work out the most have a huge advantage when it comes to aging

• Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are now officially married.
• The couple tied the knot in a Christian ceremony at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in India on Saturday.
• Both Chopra and Nick wore designs by Ralph Lauren.
• A second traditional Hindu ceremony is planned for Sunday.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas officially tied the knot at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in India on Saturday during one of two wedding ceremonies planned for this weekend.

According to People, Nick's father Paul Kevin Jonas Sr. officiated the first Christian ceremony. A second Hindu ceremony is planned for Sunday to honor Chopra's background.

Chopra and Jonas both wore designs by Ralph Lauren for the nuptials, as Lauren played a part in bringing the two together. The designer invited both as guests to the Met Gala in May 2017, where the two started their whirlwind romance. 

All of the bridesmaids and groomsmen wore designs by Lauren as well. Nick's brothers Joe, Kevin, and Frankie Jonas served as groomsmen alongside Chopra's brother Siddharth. Chopra's closest personal friends served as her bridesmaids.

The wedding took place in the lavish Umaid Bhawan Palace, which sits on 26 acres of land and is one of the largest private residences in the world.

Read more:Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are getting married in a lavish royal palace that's home to a 5-star hotel and has 347 rooms

Vogue reports that the ceremony took place after a series of traditional Indian pre-wedding celebrations that started on Wednesday. These included a mehndi ceremony where the bride had henna tattoos place on her hands and arms, and a haldi ceremony meant to ward off evil spirits.

Nick previously arrived in Delhi, India on Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with Chopra's family ahead of the wedding festivities.

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NOW WATCH: This calligrapher makes wedding invitations by hand

• Silicon Valley, a vital part of America's economic edge, is the global center of the digital revolution.
• But back in the late 1970s, the center of technology revolution wasn’t guaranteed to occur in the US.
• H-1B visas and skilled foreign workers changed that. 
• After the US repealed immigration quotas in 1965 and the H-1B visa was created in 1990, US companies could recruit globally, leading the country to become destination for global science, math, and computer science talent.
• President Trump's administration is discouraging foreign workers from applying to work legally in the US, and that could lead the US to lose its status as a leader in the tech world. 

Silicon Valley is a vital catalyst for America’s economic edge. It is the global center of the digital revolution shaping the 21st century, and its location in the US established our country as the leader of that revolution. The country reaps the economic benefits of having some of the largest and most innovative technology companies and research centers housed within our borders.

But back in the late 1970s, the center of technology revolution wasn’t guaranteed to occur in the US.

At the time, top computer science talent was scattered across the globe, and the industry needed a place where the best and brightest could gather to collaborate and innovate. It could have been anywhere — but Silicon Valley ended up in America.

Why?

The answer, in large part, is because the US opened its doors to skilled foreign workers.

After 1965, when the US repealed the Immigration Act of 1924 — which limited the number of people who could emigrate from each country — America’s visa system allowed a remarkable amount of global talent to gather within our borders, including in burgeoning tech centers like Santa Clara County in California.

As a result, the US became a destination for global science, math, and computer science talent during the second half of the 20th century.

A significant amount of these talented workers traveled to our shores from India. Between 1973 and 1977, more than 60 percent of the India Institute of Technology in Mumbai’s top quartile of electrical engineering graduates moved to the United States, which helped to revolutionize the landscape of the American technology industry. Many of these graduates accepted jobs in the region we now know as Silicon Valley.

When President George H.W. Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, a new type of visa was born: the H-1B. The new law institutionalized a program that allows employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers on a temporary basis for roles that require specialized knowledge. As a result, US companies were able to recruited from around the globe.

Read more: Silicon Valley's immigrant tech workers are scared of buying homes after Trump's travel ban

During my time as a US senator, I was proud to support legislation that expanded the annual cap on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 195,000 to meet the explosive growth of the US information technology sector, growth that ensured America would continue global technology leadership.

Silicon Valley and other high tech corridors — from Austin to Boston and various areas around the country — continue to rely on a symbiotic relationship between American and skilled foreign workers that enhances the contemporary tech scene.

A 2017 report by The Silicon Valley Competitiveness and Innovation Project found 57% of the San Francisco Bay’s tech workforce was born outside of the US. In a tight labor market with low unemployment, these workers help fill a critical worker shortage that has allowed US firms to remain strong and created thousands of jobs for US workers.

This role becomes particularly crucial in light of the recent White House Council of Economic Advisers’ report highlighting the growing skills gap facing American companies.

And America’s business leaders recognize how invaluable these workers are to their companies. Just last month, leaders of 59 US companies, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, signed onto a letter coordinated by the Business Roundtable and addressed to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, arguing that “As the federal government undertakes its legitimate review of immigration rules, it must avoid making changes that disrupt the lives of thousands of law-abiding and skilled employees, and that inflict substantial harm on US competitiveness.”

Read more: Highly skilled foreign workers are still flowing into the US — and in some cities, they make more than $100,000 yearly

In stating his objectives, President Trump said in Phoenix in 2016 that “it is our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants that we think are the likeliest to thrive and flourish and love us”. But the regulations being promulgated by government agencies, like US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are not consistent with these objectives and could discourage high-skilled workers from applying to work legally in the US or cause them to flee to other countries.  

As we continue to debate the best ways to reformour immigrationsystem, we must not sacrifice our ability to attract the most talented people on the planet to contribute to our nation’s prosperity and work within our borders. Without their efforts, we would impair the factors that have made our economy so formidable on a global stage for more than a century.

Spencer Abraham served as a US Senator from Michigan from 1995 to 2001, and was Secretary of Energy for George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. 

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• Regulators in Europe have zeroed in on a specific part of Amazon's business that they say could be anti-competitive.
• The scrutiny involves the company's dual role as both a direct retailer — buying goods wholesale and selling them to consumers — and as a platform for other retailers to sell their goods. The issue is the data and how Amazon uses it.
• In the United States, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has had a similar take on Amazon's role.
• Amazon's third-party marketplace is core to its retail growth, and if regulation should curtail it, the company's future growth could be impacted.

European regulators have set Amazon in their sights.

Germany's competition watchdog — the Federal Cartel Office, or the Bundeskartellamt — announced on Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Amazon.

"Its double role as the largest retailer and largest marketplace has the potential to hinder other sellers on its platform," Andreas Mundt, the president of the FCO, said in a statement. "Because of the many complaints we have received we will examine whether Amazon is abusing its market position to the detriment of sellers active on its marketplace. We will scrutinize its terms of business and practices towards sellers."

In a statement to Business Insider on Thursday, Amazon said that it would not comment on ongoing investigations, but pledged to "cooperate fully with the Bundeskartellamt and continue working hard to support small and medium-sized businesses and help them grow."

Germany's watchdog isn't the first to take notice of this aspect of Amazon's business and its potential anti-trust implications. The European Commission, led by Margrethe Vestager, announced in September that it had launched a preliminary investigation to see whether Amazon's dual role has meant that its use of data has been in violation of European competition law. 

"The question here is about the data," Vestager said in response to a journalist's question at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, at the time. 

The commission sent questionnaires to hundreds of third-party retailers this summer, it said. 

Read more: Amazon is getting slammed for a confusing email telling customers they don't need to change their password after a data leak

Across the Atlantic, US Sen. Elizabeth Warren has echoed the European regulators' sentiment. 

Speaking with The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin in September, Warren centered her criticism on the dual role Amazon plays. 

The problem, Warren says, is that Amazon gets the data from sales on its platform and doesn't necessarily share it. With that information, Amazon could then potentially create its own market conditions and develop a private-label brand.

"Amazon gets this special information advantage that it [can] then exploit to wipe out [a business]," Warren told Sorkin. "That is a serious problem."

Warren said that, ultimately, Amazon should not be in both businesses.

"You got to pick one business or the other, baby," Warren said. "You want to be a competitor, be a competitor. That's great. You want to be the platform provider, that is a different function. If you're getting a huge competitive advantage from being a platform provider because of all this information you keep scraping off, then we no longer have competition going on."

Amazon's marketplace has become core to its retail growth. Marketplace has grown to account for more than half of the website's sales. Its growth is outpacing Amazon's direct sales of merchandise. It has also more closely integrated offerings by third parties into its own services, which Amazon collects fees on, so customers often can't tell the difference when shopping the site.

That's a powerful tool for Amazon, as it drastically increases the number of items available for purchase on the website. Should regulation not let Amazon sell products that compete with those sold by third parties on its own website, Amazon's future retail growth could be impacted. 

SEE ALSO: Amazon's reputation is taking another hit in the wake of its HQ2 decision

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• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent at least 11 messages to the adviser who oversaw the effort to kill Jamal Khashoggi in the hours around the journalist's killing, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
• According to a classified CIA report obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the crown prince's messages to aide Saud al-Qahtani suggest he "personally targeted" Khashoggi and "probably ordered his death."
• The killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and a vocal critic of Saudi leadership, has set off a firestorm of demands from US lawmakers for a strong response to the kingdom as the White House has been reluctant to assign blame to the crown prince.  

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent at least 11 messages to the adviser who oversaw the effort to kill Jamal Khashoggi in the hours around the journalist's killing, according to a classified CIA report obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

The crown prince told his advisers "we could possibly lure him outside Saudi Arabia and make arrangements" if Khashoggi, who was previously based in Virginia, did not return to Saudi Arabia.

The Journal reported that CIA analysis of the communication "seems to foreshadow the Saudi operation launched against Khashoggi."

SEE ALSO: 'I am worried': Audio captures bits of conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at G20

DON'T MISS: It's business as usual for the Saudi crown prince at the G20 summit despite the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi

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NOW WATCH: The Obamas are worth $40 million — here's how they make and spend their money

• Costco wines prove to be a major draw for some members. 
• Business Insider spoke to Costco Wine Blog founder Andrew Cullen and reviewer Erin Reyes about their top strategies for finding great wines at a good value. 
• They recommended tips like always checking the vintage year and making friends with the warehouse wine advisor.

Costco wines, like just about everything else at the warehouse chain, have accrued somewhat of a cult following.

There's a whole blog — aptly named the Costco Wine Blog— dedicated to reviewing all the whites, reds, rosés, and bubblies the retailer has to offer. The blog is completely independent of Costco, and it's attracted a community of fans.

"Costco is almost like a curated wine collection for members," blog founder and editor Andrew Cullen told Business Insider. "You're not going to go there and find whatever bottle you may be looking for."

Business Insider recently spoke to Cullen and contributing reviewer Erin Reyes to get their top tips on how to make the most of your next wine run at Costco. Both agreed that the chain tends to offer high-quality wines for reasonable prices.

"We all want to find really good wine at really good prices," Cullen said. "Costco's a really good place to do that."

Here are their top tips for buying wine at Costco:

SEE ALSO: From entire lawn sets to used toilets, these are the most ridiculous returns employees from Costco, Walmart, and Target say they've ever gotten

DON'T MISS: Costco sells millions of pumpkin pies every year — and the recipe has apparently been the same since 1987

SEE ALSO: 50 foods that Costco employees and members love

Look out for Kirkland wines ...

"Having access to the selection of Kirkland Signature wines is a huge, huge benefit for any Costco member and wine shopper," Cullen said. "You can only get them at Costco. You're getting access to really good wines from top wine regions at really good prices, typically."

... and take a closer look at the labels.

Costco has a history of partnering up with quality brands in order to craft its Kirkland products. Kirkland wines are no exception. And there's a subtle strategy for checking out where your wine is coming from.

Cullen said that occasionally, Costco wines list the winemaker on the back of the bottle.

"Then you can Google him or her and find out where they're producing wine," he said. "Then you can narrow it down and be like, 'Well it's so and so winemaker, and he's in Washington state, and they produce from this vineyard, so this is probably coming from this area or this vineyard.'"

Don't be afraid to dig around.

Cullen said that he's never afraid to dig around in the wine section of the warehouse.

"People think you're really weird when you're doing that, but it's totally worth it," he said.

That's because different vintages tend to be thrown in the bins together.

"Don't just grab the first bottle," Reyes said. She said that while vintage might not matter as much for lower-end wines, for high-ticket bottles it's far more crucial.

Cullen described finding separate vintages at the same price.  

"If there are a bunch of '15s on top, you might dig down and find a '14," he said. "You might even find a '13 vintage, stuck in there. It doesn't hurt to look."

Cullen also recommended checking beneath the wooden racks, where you might also find a forgotten bottle of an otherwise sold-out wine. 

• Victoria's Secret models don't always get the chance to wear lavish outfits and Fantasy Bras.
• Models like Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and Adriana Lima have all rocked some pretty wild looks.
• Past runway styles have included light-up Angel wings, balloon trains, and even popcorn-inspired lingerie.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is known for its cast of world-famous Angels and sparkly runway looks. But since the show started in 1995, not every model has been dressed in luxurious lingerie. 

Instead, some models have graced the stage wearing everything from football-inspired capes to bustiers that resemble popcorn. Of the multiple Angels who have worn these bold looks, Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, and Heidi Klum all made the list.

Until the 2018 fashion show airs on December 2, here's a look back at some of the wildest looks ever worn the Victoria's Secret runway.

2002 saw some of the most straps ever worn during a Victoria's Secret show, when model Ujjwala Raut walked the runway in this ensemble.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show first began in 1995, but it wasn't until 2002 that the brand began to experiment with looks this bold.

Victoria's Secret experimented with plastic lingerie when Dewi Driegen wore this ensemble in 2003.

Rather than wearing a traditional bra, this model appears to have worn a white strap with a plastic overlay.

There were also a lot of mismatched prints on the 2003 runway.

Model Frankie Rayder wore a mix of multiple styles, including a shiny pink bra, detachable fur sleeves, and an unhooked bustier.

• In any relationship, couples argue, but what they argue about will differ from couple to couple.
• Some subjects become recurring fights, such as how one person spends too much money or how one is too messy.
• Here, 10 people share what they argue about most in their relationships.

Although every couple argues to some degree, whether they're married or not, what they argue about in their relationships can vary greatly.

Toni Coleman, a psychotherapist, relationship coach, and divorce mediator, told Business Insider that it's common for couples to come into counseling with the primary underlying complaint being a problem with communication.

"This often takes the form of recurring fights that repeat the same dysfunctional dynamics in a seemingly endless loop," she said. "The first thing I emphasize is the need to approach their communication in a different way."

Coleman said that she emphasizes "a need for compromise, which means that no one wins unless both win."

Her solution is for couples to  practice reflective listening, where each person is allowed to share their thoughts and feelings uninterrupted, and the other then reflects back what they've heard. "This leads to a much greater understanding of one another — without defensiveness — and an increased willingness to work together and be supportive of one another's needs," Coleman said.

On the topic of recurring fights, here 10 people share what they argue about most with their significant others.

SEE ALSO: 14 people share the best advice they've ever received from a teacher

Amy, 35

Simple: Money. Whether it's about what I spend from my personal bank account or what I spend from our joint one, money seems to be a constant topic of conversation between me and my husband.

We even have a meeting with a financial planner and a therapist soon, because I'd rather we get professional opinions. I think a lot of it comes down to how we were raised: My parents were more lax in spending, although they taught me how to save money, too, but his were very, very frugal, so he takes penny-pinching to an extreme.

Alice, 49

My long-term boyfriend and I live together and fight the most over housework. While he'd prefer to live in a mess, I feel it's important to clean up right after said mess is made.

We've tried a chore calendar and even a weekly maid, which was a complete waste of money, but every idea falls to the wayside, and I don't feel it's my job to constantly clean up after him.

Deena, 40

I married a Republican, but not a Trump supporter. We don't see eye-to-eye on any political topics. I've learned to not bring up anything.

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

As headlines like "Amazon Is Secretly Becoming a Bank" and "Google Wants to Be a Bank Now" increasingly crop up in the news, tech giants are coming into the spotlight as the next potential payments disruptors.

And with these firms' broad reach and hefty resources, the possibility that they'll descend on financial services is a hard narrative to shy away from. To mitigate potential losses under this scenario, traditional players will have to grasp not only the level of the threat, but also which segments of the financial industry are most at risk of disruption.

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft, collectively known as GAFAM, are already active investors in the payments industry, and they're slowly encroaching on legacy providers' core offerings. Each of these five companies has introduced features and offerings that have the potential to disrupt specific parts of the banking system. And we expect a plethora of additional offerings to hit the market as these companies look to build out their ecosystems.

However, it remains unlikely that any of these firms will become full-blown banks or entirely upend incumbents, due to regulatory barriers and the entrenched positions of big banks. Moreover, consumers still trust traditional firms first and foremost with their financial data. That means these companies are far more likely to rattle the cages of incumbents than they are to cause their total demise. That said, these companies have a proven capacity to revolutionize industries, making their entry into payments critical to watch for legacy players, especially as their moves demonstrate an intent to be a disruptive force in the industry.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence analyzes the current impact GAFAM is having on the financial services industry, and the strengths and weaknesses of each firm's position in payments. We also discuss the barriers these companies face as they push deeper into financial services, as well as which aspects of a bank’s core business provide the biggest opportunities for the new players. Lastly, we assess these companies' future potential in payments and the broader financial services industry, and examine ways incumbents can manage the threat.

Here are some of the key takeaways: 

• GAFAM has been actively encroaching on the payments space. This includes offering mobile wallets for in-store and online payments, peer-to-peer money transfer services, and even loans for small- and medium-sized businesses. 
• These firms' broad reach and hefty resources have put them in a strong position to take on legacy players. GAFAM has products that have been adopted by millions of users, and in some cases, billions. They also have access to a tremendous amount of capital — Apple, Microsoft, and Google had over $400 billion combined in cash at the end of 2016.
• However, these firms have to overcome major barriers to compete against legacy players, which includes regulation and trust. For example, 60% of respondents to a Business Insider Intelligence survey stated that they trust their bank most to provide them financial services.
•  As a result of these barriers, it's more likely that GAFAM will make a dent in very specific segments of the financial services industry rather than completely disrupt it. 

In full, the report:

• Explains what GAFAM's done to place themselves in a position to be the next potential payments disruptors.
• Breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each company as it relates to their ability to build out an extensive financial ecosystem. 
• Looks at the potential barriers that could limit GAFAM's ability to capture a significant share of the payments industry from traditional players. 
• Identifies what strategies legacy players will have to deploy to mitigate the threat by these tech giants.

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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.

Some people like receiving fine jewelry as gifts, while others prefer to open the box to reveal cool tech accessories. For some — the ones who are always looking forward to their next meal, cooking up something delicious in the kitchen, or eyeing pictures of food hungrily — if it's not something they can consume, what's even the point?  

Few types of food can make a person drool like meat. It's often the protein that forms the foundation of a meal, or its addition immediately makes an unsatisfying dish more appealing. 

Sending your friend or family member some meat as a gift is a little weird if it's just the regular stuff from your local grocery store, but certainly not when it's of the artisanal, gourmet, and curated variety. Packaged beautifully and combined with other cuts and kitchen accessories, it's the perfect gift for the carnivore in your life. 

Keep their bellies full and happy with these 11 gifts from online meat companies. 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

A kit to make the perfect prime rib

American Wagyu Prime Rib Starter Kit, $255, available at Snake River Farms

Prime rib is actually really easy to make, as long as they get the temperature and seasoning right. The five-pound prime rib in this kit is beautifully marbled with a premium ribeye center. It includes a delicious black pepper salt to bring out the best flavors, and a digital meat thermometer to make sure they attain the perfect medium-rare. 

A sampler of the best cuts from online meat delivery company Porter Road

Best of Porter Road Box, $100, available at Porter Road

A good intro to Nashville-based online butcher shop Porter Road is its "Best Of" sampler, which has steaks, pork chops, ground beef, bacon, country sausage, and chorizo to fulfill all their different cravings. 

A charcuterie spread

Classic Box, $44.99, available at Carnivore Club

If they're always hanging around the charcuterie board at picnics and dinner parties, a Carnivore Club box will let them enjoy their own personal stash of artisanal cured meats. Soppressata, chorizo, and pepperoni may be some of the four to six meats they'll receive.