While cost-effectiveness had been a near-constant source of praise for the other Sam's Club wines, reviewers were more split than usual on the $19.98 Champagne. With a price tag close to $20, the bubbly cost more than double many of the other wines on the list. Many of the reviewers expressed surprise at the cost, although Champagne often sells for double the price of other sparkling wines.

One reviewer, who reported disliking the wine, opined that it was "a gigantic rip-off." Another said that the price seemed "about right."

Yet another reviewer took the middle of the road, saying they'd like to see the Champagne closer to $10.

"But, at the same time, I'm not mad at the price," they wrote.

SEE ALSO: Apply here to attend IGNITION: Retail, an event focused on the future of retail, in New York City on January 14.

DON'T MISS: We tried 7 of Sam's Club Member's Mark wines, and taste testers were split on whether they were terrible or incredible

DON'T MISS: We tried 8 types of Trader Joe's 'Two Buck Chuck' wine, and I was blown away by one

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We went to a Champagne vineyard in France to find out why it's so expensive

• Disney has been creating princess-centric movies for over 80 years, but some are more beloved than others. 
• "Frozen II" (2019) is the only sequel on the list to make it to the big screen and it's the highest-rated princess film for audiences. 
• All of the direct-to-video sequels are on the bottom half of the list with low audience rankings.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Disney has been releasing animated, princess-centric films for decades — but some are far more beloved than others. 

Here are all of Disney's animated princess films, ranked by audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: Audience scores were up to date as of publication but are subject to change. 

In "Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World" (1998), Pocahontas travels to England.

Audience Score: 29%

Pocahontas returns in this sequel, where she travels to England to stop a war from happening. 

Overall, audiences weren't thrilled with this direct-to-video movie, saying that it "lacks the charm and visual delight of the first film."

"Cinderella II: Dreams Come True" (2002) is comprised of three short stories.

Audience Score: 32%

Created nearly 50 years after the original "Cinderella" (1950), this movie is composed of three short stories about Cinderella's struggle to adjust to life as a royal, her mouse's wish to be a human, and her stepsister's journey to find love.

Many viewers wished the movie centered around Cinderella instead of telling three separate stories.

And one audience member summed up this sequel as being "completely harmless, completely watchable, and completely unmemorable."

"Mulan II" (2004) forces Mulan to reflect on her strong values.

Audience Score: 43%

Mulan and her warrior friends escort princesses to their weddings to bring peace between their home countries, but along the way, she discovers they are all being forced into arranged marriages that go against Mulan's values.

Audiences had mixed feelings about this sequel. Many of them loved this new tale, while others felt strongly that it didn't quite live up to the first. 

One viewer wrote, "Even though 'Mulan II' does not have enough action as the original has, it still has great characters and a great story."

"The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" (2000) shows Ariel's daughter turn into a mermaid.

Audience Score: 45%

This sequel follows Ariel's daughter as she makes a deal with an evil sea witch to become a mermaid. 

Although some fans enjoyed this sequel, many found the plot unoriginal from its predecessor.

As one audience member wrote, "'Little Mermaid 2' is not a perfect sequel and definitely inferior to the first. It is, as fans complain, the same story backwards."

Belle tries to get the Beast into the Christmas spirit in "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" (1997).

Audience Score: 56%

Taking place before the spell is broken at the end of "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), Belle and the enchanted objects try to get the Beast into the Christmas spirit as an evil pipe organ tries to foil their plans.

Audiences generally agree that this flashback movie is missing much of the magic from the original.

One reviewer wrote, "It brings back the same great voice actors but with far inferior animation, miserable unfunny humor, and simplified characterizations that remove all the subtlety of the first movie's romance"

"The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" (2008) is a prequel to the events in the original "The Little Mermaid."

Audience Score: 56%

In this prequel, Ariel's father King Triton has banned music from their kingdom, which places a strain on their relationship. Ariel then goes on a quest to bring music back to everyone's lives. 

Fans enjoyed learning Ariel's origin story, but felt the film boring and that it lacked "the charm and wit of the original."

"Cinderella III: A Twist in Time" (2007) shows what would have happened if the glass slipper didn't fit Cinderella.

Audience Score: 61%

Cinderella's stepmother steals the fairy godmother's wand and sends them all back in time to the night of the prince's ball. In this new timeline, the glass slipper fits her stepsister's foot instead. 

Many audience members felt this was one of the best Disney princess sequels out there.

One reviewer wrote, "Providing an accurate backstory on its original, and developing its characters in honest emotion, 'Cinderella III,' while it has its corny moments, is still a rare gem in Disney's line of DVD sequels."

A young Native American girl and a British settler fall in love in "Pocahontas" (1995).

Audience Score: 64%

The Algonquin chief's daughter Pocahontas secretly meets and falls in love with a British settler, which puts their people at odds. The pair must show their groups that they're all more similar than they might think.

Audiences loved the music and animation style, but felt the historical inaccuracies and slow-moving and "dull" plot overshadowed its redeeming qualities. 

A girl and a prince turn into frogs in "The Princess and the Frog" (2009).

Audience Score: 74%

Thanks to voodoo magic, a girl and a prince are both turned into frogs. While they figure out how to reverse the spell, the frogs meet a host of musical creatures along the way. 

Fans found the plot to be refreshing as it shows the princess working hard to make her dreams come true.

One reviewer wrote, "Loved everything from the music to the visuals to the story. Tiana is a strong female lead and a great role model."

A girl defies her family for what she feels is right in "Brave" (2012).

Audience Score: 76%

After defying her family's outdated traditions, a princess seeks help from an old witch that turns her mother into a bear. 

Audiences mostly enjoyed this movie for its unique storyline.

One fan wrote, "A daring, original narrative from Disney/Pixar that isn't as gripping as other films but still has enough sentiment and charm to keep audiences smiling."

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) is about a princess escaping her evil stepmother.

Audience Score: 78%

A princess is forced away from her home by her stepmother and finds solace in the cottage of seven small men. When her stepmother realizes that Snow White is still alive, she plots to kill her. 

This was the first fully animated feature film created by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and audiences believe it mostly stands the test of time.

One reviewer explained, "While outdated by modern standards, Snow White manages to charm and delight its viewers with its charismatic lead, wickedly antagonizing villain, and strong supporting cast of characters." 

A girl becomes a princess for just one night in "Cinderella" (1950).

Audience Score: 80%

When invitations to the royal ball arrive, Cinderella's fairy godmother appears to ensure she has a beautiful gown and slippers to attend in hopes that she'll meet the prince.

Although they enjoyed the film, audiences felt the movie focused too much on Cinderella's animal friends and not enough on developing the human characters. 

As one reviewer wrote, "While Cinderella is a viable and compelling heroine, the film focused more on the relationship between rodents and felines at the expense of the film's central romantic interests."

"Sleeping Beauty" (1959) is about a girl who is saved after falling into a cursed slumber.

Audience Score: 80%

An evil fairy places a spell on Princess Aurora that causes her to fall into a deep sleep. Her prince must battle evil forces to awaken her.

Overall, fans praised the Disney classic for its "stunning animation" and impressive soundtrack. 

In "Mulan" (1998), a girl disguises herself as a man to join the army and help her father.

Audience Score: 85%

A young girl disguises herself as a man to take her father's place in a military draft and, with the help of her dragon, she works with the other soldiers to battle the Huns. 

Generally, audiences enjoyed seeing a strong female character as the lead.

One reviewer wrote, "'Mulan' is groundbreaking in its portrayal of women in animation, helped by an instant classic of a soundtrack, likable characters and important themes for families."

Two sisters must break an icy spell in "Frozen" (2013).

Audience Score: 85%

When Queen Elsa loses control over her magical ice powers and freezes her kingdom over, her sister Anna believes she's the only one who can reach her sister and break the spell.

Overall, fans loved "Frozen" for its catchy songs and touching plot.

One fan wrote, "Perhaps one of Disney's absolute masterpieces. Beautiful and believable story of love between two siblings who stick together and don't give up on one another no matter what."

A girl finds freedom and love in "Tangled" (2010).

Audience Score: 87%

Rapunzel escapes the grasp of the old woman who kidnapped her with the help of an outlaw who stumbled into her tower.

Fans mostly agreed that this retelling of a classic fairytale is a hit, especially due to its impressive visuals and "amazing songs."

A mermaid becomes a human in "The Little Mermaid" (1989).

Audience Score: 88%

A young mermaid becomes a human when she makes a trade with a witch. She must make a prince fall in love with her or else she'll lose her voice forever and become the witch's prisoner.

Audiences loved just about everything in this classic Disney princess movie, especially praising its "catchy music" and great cast of voices. 

"Moana" (2016) is about a girl traveling across the ocean to discover her past.

Audience Score: 89%

Moana goes on an epic journey across the ocean to discover her ancestors' connection to it and ultimately save her island and her family. 

Fans applauded the film's animation and especially appreciated its humor and well-timed jokes.

One reviewer wrote, "Beautiful animation, great characters, and knee-slapping jokes makes this one of the best Disney movies of recent years."

A girl is locked in beast's castle in "Beauty and the Beast" (1991).

Audience Score: 92%

A girl is locked in a castle by a cursed beast who must make her fall in love with him in order to break the spell.

Audiences and critics both agreed that "Beauty and the Beast" is quite a masterpiece.

As one fan wrote, "Outstanding. Engaging all the way through, and every song is a hit on its own."

In "Aladdin" (1992), a boy teams up with a genie to make his wishes come true.

Audience Score: 92% 

A boy living on the streets on a kingdom finds a genie in a magic lamp, and tries to use his three wishes to woo the princess and become a prince. 

Fans loved this movie overall but especially enjoyed Robin Williams' performance as the Genie.

"Frozen 2" (2019) shows how Elsa got her icy powers.

Audience Score: 92%

In Disney's newest princess movie, the two sisters return to discover their family's secret past and figure out how Elsa gained her icy powers.

Although critics didn't like this film as much as the original, fans loved this continuation of the "Frozen" story.

As one reviewer wrote, "It's more mature than the first 'Frozen,' with so much depth to the characters, their motivations, songs, and story arcs."

Read More:

• Just like any other type of insurance, spending an hour (or less) to shop around for life insurance could help you save. 
• In about half an hour, I collected quotes from life insurance companies including Haven Life, Bestow, and insurance comparison site Policygenius, where I found the cheapest premiums.
• For a 20-year, $250,000 term-life policy, quotes ranged from $11.18 per month to $23.40 per month, meaning there's a potential savings of $2,932 over time for the same coverage.
• Read more personal finance coverage.

If you're not shopping around for your life insurance, you could be spending more than you need.

I spent about half an hour comparing life insurance quotes online and found out just how important shopping around can be. I got preliminary quotes from seven companies, which each took me less than five minutes.

I researched quotes for a single, 25-year-old woman in California, looking at $250,000 20-year term policies and $500,000 20-year term policies. While some quotes were as low as $11.18 per month, or $134 per year, one quote hit $23.40, or $280.80 per year.

That's a savings of $145 per year, or $2,960 over the 20-year life of the policy, and I never would have known had I not shopped around.

I started by looking at some buzzy life insurance startups

In less than three minutes, I had a life insurance quote from online life insurance company Bestow that was very reasonable. Coverage through Bestow would cost an affordable $11.25 per month. An easy slider let me see that it would cost $17.50 per month to increase coverage to $500,000.

With a number to beat, I went to Fabric. Fabric is an online tool for making a will and getting life insurance. When I went to do a quote, I found out that Fabric doesn't yet operate in California, so it wasn't an option for my search. 

Haven Life was my next stop, and while it was a close second, it didn't beat Bestow. For a $250,000 term life policy, Haven estimated $12.07 per month, or $144.84 per year. While that's not bad, Bestow is still about $10 cheaper per year, and $200 cheaper over the 20-year period.

However, a simple slider on the quote page shows Haven is cheaper than Bestow for a $500,000 policy — coverage is about $7 cheaper per year, or about $130 over the course of the 20-year policy.

I got these two figures in a total of three minutes. If I were to decide on an insurer and complete an application, there's a good chance the quote would fluctuate by a few dollars as the companies got more information — but the preliminary quotes are a good place to start.

Then I checked out a more traditional insurer

For a more traditional insurance option, I checked out Liberty Mutual and got a quote within five minutes: $23.40 a month for a $250,000 policy, and $22.05 per month for a $500,000 policy. I was surprised to see the larger policy had a lower premium, so I re-ran the numbers and got the same result.

Yes, the policy with more coverage was still cheaper — about $15 per year cheaper. Over the life of the policy, that could mean that you'd pay $324 less for double the benefit. 

But Liberty Mutual's premiums were over $10 higher per month than the Bestow policy. For the same $250,000 term life policy, coverage over 20 years through Liberty Mutual would cost $2,960 more than the same coverage through Bestow.

Finally, I stopped by Policygenius and found the best rates yet

Policygenius is a comparison site that gathers information from several companies in one place. In another five minutes, I'd found a new winner.

For a $250,000, 20-year term policy, Policygenius gave good options, including a policy from Transamerica for $11.18 per month. That makes Transamerica about $17 cheaper than Bestow's $11.25 per month policy over 20 years. Comparable quotes from Banner and Pacific Life also popped up. 

A $500,000 policy with the same information shows more significant savings. Policies from TransAmerica, Banner, and Pacific Life were all priced under $16 per month, about a dollar or two cheaper per month than the same policies offered by Bestow and Haven. 

Policygenius offered the most information for my time, and the best prices available to me. However, had I not taken the time to explore my options, I wouldn't have known these were the best rates. When it comes to a long-term commitment like life insurance, skipping the shopping could mean 20 years of spending more than you need on coverage each month.

• More personal finance coverage
• 4 reasons to open a high-yield savings account while interest rates are down
• It took less than 10 minutes to open a high-yield cash account with Wealthfront and earn more on my savings
• How to buy a house with no money down
• When to save money in high-yield savings
• Best rewards credit cards
• 7 reasons you may need life insurance, even if you think you don't

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 5 things about the NFL that football fans may not know

• I went to a "Santa Paws" Christmas dinner for dogs, dog owners, and people who just really like being around them. 
• Hosted by UK supermarket Sainsbury's, the dinner I went to was specifically for non-dog owners and included therapy dogs from Pet London.
• Having only owned cats my whole life, I had no idea about the sheer number of products and types of food that are available for dogs, like Christmas cookies and mince pies. 
• Being around the therapy dogs at the dinner and getting in a lot of cuddle time dramatically improved my mood by the end of the evening, and definitely got me into the festive spirit.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more details.

Nothing says Christmas like a party — especially one designed for dogs.

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's recently hosted a series of "Santa Paws" Christmas dinners at a gallery in London where dog owners could buy a ticket to the event and bring their pooches along to mingle. However, for non-dog owners like myself, the Santa Paws Dinner also ran slots with therapy dogs from Pet London.

Things have been lacking on the Christmas spirit front for me recently, so spending an evening with canine companions and celebrating the festive season felt like a good opportunity to get into the holiday frame of mind. 

I took my mum with me, who lost her dad (my granddad) very suddenly a couple of months ago. Understandably, since then she's been wrestling with a lot of private grief and logistical stress from now taking on a shared caring role of her own mother. 

This was also the first time I had ever been around trained therapy animals. Aside from being a great comfort during bereavement, studies have proven petting an animal increases the brain's serotonin and dopamine levels, which in turn boosts our mood by lowering stress, anxiety, and depression.

Here's what the dinner was like.

I don't know if it was the excitement of spotting six wagging tails dashing around the room, but I practically squealed at this entrance doormat.

The Santa Paws dinner table was set for the dogs to enjoy later in the evening. There was a lot of ooh-ing and ahh-ing coming from me even though we all knew the placemats, table decorations, and cutlery are redundant props when it comes to dogs eating food.

My first cuddle was with Lulu, a Tibetan terrier, who bounded up to me upon arrival. Lulu's handler gave me a treat to give to her and I had a little blonde shadow for the rest of the event.

Just glancing at the shelves, I assumed the products were for people. Always curious to see what's new in stores, I sidled up to have a browse at the packages.

I was a bit shocked to see the slim font spelling out "for dogs" on a mince pie packet that wouldn't look out of place in the hand of a human.

Again, just going on looks, I would have thought these Christmas pudding cookies were treats for people.

There was no shortage of Christmas paraphernalia exclusively for dogs, like these toys with smiley faces.

A "Festive Dinner for Dogs" is actually a sweet thing to buy if you're not planning to carve up a portion of turkey for your pet.

Just like kids, you can spoil the fur babies in your life with an abundance of toys at Christmas (but you know they will only want to play with the box, right?)

Tess, an English cocker spaniel, was very keen on getting a closer look at the dog-friendly treats out on display. It appeared she had her eye on harder stuff than the water which was laid out for her, though.

Dinner time was fast approaching and Mr Bojangles, a bouncy Jack Russell, was anticipating his meal.

Eric, the border collie, donned a tinsel collar in honor of the occasion and patiently sat in his place.

Chaotic excitement and joy was unleashed from the pups as dinner bowls were brought forward and placed in front of them on table mats. Obviously no one used their cutlery.

Everyone got fed, and even managed to have seconds — looking at you Tessa, who dived into Milo's (the Havanese at the back) unfinished bowl when he walked away for a break.

With dinner digesting, the dogs did the rounds again for more photos and petting.

Some furry party-goers found a quiet corner to munch through their final course in peace.

Lulu was clearly very pleased with herself.

In another room, towards the back of the space, there was opportunity to have a professional picture with one of the dogs.

The scene was staged like a holiday-card photo, complete with Christmas trees, fake presents, and fluffy rugs. There was even a box of props off-camera to incorporate into your shot if you wanted. Here's Milo again getting ready for his close-up.

Then there was more time for attention and cuddles for the dogs.

My mom is a dog person and used to have a cocker-spaniel the same coloring as Tess before I came along. She was in her element cooing over the dogs and chatting to their owners about what's involved in becoming a certified therapy pet.

Therapy dogs aren't just pets for people who are anxious flyers — they visit hospices, hospital wards, schools, universities, and offices. The criteria for becoming a therapy dog is quite tough, too. Milo's owner said dogs have to go through an exam, can't be too excitable, and must be able to immediately obey to commands.

Milly, a cavapoo cross, just came along for the snacks and scratches.

The whole evening was a delight, and being around the dogs most certainly caused a spike in my happiness levels as the event drew to a close.

Even something as simple as watching them eat or play with their owners put a smile on every face there. My mom said: "Having recently experienced the passing of my father, my emotions are often extremely low. Seeing the therapy dogs was an instant uplift and wished I could have seen them for a lot longer."

So it looks like Milo and friends certainly fulfilled their brief for the night.

Read more:

Why losing a beloved pet hurts so much, and how to deal with the grief

20 award-winning photos of dogs from 2019's Dog Photographer of the Year competition

9 times dogs went viral for their heroic deeds in 2019

The top trending dog breeds of 2019, according to Google

• Buying life insurance was always on my life to-do list, but I didn't get around to it until I got pregnant.
• My husband and I looked at options from a few different insurance companies and were surprised to find that our regular insurance provider wasn't the company we ultimately chose.
• We now pay $35 a month each for term life insurance— and it's money well spent.
• Looking for life insurance to protect your family? Compare quotes with Policygenius today »

Life insurance is one of those things I always knew I should have. It was on my list of grown-up readiness to-dos, right alongside having a will and an emergency fund, and regularly contributing to a retirement account.

Yet, I always managed to put it off — until I found out I was pregnant. Suddenly, getting life insurance felt more urgent.

A baby uproots your life in the best possible way — re-prioritizing everything from what you spend money on to how you spend your time — but a baby also brings a ton of uncertainty.

Some of it is fun, like wondering what their personality will be like and dreaming about the person they'll become. But some of it, such as how you'll pay for their college to how climate change will affect their future, made me (and continues to make me) anxious. Purchasing life insurance seemed like one way I could take a little control of the future.

How my husband and I decided between whole and term life insurance

Determined to finally cross life insurance off our to-do list, my husband and I started researching and quickly learned that we'd have to decide between buying term and whole life insurance, or a combination of the two.

Our first thought was to buy term because, frankly, whole life insurance is expensive. On average, whole life would have cost us six to 10 times the amount of term life insurance.

Whole life insurance is basically self-insurance — it gives you a guaranteed rate of return, certainty over how much you'll pay into it, and it can serve as an emergency fund, since you're able to withdraw a portion of it or borrow against it.

Term life insurance, on the other hand, is a product you buy for a set period of time, such as 15 or 20 years. After that, if you still feel you need it, you have to renew it at a new rate that will likely increase as you age.

Life insurance will never be cheaper than it is today. Get the coverage you need from Policygenius »

Ultimately, with a new baby on the way, we decided term life insurance met our needs. It was affordable while offering the protection we wanted. Plus, there were a lot of other ways we could use the money we were saving, such as building a college fund or simply paying for diapers.

And though if we purchase another policy in 20 years we'll likely end up paying more for it, a lot can happen in 20 years and we might be in a different place financially anyway.

How we chose a life insurance provider

Despite the overwhelming number of companies offering life insurance these days, we thought picking a life insurance provider would be simple.

All the rest of our insurance needs — car, property — were through USAA, and we assumed we'd use them for life insurance, too. We decided to request quotes from four of the other major companies, though, comparing the reviews, offerings, and prices for 20-year, $500,000 policies.

We eventually decided on a policy from Northwestern Mutual based largely on price, which worked out to less than $35 per month for each of us. (It's worth noting that every company annoyingly tried to sell us on a larger policy but, taking into account the property we own, we were comfortable being on the lower end of the recommended coverage amount.)

The application process

Applying for life insurance is a lot of hurry up and wait. My pregnancy wasn't a factor in getting my coverage, although it did get me out of having to fast for the medical exam. But when you're expecting, you're better off getting life insurance as soon as you can — if you're further along, pregnancy-related health conditions, such as gestational diabetes, can affect the medical exam and can result in you paying higher costs.

After the initial application, which we completed online, we had a phone interview where we had to answer all sorts of questions, from basics, like our driver's license numbers, to the harder-to-remember dates of any surgeries. 

It took about 30 minutes to complete the phone interview, at which point we were given the choice of coming to their office to do a medical exam of having them send the tech to us; we opted for the latter.

It was a fairly standard exam — pulse and blood pressure check, height and weight recording, a blood test and urine sample, which if you're pregnant you're used to anyways. About a month later we got confirmation that our policy was in effect.

Now that we have life insurance, it's just one more bill we pay every month. At some point I know we'll have to renew it or think about purchasing an additional policy, but right now I feel at ease that we're covered, giving each of us and our daughter financial stability.

Life insurance can help you rest easier knowing your family is protected. Get a quote from Policygenius today »

• More personal finance coverage
• 4 reasons to open a high-yield savings account while interest rates are down
• It took less than 10 minutes to open a high-yield cash account with Wealthfront and earn more on my savings
• How to buy a house with no money down
• When to save money in high-yield savings
• Best rewards credit cards
• 7 reasons you may need life insurance, even if you think you don't

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to find water when you're stuck in the desert

Venture capitalists are the startup experts, the ones who have their finger on the pulse of which fledgling companies will boom and which will bust.

As part of Business Insider Prime's comprehensive coverage of the startups that will strike gold in 2019, we asked VCs to name the startups they think are going to be hot this year. They told us about companies they currently have in their portfolios, as well as ones they haven't put any money into yet but are at the center of positive news.

And from those discussions, one particular group of startups came up repeatedly: those that specialize in artificial intelligence tech.

From AI robots to software that uses machine learning to automate tasks, Silicon Valley is chock full of AI-focused startups.

Take, for example, Transfix, a freight marketplace that companies use to hire trucks from carriers. The startup is trying to transform the $800 billion trucking industry by using AI to match loads with carriers. It's raised $131 million so far.

There are hundreds of noteworthy startups focusing on AI today, so BI Prime has gone to the expert venture capitalists to select the cream of the crop and create a full list of 12 AI Startups to Watch that include:

• A company that automatically audits expense reports
• A startup that builds self-driving, robot tractors
• A software bot that helps create other software bots
• And other startups looking to transform industries through AI

BI Prime is publishing dozens of stories like this each and every day. Want to get started by reading the full list?

>> Download it here FREE

Join the conversation about this story »

• Kim Kardashian West shared some photos of her family's Christmas presents, which she wrapped with "creamy velvet" instead of traditional paper.
• "West Holiday wrapping this year! Each year every family member picks a color and vibe so we know who the gifts are from," she wrote on her Instagram story.
• Some joked online that it looks like she wrapped them in bedsheets.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Kim Kardashian West shared one of her family's many monochromatic holiday traditions on Friday.

The mom of four shared some photos of her family's Christmas presents, for which she used "creamy velvet" instead of traditional wrapping paper.

"West Holiday wrapping this year! Each year every family member picks a color and vibe so we know who the gifts are from," she wrote on her Instagram story.

The Wests are known fans of monochromatic fashion and interior design. Kardashian West previously shared photos of her family's minimalistic, neutral-colored holiday decor, which she described as "Whoville, but all-white."

However, not everyone is sold on Kardashian West's unconventional wrapping paper. Many people on Twitter joked that it looks like Kardashian West wrapped her kids' gifts in bedsheets.

"This worse than wrapping your textbook in a paper bag when you ran out of book covers," one person commented on Instagram.

Others didn't seem phased by the velvet aesthetic but joked about the family's wealth and extravagance.

Kardashian West and her husband, Kanye West, have four young children: 6-year-old North, 4-year-old Saint, 1-year-old Chicago, and 7-month-old Psalm. The full family appeared in a dressed-down Christmas card that Kardashian West shared on her Instagram earlier in the month. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Most maps of Louisiana aren't entirely right. Here's what the state really looks like.

• The National Transportation Safety Board made public more than 3,000 pages of its investigation into Atlas Air Flight 3591 on December 19. 
• That flight was carrying Amazon and US Postal Service cargo, and was contracted by Amazon. 
• The NTSB made no final report from the documents, but interviews point to oversights in training and hiring at Atlas. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The National Transportation Safety Board made public more than 3,000 pages of its investigation into Atlas Air Flight 3591 on December 19. 

Three people, including two Atlas Air employees and one Mesa Airlines employee riding in the plane's jump seat, died in the February 23 crash. Called CustomAir Obsession, the plane was contracted to Atlas Air by Amazon, and was carrying Amazon and US Postal Service cargo. 

The NTSB did not release a final report or conclusion with its opening of the public docket. But, interviews with myriad executives, pilots, and training officials reveal a disturbing truth about safety standards at Atlas Air, which contracted 20 of its 112 planes to Amazon as of February. Amazon also owns 20% of Atlas' stock warrants.

Two pilots were at the helm of Atlas Air Flight 3591, which it crashed on February 23 in Houston, Texas. The captain was Ricky Blakely, who had worked for Atlas Air since September 2015. He had 11,000 hours of flight experience and 1,250 hours of experience with the Boeing 767.

Read more:An Amazon Air plane crashed in February, killing all 3 people on board. Weeks earlier, several pilots said they thought an accident was inevitable.

Conrad Jules Aska, the first officer, or copilot, had 5,000 hours total flight experience and about 520 hours of experience with the Boeing 767. Mesa Airlines Capt. Sean Archuleta, who was riding in the jump seat, also died in the crash.

What the NTSB documents showed

The NTSB investigators found numerous problems relating to Atlas' pilot hiring practices — specifically around Aska. The first officer previously worked at Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin, and CommutAir. At the latter two airlines, the NTSB found that he failed to finish training and was promptly flushed out of those carriers. He spent just a month at CommutAir. 

Before working at Atlas, Aska was a first officer at Mesa. He tried but could not upgrade from FO to captain on the Embraer 175 regional jet at the Phoenix-based regional carrier. Check airmen, or pilot trainers, at Mesa raised several concerning flags to NTSB investigators.

Captain Paul Allred, Mesa Air check airman, told the NTSB that Aska was "one of the worst he'd ever seen, probably a 2" out of 10 in terms of piloting skills.

Meanwhile, Captain Leigh Lawless, another Mesa Air check airman, said Aska had a "lack of understanding of how unsafe he was."

NTSB investigators wrote, from talking with Lawless, that Aska "was making very frantic mistakes, lots and lots of mistakes, and did a lot of things wrong but did not recognize this was a problem. He thought he was a good pilot never had any problems and thought that he should be a captain. He could not evaluate himself and see that he did not have the right stuff."

Aska later applied to Atlas Air. He did not disclose his short stretches at Air Wisconsin or CommutAir while applying. 

An Atlas spokesperson told Business Insider that the company's employees "meet or exceed all government safety standards. Atlas pilot training includes multiple reviews, evaluations and proficiency checks to comply with FAA regulations."

The spokesperson, who said Atlas is cooperating with the NTSB investigation, added that Atlas has enhanced employee training and candidate background checks since the crash.

Quick scaling

Scott Anderson, senior director of flight procedures, training, and standards at Atlas, told NTSB investigators that the airline would not have hired Aska had they known about his failures to pass trainings at those two airlines.

The pilot told Atlas during the hiring process that he was involved in real estate and freelance work during the two-year gap of his resume, which Atlas Air believed at the time. 

"Any idea why Atlas didn't know about that -- those training difficulties?" the NTSB investigator asked.

"I don't know," Anderson responded. "I don't know."

Meanwhile, aviation attorney Steven Marks — who is representing Aska in a federal lawsuit against Amazon, Atlas, and other parties— said every proficiency check and airline an applicant works for is disclosed by the Federal Aviation Agency when they apply to a new airline. "It is a wakeup call to start paying attention more to the operations and not compromise safety at the expense of growth," Marks told Business Insider. 

Additionally, Anderson said Aska had several remedial trainings while at Atlas. Asked why he did not receive additional remedial training or retribution, Anderson referred to "mitigating circumstances"— including the presence of FAA officials observing his type rating, which could have made him more nervous and his performance worse, as well as damage to his home during Hurricane Irma.

Anderson alluded in his interview to the quick scaling of Atlas Air in recent years. That growth is largely due to its partnership with Amazon, which it began working with in 2016.

Business Insider spoke with 13 pilots who work at Atlas Air and ATSG, Amazon's other air cargo partner, earlier this year. Those pilots described how a culture of quick growth at Atlas, due to the Amazon contract, which contributed to a decline in safety and hiring standards.

"I am concerned anytime that new entrants into aviation particularly carrying packages or goods enter a market where their background has been essentially trying to cut costs to make money,"Jim Hall, who led the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 1994 to 2001, previously told Business Insider, referring specifically to Amazon.

"Cutting costs in aviation causes deaths and accidents."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Lamborghini's new hybrid is bad for the environment

• I'm the host of Business Insider's podcast "This Is Success," where I talk to people at the top of their industries about their careers.
• This year I interviewed fashion designer Alexander Wang, New York Stock Exchange president Stacey Cunningham, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio, Blackstone cofounder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman, "The Simpsons" star Yeardley Smith, and the late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.
• A common theme was that even the most successful people have major setbacks and doubt their abilities, but remain persistent and both seek out help and give it to others.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories

As the host of Business Insider's podcast "This Is Success," I've had the opportunity to interview people who, if they're not already at the top of their industry, are shaking it up. And after about an hour of discussing their careers, I'll often walk away with an insight that I adapt into my own life.

This year, I spoke a celebrity fashion designer, voice actor, and some of the most influential people in business.

As 2019 comes to a close, I've collected my favorite lessons from each of the interviews.

SEE ALSO: The best books of 2019 on how we can rethink today's capitalism and improve the economy

Fashion designer Alexander Wang explained to me the importance of setting priorities to avoid burnout.

Alexander Wang started his label as a 20-year-old college dropout 15 years ago, and built it into one of the hottest in the industry, with fans like pop culture icon Kim Kardashian and supermodel Bella Hadid.

And so when Balenciaga announced in 2015 that Wang would no longer be their creative director, after just a three-year stint, it shocked the fashion world. Wang opened up about the experience in the podcast, saying that he had put himself into an unsustainable position. He had two full-time jobs, running his own label in New York and leading creative for Balenciaga in Paris.

"I would fly red-eye Sunday night, arrive in Paris, 8 a.m., go back to the hotel to change, get to work at like 9:30, work all day until like 9 p.m. — all week to Friday, and then take the red-eye back to New York and spend the weekend in New York," Wang said. He did that two weeks a month for three years, and during this period he also had a collaboration with H&M.

It got to a point where he had become so exhausted that he began to disconnect from his work, even though the Balenciaga role was otherwise a dream job. He decided that he had always cared more about his own label, and so it was a mutual decision that he leave Balenciaga to focus on building his own business. He said he was grateful for the experience, which taught him the importance of being honest with himself about what he wanted from life, and realizing that there is such thing as burnout

"At the end," he told us, "I want to know... when I look back after however many years, that I have a brand that I feel ownership over."

Read and listen to the full interview here »

NYSE president Stacey Cunningham told me there is value in every stage of your career, even the interludes.

Since becoming the head of the New York Stock Exchange, the largest exchange in the world, Cunningham has led an overhaul of the technology powering NYSE with the goal of maintaining its No. 1 spot.

She told us that she approaches her job today by utilizing different "lenses" she's accumulated over her career — most of which has been spent on the floor of the NYSE — which has included time as a trader, salesperson, and executive. She's even found value in her brief stint at culinary school.

"I decided in 2005 that it was time for me to move on, despite the fact that I love the trading floor and I still loved being there," Cunningham told us. "It just felt like it was the right moment and time for me to move on," noting that she was unhappy with how it felt like the NYSE was lagging behind in technology adoption. She decided to take a year off and go to culinary school.

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next and it gave me a little bit of time to take a step back, collect my thoughts, and decide what the next steps were for me and it did feel as if finance was the right place for me to be," she said.

Cunningham explained that she's not someone who maps out every move in her career, but heads to where she can be of most value. When it was time to head back to NYSE, she was going to help it address what made her leave it in the first place, and double down on tech.

Read and listen to the full interview here »

Bridgewater Associates founder and co-CIO Ray Dalio detailed the importance of being transparent with his team, in a productive way.

Ray Dalio started Bridgewater Associates out of his apartment in 1975 and went on to turn it into one of the largest and most successful hedge funds in history. Bridgewater is as known today for its long-term ability to beat the market as it is for its unusual culture of "radical transparency," where employees rate each other's performance in real time and most meetings are recorded.

But before he became a giant in his industry, Dalio had to figure out how to be a leader. By 1993, he was convinced that unfiltered truth should be the foundation for his office culture — but not everyone was on board. One day that winter, three senior executives called a meeting with Dalio and sent him a memo ahead of it. They said that while they thought he was great at his job, he was also, frankly, a jerk. They told him his words and behavior made employees feel "incompetent, unnecessary, humiliated, overwhelmed, belittled, oppressed, or otherwise bad."

He felt terrible, and wanted to find a balance between honesty and civility. He decided that transparency was key, but that he was going to set ground rules for how to handle disagreements or other points of contention, so that everyone was on the same page and did not have to let fights tear apart the company.

"When you're not getting along with somebody or you're having a disagreement, stop, put that aside for a moment, go to a higher level, and then say, 'How should we be with each other? What are our ground rules for operating, and why?'" Dalio told us. "Then go back into your disagreement, and follow those protocols about how you should be with each other."

Read and listen to the full interview here »

Blackstone cofounder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman showed me that when you want change to happen, you can't wait for others.

Schwarzman has never been afraid to speak his mind or move forward with his plan, well before he built Blackstone into one of the most influential investment firms in the world.

The most extreme example of this was when he was the head of mergers and acquisitions at Lehman Brothers in 1984, he helped lead a coup against the CEO. At that point, the board had lost faith in their CEO and were considering next moves. Schwarzman may not have been a board member, but he decided to take it upon himself and he asked a senior partner for permission to sell the firm. His plan worked, and the firm sold to American Express and the CEO was kicked out.

This approach has carried him throughout his life. When he was a student at Harvard Business School, for example, he met with the dean of the school and told him why he felt the curriculum needed to be updated. Whenever he wanted to meet with someone influential, he approached them without hesitation.

Schwarzman told us he's never considered himself arrogant, but felt that not only should he seek out advice from other people, he should give it, as well. "The biggest problem people in that position have is they don't have accurate and constant information, because sometimes people don't want to get them angry. I just give them information and usually some kind of solution. I think I'm doing a service. I don't think I'm doing anything odd."

Read and listen to the full interview here »

The late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd told me about the importance of becoming a mentor.

Oracle CEO Mark Hurd died in October, after taking a leave of absence for health reasons in September. We had an in-depth interview with him early this year, where we discussed his time at Oracle during a tumultuous period for the IT industry. He told us that one of the biggest things he wanted to impart at Oracle was a culture of mentorship.

He said that when he was coming up early in his career at the IT company NCR Corporation, "it was just an unspoken value in the company that if you could sit around and brag about all the great people you developed in the company who are now in senior positions, this was a merit badge. This was something you wore on your sleeve."

Hurd explained that over time, a culture of investing in your employees turned to one where employees were seen as mercenary hires. He wanted to reverse that trend, because when it's executed correctly, senior and junior members can learn from each other rather than senior employees seeing junior ones as either a roadblock or a nameless assistant.

Read and listen to the full interview here »

"The Simpsons" star Yeardley Smith taught me that while it's good to have big goals, they should not prevent me from appreciating what I already have.

Smith is the voice of the beloved character Lisa Simpson, and has been instrumental in making "The Simpsons" the longest running prime time show in American history, currently at 31 seasons. But for years, Smith didn't appreciate her success — she even kept her voice-acting Emmy from 1992 in a closet for a decade.

As a kid, she had dreams of being a Hollywood star, and right out of high school she was able to land a job on Broadway, an agent, and more acting roles into her 20s. When she got a voice acting gig for the variety show short that would become "The Simpsons," it seemed like a fun but temporary gig. And when that show would grow into a phenomenon, she was still able to enjoy the work while feeling like a failure.

"Part of being a control freak and also suffering from perfectionism is that you attach to these very rigid rules of what your success should look like, so it doesn't allow for what your success actually looks like," she said. "And if you can't bend like a reed in the river, then you become quite brittle, and two things happen."

At this point in her career, she's embraced what she's accomplished and tries new things not to fulfill a childhood dream but because she thinks it will be fun, whether that's starting a podcast or writing a children's book.

She told us she wants her internal struggle to serve as an example. "I only tell that story as a cautionary tale, not for anybody to feel sorry for me, but if there's anybody out there who's even thinking that they would go down that road, please, please, please don't, because you'll miss so much," she added.

Read and listen to the full interview here »

• New Zealand authorities reportedly collected more than 50,000 semi-automatic guns in a government buyback program.
• The ban on most types of semi-automatic weapons was passed by lawmakers within 28 days of the country's worst massacre in history. 
• Fifty people were killed in March when a gunman targeted two mosques. Lawmakers condemned the attack and vowed immediate action when it was revealed the gunman obtained his gun legally. 
• Some critics of the program said it was flawed and that owners could still be harboring guns illegally amid frustrations over the government's response to the deadly attack.  
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

New Zealand authorities reportedly collected more than 50,000 guns in a buyback program eight months after lawmakers responded to the country's worst massacre in history. 

The Associated Press reports that critics said the process was flawed and some owners would illegally hide their firearms despite the ban, which applied to most types of semi-automatic weapons. 

Initial figures indicated that 33,000 people handed in 51,000 guns, in addition to 5,000 more as part of an amnesty provision that would also involve payment for the firearm, according to the AP. Additionally, 2,700 guns were modified to make them legally compliant.

Police told the outlet that 1,800 were confiscated from gangs since March, and authorities collected 1,600 more from gun dealers.

The country was lauded for its response to the Christchurch shooting that killed 50 people, which passed through legislative bodies in 28 days. The program was expected to cost anywhere between $NZ100 million to $NZ200 million ($69 million to $138 million). 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the final reading of the legislation in April that she felt authorities had to move quickly after Police Commissioner Mike Bush told her that the gunman had obtained his weapon within the law.

A 28-year-old Australian man and suspected white supremacist was charged with carrying out the massacre.

The horrific nature of the shooting, which targeted two mosques, was a key talking point for legislators who condemned guns and vowed action shortly after the shooting. However, Nicole McKee, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Council of Licensed Firearms Owners, told the AP that legal owners were frustrated at the government's response and were not satisfied with the offered compensation. 

"They never overcame being blamed by authorities for being somehow responsible for a heinous act of terrorism — something they would never do," McKee said in a statement, according to the AP.

Before the ban, Insider previously reported that the government said there were 245,000 firearms licenses in circulation in New Zealand, and about 1.2 to 1.5 million in total. 

The program's announcement even sparked support from US lawmakers, including Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who said the swift legislation was "what leadership looks like." 

New Zealand's response stands in contrast to the spate of gun violence in America, where around 40% of the world's gun owners reside and around 11,000 people are killed annually in firearm assault. 

Read more: 

The hero who used a narwhal tusk to fight the London Bridge attacker recounted the event — 'he had knives in both hands'

Passengers aboard two crashed Carnival cruise ships recount the moment of collision captured on dramatic video

Jennifer Lopez's designer made two custom birthday gowns for a 13-year-old fan with a rare genetic condition

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how to escape a flooding vehicle

• Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their son Archie are spending "private family time" in Canada, according to a statement provided to Insider from a spokesperson of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
• "Their Royal Highnesses and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada. The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both," the statement read.
• The statement continued: "The Duke of Sussex has been a frequent visitor to Canada over many years, and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of the Royal Family. They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son."
• In November, the Sussexes shared that they would take a break from royal duties toward the end of the year but did not specify where they would spend their time.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been spending private time in Canada, a royal spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed in a statement sent to Insider on Saturday.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada. The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both," the statement read.

"The Duke of Sussex has been a frequent visitor to Canada over many years, and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of the Royal Family," the statement continued, referring to Markle's time living in Toronto, while she was filming the TV series "Suits."

"They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son," the statement continued.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry previously shared that their first winter holiday season as parents to be privately, but it was unclear where exactly the couple was located. 

"Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess' mother Doria Ragland,"a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in November."This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared a welcome message to the Sussex family 

On Friday, Justin Trudeau tweeted a welcome message to the Sussex family, writing: "Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie, we're all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada. You're among friends, and always welcome here."

The Sussexes' decision to spend the holidays privately means they'll miss out on some royal traditions, but they're not the first royal couple to do so

By spending the holidays away from the rest of the royal family members, Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie will not take part in a number of traditions, including the family's customary walk to church on Christmas Day and a gift exchange over tea on Christmas Eve. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may experience more privacy for their first Christmas as parents compared with that of Kate Middleton and Prince William, who spent their first Christmas as parents to Prince George in 2013 making public appearances at Sandringham to greet people on their way from church.

However, like the Sussexes have opted to do this year, in 2016, William and Kate spent Christmas away from the rest of the royal family.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent Christmas 2016 with her family in Berkshire," royal commentator and managing editor of Majesty magazine previously told Insider's Mikhaila Friel. "So what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have planned for this Christmas is absolutely no different."

• Read more:
• 14 royal scandals and celebrations from 2019 that you probably forgot
• The 65 most candid photos of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, and Prince William from 2019
• 10 times royals broke their own protocol in 2019

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to find water when you're stuck in the desert

Digital transformation has arrived.

Not a single industry is safe from the unstoppable wave of digitization that is sweeping through finance, retail, transportation, and more.

And in 2019, there will be even more transformative developments that will  our businesses, careers, and lives.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has put together a list of 40 Big Tech Predictions for 2019 across Apps and Platforms, Digital Media, Payments, The Internet of Things, E-Commerce, Fintech, Transportation & Logistics, and Digital Health.

Some of these major predictions include:

• Amazon will launch an Alexa-powered car product similar to Apple's and Google's.
• Amazon will buy Snapchat as the social app struggles to add users, compete with Instagram, and make money.
• Despite the hype around the Chase-Visa deal, it alone won't mark an inflection point for contactless payments in the U.S.
• Smart speaker prices will hit $20 for the newest models.
• Social commerce will fail to gain adoption despite social platforms' efforts.
• US-based trading app Robinhood will go public in 2019 — and it won't be the only one.
• While drone delivery regulation inched forward in 2018, the rise of 5G will see companies taking their drone delivery tests to the next level. 
• Telemedicine won't take off. 

Join the conversation about this story »

• Getting pre-approved and getting pre-qualified for a mortgage are different, though some lenders use the terms interchangeably. 
• Pre-qualification is based solely on information you submit — lenders don't look at your background on their own — and is ideal in the early stages of the homebuying process for finding out how much you could borrow.
• For a pre-approval, lenders verify your information and make a hard inquiry into your credit. The resulting quote then acts as an offer from a lender. 
• Both can help you get started with your home buying planning and search, but are useful at different points. Pre-qualification often doesn't involve a hard credit inquiry, which means it won't ding your credit score.
• Read more personal finance coverage.

I want to own a home, hopefully within the next year or two. It would be my first home, and even though I'm saving for it aggressively, I realized a few weeks ago that I needed to start zeroing in on how much I have left to save for a down payment, and how large of a mortgage I could be approved for when I'm ready. 

I needed a number to base my planning and saving on, even if it was just a loose figure. Getting pre-qualified for a mortgage helped me find out the loan amount I could be approved for, what my potential home-buying budget will be, and how much I still need to save for a down payment, without dinging my credit.

According to Andy Taylor, General Manager of Mortgages at Credit Karma, pre-qualification and pre-approval are different. "In a nutshell, it has to do with the amount of validation that's taking place," he tells me. Here's what makes the two different, and when to use each.

Mortgage pre-qualification is an estimate, not an agreement

Pre-qualification is an estimate of how much you could be approved to borrow for a mortgage based on information you submit about your income, debt, and credit.

"The primary difference is in the level of validation and the amount of information that that's provided by the person who's trying to get the loan," Taylor says. It's not a hard offer, but it also doesn't involve a hard inquiry to appear on your credit like a pre-approval does. 

It's useful for anyone who is still determining their home-buying budget. "The reason you want that validation is that you want some level of certainty," Taylor says. "Certainty that if you found that house, you could get that house, and certainty that you're looking at the right level of homes." Even if you've done your own calculations, a pre-qualification can give you a more precise figure on how much you can borrow, so you can make a more detailed budget and plan.

For me, that figure helped me get my down payment savings on track. It helped me calculate exactly what I need to put into my high-yield savings account each month in order to meet my savings goal.

It also helped gave me peace of mind that I can afford the home I'm envisioning for myself. I have a budget in mind, and after getting pre-qualified, I know the figures I've been thinking are on track with what I'll likely be approved to borrow. Getting a pre-qualification gave me the number I needed, without having a hard credit inquiry show up on my credit report.

Pre-approval gives you a more solid offer, but you won't want one until you're ready to buy

Getting pre-approved means that a bank has greenlit your ability to purchase a home and get a mortgage, has verified the information you gave them, and is agreeing to lend to you under certain circumstances.

"For pre-approval, you've gone to a loan officer, you've shown them two months worth of bank statements, and you've shown them how much money you have saved for a down payment. You've showed them pay stubs and maybe tax returns so they can verify your income. And, you've had a hard credit pull so they can look at your credit," Taylor says. "You've basically done everything that would typically go into getting the real loan." 

A hard credit inquiry generally drops your credit score by a few points temporarily. When you're not very far in your home-buying process, getting pre-approved probably isn't necessary.

In my stage of the process, it wouldn't be — I don't want even a small dent on my credit score more than once, especially since I know I won't use the pre-approval before it expires. While this will be right for me in the future, it's not what I need now.

The term is sometimes used interchangeably

In my search to get pre-qualified, I realized many banks and lenders use this term interchangeably. Even though these forms says pre-qualifications, it wasn't uncommon for me to start an application, only to find that the information made the application more similar to that of a pre-approval, including asking for permission to run a credit check. 

Taylor suggests there are two reasons for this: Firstly, banks want to make sure they're working with the right person. "If you're a lender, you want to make sure that you're working with very qualified individuals. So they say, 'this pre-qualification process is only going to take a few minutes,' but in fact, it's a pretty deep process once they've got you hooked," Taylor says. "That helps them. Hopefully it will help you, too, as you'll have more certainty the more information you provide."

The second reason is simpler: It's about marketing. "They're used interchangeably because it's difficult to explain the difference. Maybe even loan officers don't necessarily know what that term is. It's largely a marketing tactic," Taylor says. 

It might seem clear-cut by definition, but it's a gray area with many banks. I found it difficult to find a true pre-approval that didn't require running a credit check, and the reality is that not every bank offers one. I found that Credit Karma offered both, and helped me do this hassle-free. Even if I don't end up financing with the company in the future, it's mainly about the numbers right now, and that's the main reason to get pre-qualified, anyway.

Pre-qualification gave me just what I needed to know

I was searching for a number that could help me plan more accurately and know if the budget and neighborhoods I have in mind are reasonable. Getting pre-qualified helped me answer those questions, and gave me confidence that I'm headed in the right direction. It's given my vision more clarity, and more confidence that I'll be ready when the time comes to get a pre-approval.

• More savings and retirement coverage
• How to retire early
• How to save more money
• When to save money in a CD
• When to save money in high-yield savings

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 9 items to avoid buying at Costco

• Leaked audio reveals a top adviser to Trump's 2020 re-election campaign said "traditionally it's always been Republicans suppressing votes in places" during an event for Wisconsin Republicans.
• The senior political adviser, Justin Clark, told the Associated Press that the remarks were referring to historic, false accusations that Republicans engage in voter suppression tactics.
• But in the recording, obtained by a liberal group and provided to the AP, Clark followed up his statement by saying "Let's start playing offense a little bit. That's what you're going to see in 2020."
• Clark made the comments alongside a discussion of what Trump's re-election strategy in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania will look like – a "blue wall" of states the president won in 2016.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

One of President Donald Trump's top re-election advisers told a group of influential Wisconsin Republicans that voter suppression is "traditionally" part of the party's election strategy in battleground states, the Associated Press reports.

Now, Justin Clark, an attorney and one of Trump's senior political advisers, says he was referring to the historic, false accusations that the Republican Party suppresses votes to win elections. 

At a November 21 event meeting of the Republican National Lawyers Association's Wisconsin chapter, Clark spoke for about 20 minutes, and the speech was recorded by a liberal advocacy group and provided to the AP.

"Traditionally it's always been Republicans suppressing votes in places," Clark told the group, which included Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and the executive director of the state's Republican party.

"Let's start protecting our voters," he continued, partly referring to Election Day monitoring of polling places. "We know where they are [...] Let's start playing offense a little bit. That's what you're going to see in 2020. It's going to be a much bigger program, a much more aggressive program, a much better-funded program."

One of Trump's top advisers discussed how re-election strategy could play out in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan

The recording was taken at the country club where the event was held in Wisconsin by the liberal group American Bridge and provided to the AP by One Wisconsin Now, a liberal advocacy group based in Madison.

In addition to his comments on voter suppression, Clark expanded on the re-election strategy for the "blue wall" of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, which Trump won in 2016. The states are presumed to be critical for the 2020 election, and both parties have spent millions campaigning in the region.

The renewed interest in Election Day monitoring comes after a judge lifted a 1982 decree that barred the Republican National Convention from "ballot security" efforts that Democrats characterized as voter intimidation, particularly of black voters, in that year's New Jersey gubernatorial election. The federal lawsuit claimed the GOP stationed off-duty police in urban polling places with "National Ballot Security Task Force" wristbands, some carrying visible guns.

Clark told the AP that his point was "Republicans have historically been falsely accused of voter suppression and that it is time we stood up to defend our own voters." He said he did not condone anyone's vote being "diluted" and that "our efforts will be focused on preventing just that."

He also made remarks that accused Democrats of "cheating" in rural areas of Wisconsin around mid-size cities like Green Bay, but did not elaborate on how the party cheats, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state. Clark said the campaign would "focus on these places" if they could recruit enough staffers, which is part of Trump's re-election strategy.

The Trump 2020 campaign didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• Read more:
• There are just 6 weeks until the first primary. Here's where the Democratic contenders stand based on gender, race, age, and geography.
• He was sentenced to 19 years for war crimes. After his pardon, Clint Lorance is fueling Trump's 'deep state' conspiracy about the US military.
• Trump makes Space Force official: 'Space is the world's new war-fighting domain'
• Trump raises smoking age and funds gun violence research in $1.4 trillion spending measure

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how to escape a flooding vehicle

• Texas is experiencing a booming economy these days, with rapid advancements in many sectors not traditionally associated with the Lone Star State.
• Petroleum products remain the state's largest export, but advanced computer and machinery components account for five of its 10 main exports.
• Here are 11 amazing and unexpected facts about the Texan economy that will change the way you think about the 28th state.
• Visit MarketsInsider.com for more stories. 

Not everything is bigger in Texas after all.

Texas is the second-largest state in terms of landmass, trailing behind Alaska. And it's second in population, as well, behind California. Texas also trails behind California in terms of annual GDP.

But beyond those few areas where the Lone Star State lags behind, most statistics related to the place truly are Texas-sized, especially when it comes to its economy.

From its sky-high oil production to its surprisingly massive wine industry, here are 11 incredible facts about the economy of Texas.

Texas produces almost 40% of America's oil

In 2017, Texas accounted for a whopping 37% of America's crude oil production, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The state also was responsible for 24% of the nation's marketed natural gas production.

If Texas were an independent nation, it would have the 10th largest GDP on earth

Were it a sovereign nation, Texas would have the 10th-largest economy in the world. In 2017, Texas had an approximate economic output of $1.7 trillion, putting it slightly ahead of Canada and slightly behind Brazil.

Texas has more miles of roads and rail than any other state

In order to keep the massive volume of goods produced in and shipped out of Texas, the state has built up the largest transportation network in the United States, with more than 313,200 miles of public roads. Texas also has 16 seaports and more than 380 airports.

Texas produces more than $13 billion worth of wine each year

In 1980, Texas ranked No. 48 in terms of wine-producing states. Just under 40 years later, it is the nation's fifth-largest producer of wine, with more than 400 wineries generating over $13 billion annually.

Texas is the largest producer of wind power in America

A genuine energy superstar, Texas not only produces more petroleum than any other state, but it also dwarfs other states in wind-power production. In 2017, Texas windmills produced 21,044 megawatts. Iowa, the second-largest producer, reached just 6,952 megawatts.

The richest city in Texas has a per-capita income six times higher than the poorest

In 2016, the total per capita income in Albany, TX, was about $162,300. In Hebbronville, TX, it was $27,300, or about 5.9 times lower. Albany's annual per capita income was about 3.3 times higher than the national average for metropolitan areas.

Most Texas exports go south to Mexico

In 2015, Texas exported $11.5 billion worth of goods to China and $25.5 billion worth of product to Canada. That same year, it sent more than $92.4 billion worth of exports down to Mexico.

There are about 28 times more businesses operating in Texas than in Wyoming.

As of the most recent data available from the United States Census, there are 579,168 employer establishments, or businesses, operating in Texas. Wyoming has 20,966, or 27.6 times fewer businesses.

Texas accounts for 10% of total manufacturing in the United States

In 2017, Texas' manufacturing output topped $226 billion, meaning the state accounted for one-tenth of all manufacturing dollars generated in America. Manufacturing provided about 865,000 jobs in Texas that year.

Texas is home to nearly 1 million women-owned businesses.

Texas is a great state for women-owned businesses.

The state ranks third overall in the number of women-owned businesses, with nearly 150% growth in female-owned establishments over the last two decades. And about half of the overall workforce in Texas is female, slightly edging out the national average of 47%.

Texas has enough crude oil reserves to fill more than 1 million Olympic swimming pools

Texas has a 15.94 billion barrel crude-oil reserve, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That amounts to more than 669 billion gallons of oil. A standard Olympic-sized swimming pool holds just over 660,253 gallons of fluid, meaning Texas' oil reserves could fill about 1,013,247 of the pools.

SEE ALSO:

13 mind-blowing facts about Russia's economy

• Jane Lynch criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday, following her clash with moderate candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg during Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate.
• "Hello everyone. Billionaires in wine caves have as much right to say who gets to be president as waitresses in diners and plumbers in my bathroom," Lynch wrote. "Class warfare is ugly, @ewarren."
• The 59-year-old actress praised Buttigieg in a subsequent tweet, expressing confusion about the "vitriol" he inspires online.
• "He's so smart, well intentioned and capable," she wrote. "He's also GUILELESS. He never attacks anyone personally, he does not demonize. (See @ewarren Billionaire Tears Mug)."
• Lynch gave $2,500 to Buttigieg's campaign in March, according to Open Secrets. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Jane Lynch slammed Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday, following the politician's clash with moderate candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg during Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate.

"Hello everyone. Billionaires in wine caves have as much right to say who gets to be president as waitresses in diners and plumbers in my bathroom," Lynch wrote on Twitter. "Class warfare is ugly, @ewarren."

"Respectfully, I do understand her point," Lynch added. "I don't like the delivery system. It's an encouragement of class warfare. I don't like it when Trump does it. I don't like it when @ewarren does it."

Warren had criticized Buttigieg for hosting private fundraisers with wealthy donors, especially at a billionaire-owned winery in Napa Valley last weekend: "Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States," she said.

Unlike Buttigieg, Warren has refused to fund her presidential campaign with big-money donors: "I do not sell access to my time," she declared on the debate stage.

Buttigieg responded by noting that he's the only candidate of the seven onstage who's not a millionaire or a billionaire.

"This is the problem with issuing purity tests you yourself cannot pass," he added.

Lynch praised Buttigieg in a subsequent tweet, expressing confusion about the "vitriol" he inspires online.

"He's so smart, well intentioned and capable," the 59-year-old actress wrote. "He's also GUILELESS. He never attacks anyone personally, he does not demonize. (See @ewarren Billionaire Tears Mug)."

Lynch gave $2,500 to Buttigieg in March, according to campaign finance website Open Secrets. 

One of Warren's key policy proposals is a steep tax on the wealthiest Americans, which has made her unpopular with many people who belong to that tax bracket. Riffing on this trend, Warren's official online store currently sells mugs that feature the phrase "Billionaire Tears."

Lynch, who is perhaps best known for her role on Fox's "Glee,"is worth an estimated $16 million.

She also praised Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Twitter, calling the candidate "presidential."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 9 items to avoid buying at Costco

• As people get smarter about their savings, more banks are offering a high-yield savings option.
• High-yield accounts generally offer 1.5% to 2% interest on your savings ... which is about 15 to 20 times more than the typical traditional savings account.
• The money isn't invested, meaning there's no risk, and you can take it out earlier than you plan if you must, unlike with a CD.
• If you're still making up your mind about high-yield savings, we've collected seven of our most helpful stories to explain what these accounts are, how people use them, and the best ones available right now.
• See Business Insider's picks for the best high-yield savings accounts »

By now, everyone knows that keeping your money under the mattress is a bad move.

However, did you know that saving large sums in a checking account, or even a traditional savings account, isn't much better? It's more secure than your mattress, sure — but it's not growing. Checking accounts, and even traditional savings accounts offered by big banks, generally offer a fraction of a percent in interest, meaning over time, your cash is worth less as inflation marches on.

You could invest your money in the stock market (and in many cases, that's the right move), but experts generally recommend against investing cash you'll need within five years. In such a short time frame, there probably wouldn't be time to recoup any losses as the market fluctuates.

Enter high-yield savings accounts, which:

• generally offer 1.5% to 2% interest on your savings ... about 15 to 20 times more than the typical traditional savings account
• don't invest your money, meaning there's no risk
• allow you to take your money out earlier than you plan if you must, unlike with a CD
• can be opened online or from your phone, in a matter of minutes

But we get it: You want to do your research. It can feel hard to know if a high-yield savings account is for you. That's why we've gathered a handful of Business Insider's stories about high-yield savings accounts, to give you an idea what to expect, how people use them, and which ones to choose.

The best high-yield savings accounts right now

If you're ready to go ahead and pick a high-yield savings account, Business Insider compared dozens of offerings to figure out which accounts are the best. Each of the best high-yield savings accounts is free of monthly maintenance fees, FDIC-insured, and appropriate for modest and super savers alike. (If you want to cut right to the chase: Wealthfront is our pick for best overall account. While it's technically a cash account, it offers a relatively high interest rate with a user-friendly app, and you can open it with $1.)

The only difference between regular and high-yield savings that matters is the one that earns you 20 times more on your money

High-yield savings accounts and standard savings accounts are more similar than they are different: They're both offered by banks, federally regulated, and liquid. The main difference is that high-yield savings accounts earn up to 20 times more interest, with interest rates generally between 1.5% and 2% — which means high-yield savings are almost always a better choice than traditional savings for money you'll need within the next few years.

Here's how much your money could grow if you put $10, $100, or $1,000 a month in a high-yield savings account

Not convinced a 2% interest rate is all that impactful? We've done the math for you. Find out how a $10 initial deposit could grow at a 1.75% interest rate in a high-yield savings account if you contribute an additional $10, $100, or $1,000 a month.

4 reasons to open a high-yield savings account while interest rates are down

Despite interest rate cuts over the last few months, a high-yield savings account will still help you earn 20 times or more on your money without risking it in the market and help you save for specific goals. It's always a good time to build a habit of saving, and when interest rates inevitably go back up, you'll earn even more. As long as you choose an account with no fees, low minimum balance requirements, and an APY that's higher than a traditional savings or checking account, there are no downsides.

I built my emergency fund $100 at a time, but I didn't make real progress until I opened a high-yield savings account

When Business Insider's Tanza Loudenback was struggling to build up an emergency fund a few years ago, she opened a high-yield savings account at Ally (also a favorite among the financial planners we surveyed) and kept her checking account at a different bank. The high APY combined with regular automatic deposits — starting with $100 per paycheck and moving up to $200 — helped her reach her goal that much sooner.

After switching to a high-yield savings account to save for a home, I don't think I'll ever use a regular savings account again

After finding out how disappointing interest on a typical savings account can be, Business Insider's Liz Knueven switched to a high-yield savings account to save for a down payment on her first home. After earning $80 in interest over four months, she writes, she couldn't imagine ever having a typical savings account again.

I opened high-yield savings accounts at two different banks to start earning 20 times more on my money, and I can tell you they live up to the hype

Business Insider contributor Elizabeth Aldrich writes that it took her a while to jump on the savings account train, but once she did, she pushed ahead full-throttle. She opened a high-yield savings account last year, and she's already earned $250 in interest in 2019. Her favorite things about high-yield savings accounts, she writes (apart from the high interest rates), are the fact that they're completely free and can be opened online within minutes.

See all of Business Insider's stories on high-yield savings accounts »

• More savings and retirement coverage
• How to retire early
• How to save more money
• When to save money in a CD
• When to save money in high-yield savings

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A 45-year-long study discovered trends in successful hyper-intelligent children

• The Department of State has decided to temporarily stop sending bomb-sniffing dogs to Jordan and Egypt after multiple investigative reports revealed that many dogs had died as a result of poor treatment while others were living in unhealthy conditions.
• After a report in September failed to convince the department to put a hold on the program, a follow-on report from the Office of the Inspector General explained that it had "received notice of additional canine deaths that warrant immediate department action."
• The new report, which was released Friday, revealed cases where canines died from things like heat stroke and insecticide poisoning.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US has made the decision to temporarily stop sending explosive-detection dogs to Jordan and Egypt after discovering that a lot of the animals had died as a result of poor treatment, a report from the Department of State's Office of the Inspector General revealed.

The department watchdog, which had previously pushed the Department of State to stop sending dogs to these countries after an earlier investigation uncovered a number of animal deaths and other serious problems, wrote that it had "received notice of additional canine deaths that warrant immediate department action."

The report released Friday said that two dogs sent to Jordan died in June and September of this year of "non-natural causes." Specifically, one died from hyperthermia (heatstroke), and the other died after being poisoned by insecticide that was sprayed in or near the kennel.

Another dog was found in October to be suffering from leishmaniasis, a preventable disease transmitted by sand flies.

The Office of the Inspector General also found that three of the ten dogs provided to Egypt, which has been uncooperative with department officials, died from lung cancer, a ruptured gall bladder, and hyperthermia.

The latest report follows an IG evaluation released in September that examined the state of the program in Jordan, a US ally in the counter-terrorism fight.

That report, which characterized the conditions the animals were living in as "disturbing," found that "at least 10 canines had died from various medical problems from 2008 through 2016 while others were living in unhealthy conditions."

At that time, the Office of the Inspector General recommended that the Department of State put a hold on the Explosive Detection Canine Program (EDCP) for Jordan until the country could demonstrate that it was able to provide proper care, but the department refused, citing national security concerns.

The Department of State assured inspectors that it was taking steps to improve the situation and provide better care for the dogs. "The death of two canines from non-natural causes — namely, hyperthermia and poisoning — since June 2019 raises serious questions about the Department's contention that it has taken adequate steps to protect their health and safety," the latest Office of the Inspector General report said.

The IG report also noted that the previously-unreported deaths in Egypt, which barred State Department officials from visiting the areas where the dogs were living and working, were also cause for concern.

While the Department of State initially refused to stop sending dogs, the latest findings by the department watchdog appear to have led the department to change its mind.

In August, the Department of State repossessed ten dogs from Morocco because they were not being used for their intended purpose, the IG report revealed.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We can thank the US military for the smelliest weapon in the world

Hello! 

Welcome to your weekly fix of Business Insider's Prime stories.

I'm Cadie Thompson, Business Insider's deputy executive editor, and I'm helping fill in while Matt Turner is on paternity leave. 

This will be our last newsletter for 2019, as we will be taking next Sunday off. With that in mind, we'd just like to say thank you for being a loyal Prime member and we can't wait to do 2020 with you. 

Bracing for 2020

The year is coming to a close, which means it's time to start planning for the year ahead. Fortunately, we've got some stories to help you do just that. 

Are you wondering what the stock market will do in 2020 and where you should put your money? Akin Oyedele spoke with 14 top Wall Street experts to find out. 

Oyedele also got seven top-performing investors to reveal their best ideas for the new year. 

We've also got heaps of industry predictions for you, including what VC's foresee being the biggest media and healthcare trends in 2020. 

And if you are looking for a new job opportunity in the new year, we've got you covered. Dominick Reuter and Jennifer Ortakales put together a list of the 10 best industries for entrepreneurs to start million-dollar businesses and our tech enterprise team has compiled 47 enterprise startups to bet your career on in 2020.  We also got ex-McKinsey employees to tell us how to get onto the partner track and make millions of dollars. 

And if you are just starting off in your career, you should definitely check out Ashley Rodriguez's breakdown of the best Netflix teams and roles for recent college grads.

Googlers don't seem to care that Larry and Sergey stepped down

Google insiders are seemingly shrugging off Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepping down as CEO and President. Employees also don't seem to be that enthused about Sundar Pichai getting promoted to the top spot at Alphabet. 

Current and former workers told Business Insider that Page and Brin have been checked out for some time, so the changes just seem like the natural progression at this point. 

"It feels anticlimactic," a current worker told Business Insider's Rob Price and Allana Akhtar. "I haven't seen anything outside of Sundar being in charge of things … internally, it seems as though that's already the level at which he was mostly operating."

FedEx takes a beating while Amazon gets vengeance

FedEx had a rough week.

On Sunday, Amazon announced third-party sellers could not use FedEx's Ground and Home shipping for Prime services. The logistic company's stock took a hit on the news. 

The move comes after FedEx ditched Amazon twice this year. First, in June when FedEx Express cut its US business with Amazon, and then in August when FedEx Ground followed suit.

To make matters worse for FedEx, the company reported disappointing earnings on Thursday which were described in a note by Deutsche Bank's Amit Mehrotra as "breathtakingly bad." The numbers were so bad in fact, that by Friday morning some $3.5 billion of the company's market value had been wiped out. 

Amazon dropping FedEx right before Christmas and right before the company's earnings was brilliant timing, experts told Business Insider's Rachel Premack. 

"FedEx broke up with Amazon and Amazon is now giving them a stick in the eye," Sterling said. 

Finance and Investing

This year's unicorn IPO flops exposed a culture clash between private and public markets, and a top tech banker warns that the growth-at-all-costs mentality won't cut it anymore

The bar has been raised for startups looking to go public, according to LionTree founder Aryeh Bourkoff.

We got a firsthand look at the tech used at SoftBank-backed real-estate brokerage Compass, including a sneak peek at beta features

Compass New York regional manager Rory Golod gave us a look at how exactly its platform works. 

Charles Schwab's charitable giving arm just got dragged into the college-admissions scandal

Bill McGlashan, the founder and former managing partner of the high-profile private-equity firm TPG Growth, said in a court filing on Wednesday that it was through Schwab's charitable business that he made a donation to the college-admissions scandal mastermind Rick Singer.

There's a huge reorg underway at M Science, the pioneer alt-data seller owned by Jefferies. It's shaking up its executive ranks and sales team, and cutting data-scientist jobs.

The company has cut several people from its 20-person data-science team, several sources said, including Dipanjan Sen, who was the data-science team lead and a former data scientist at Peter Thiel's Palantir.

Tech, Media, Telecoms 

Google's head of talent says that the tech giant is hiring for collaboration — here's how she screens for team players

Kyle Ewing, Google's head of talent and a 13-year company veteran, told Business Insider that she values humility in job candidates.

Andreessen Horowitz-backed Wonderschool is cutting 25% of its staff, and some employees say it's a 'desperate' attempt to juice its business for investors

The job cuts affected 18 employees, our sources said, and about half of them worked in operations — an umbrella organization that's tasked with adding new childcare providers as partners, offering customer support to parents, and growing the company in new markets.

A tech investor whose firm made early bets on Facebook and Instagram explains TikTok's superpower

Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, believes TikTok has one key advantage over its competition: an ever-growing library of delightful content.

2019 was a tumultuous year for the media industry, with 7,800 jobs slashed and billions in value erased. Here are the biggest winners and losers.

In one of the year's biggest deals, Vice Media acquired Refinery29, a company that had raised $133 million, for mostly stock. Group Nine Media also acquired the fellow millennial media company PopSugar in a stock deal.

3 YouTube influencers who made over $20,000 from a single video explain how — and it's not just about view count

How much money a creator on YouTube will earn from a single video varies depending on a number of factors. And getting a lot of views — even millions of them — doesn't always guarantee a huge payday.

Health, Retail, Transportation 

5 top cannabis VCs told us where they plan to place their bets, from scooping up distressed assets to the emergence of new markets in Germany and China

Morgan Paxhia, a cofounding partner of Poseidon Asset Management, says next year will be the "ending of a period of recalibration" for the cannabis industry.

2019 was the year the cannabis bubble burst. We talked to more than a dozen top cannabis execs about what's next.

For the companies that survive, this era of crashing stock prices will be seen as a small blip on the path to global domination, insiders said.  

Here's how a 'shoetuber' with over 500,000 subscribers earns thousands of dollars a month making YouTube videos about how to resell sneakers

Reselling sneakers can be profitable on its own. But there's a whole wave of sneakerheads who have figured out how to use YouTube to make even more.

The parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut is increasingly likely to acquire more chains, and it reveals a massive shift in the fast-food industry

Yum Brands' David Gibbs told Business Insider that the "restaurant industry is becoming all about scale."

Leaked Amazon data reveals the salaries for 168 truck drivers roles nationwide — explore the full spreadsheet on the burgeoning transportation giant

Amazon is revolutionizing one of the most entrenched practices in the long-haul trucking industry: paying per mile.

Lime has lost another communications executive amid continued management turnover at the scooter startup

Paloma Castro Martinez is no longer Lime's head of international communications according to her LinkedIn profile, marking yet another departure at in a year that's been marked by executive turnover for the firm. 

One more thing...

We're hosting an event focused on the future of retail in New York City on Tuesday, January 14.  From the rise of direct-to-consumer brands to sustainable fashion, the future of retail is all about connecting with customer passions and values. Join us for a series of conversations with retail entrepreneurs and experts to discuss industry strategies and innovations, and investment opportunities that these innovations create.

Speakers will include Layla Amjadi, Product Manager, Instagram Shopping, Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Founder & CEO, LIVELY, Jack Forestell, Chief Product Officer, Visa; Arpan Podduturi, Director of Product, Shopify; Geoff Ramsey, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist, eMarketer; Anushka Salinas, Chief Operating Officer, Rent the Runway; and Maggie Winter, Co-Founder and CEO, AYR.

Click here for more information and to apply to attend.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Google reveal the new Nest Mini, which is an updated Home Mini

• Comedian Eddie Murphy returned to "Saturday Night Live" after 35 years to host the last episode of 2019 with musical guest Lizzo. 
• The historic episode kicked off with a cold open parody of the last Democratic presidential primary debates, followed by Murphy's opening monologue.
• During the monologue, three of Murphy's peers joined him to riff off one another – Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle all made surprise appearances.
• The three joked about pitching sketches to Murphy, who brought along some zingers of his own, including a dig at Bill Cosby.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The last "Saturday Night Live" episode of 2019 featured a host who hadn't been on the show since 1984 – comedian Eddie Murphy, alongside musical guest Lizzo. 

SNL kicked off with a cold open parody of Thursday's Democratic presidential primary debates, then Murphy took the stage for his opening monologue. He showed off a photo of himself from when he first started on the sketch show ("You know what they say – money don't crack") and tossed out a few zingers. 

"Who is America's dad now?" Murphy joked, in reference to Cosby's criticism of him and his comedic style back before Cosby was convicted in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting at least one woman.

Then, Murphy was joined onstage by three of his black male comedian peers – first Tracy Morgan, then Chris Rock, and finally Dave Chappelle, who smoked a cigarette onstage. 

The three each proposed a sketch, with Morgan suggesting a Jimmie Walker take on Murphy's 2019 film "Dolemite Is My Name" called "Dy-no-mite Is My Name," Murphy pitching "Law and Order: UTI" with "Cranberry Juice" instead of Ice-T, and Chappelle proposing rapper T.I. at a drive-thru gynecology clinic ("It's stupid, he just says stuff like 'I will check your hymen expeditiously'").

Each comedian paid tribute to Murphy's career, and Chappelle joked that the audience was looking at "half Netflix's budget" onstage, while Morgan said he made his millions "on the road" after he got hit by a truck.

Murphy left "SNL" and then hosted shortly after in December of 1984, had only been back on the show for the 40th anniversary. His return to the show was praised online for its historic reunion and Murphy's comedic chops.

• Read more:
• All 33 musicians who have pulled double duty as host and musical guest on 'SNL'
• Jennifer Aniston turned down a job on 'SNL' before she landed 'Friends': 'It was such a boys' club'
• 14 celebrities who got rejected by 'Saturday Night Live' and went on to become famous in their own right
• WHERE ARE THEY NOW: All 152 cast members in 'Saturday Night Live' history

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to find water when you're stuck in the desert