• Bayer's CEO overhauled his corporate budget system with 90-day cycles in an effort to reduce bureaucracy.
• Bill Anderson said the inspiration came from a "radical experiment" at Genentech to kill budgets.
• Bayer also reorganizes teams every 90 days and has cut 5,500 positions, many of which were managers.

The annual budget process can be a parade of lengthy meetings and red tape — so one CEO decided to try something different.

Since becoming CEO at Bayer, Bill Anderson has introduced a set of striking changes to the company, including an overhaul of its budget system, which he sees as the driving source of corporate bureaucracy.

"We all know that the belly of the beast of bureaucracy is the budget process, right," Anderson said in an interview with Business Insider. "Everybody knows that. Everyone hates it."

Every 90 days, Anderson reallocates budgets for the next cycle.

The executive said the decision to take the company "90 days at a time" was inspired by a "radical experiment" he helped implement at Genentech in 2016 before becoming CEO of the biotech company in 2017. After what he described as an unsuccessful attempt to de-bureaucratize the budgeting process at Genentech, Anderson said Genentech decided to "kill all budgets."

However, the plan didn't lead to lower spending, he told BI.

While company spending at Genentech went down in the first year, it shot right back up a year later, Anderson said. While the CEO didn't want to bring back the old process, he concluded he had to find something to replace it with.

Genentech declined to comment.

Anderson brought the lesson to German life science company Bayer, where, a month after becoming CEO in June 2023, he replaced annual budget discussions with 90-day cycles. Instead of managers spending five months setting targets and forecasting, Anderson said squads come together every 90 days to discuss whether the company achieved its goals, how it used resources, and what it needs to focus on next.

In a conventional budget process, Anderson said the team would be discussing what they're going to do in the third quarter a year ahead. The problem with that, he said, is "nobody knows" what they'll be doing that far in advance.

"That's a waste of time," Anderson said. "They're negotiating over budgets for Q4 next year. They don't even know what they're going to be doing."

The budget overhaul is part of a larger restructuring which the company refers to as "Dynamic Shared Ownership." In addition to flipping the budget system, the model also reorganizes staff every 90 days into "mini networks" made up of who is best suited to lead that specific project.

"So every 90 days, people can flow between teams, money can flow between teams," Anderson said. "And you're working on the most important things for the next 90 days."

In a press release announcing the new operating model in January 2024, the company said the structure would "reduce hierarchies, eliminate bureaucracy, streamline structures," and speed up the decision-making process.

A company spokesperson told BI that select groups called "frontrunner teams" transitioned to the new model in the summer of 2023. Now, most of the company has moved to the new structure. Along the way, managerial positions have changed, with some transitioning to individual contributors and others being laid off.

Since the beginning of the year, the company has cut about 5,500 roles, most of which were managers, shrinking its overall headcount from around 100,000 down to around 94,500. A spokesperson said layoffs are ongoing.

Anderson said some teams, like those that started the transition a year ago, "are racing ahead and doing great," while other groups are "still stuck in the starting blocks." He added that the company's voluntary attrition rate has gone down since transitioning to the new operating structure.

The company has embarked on a plan to cut costs by about 2 billion euros by 2026. Bayer's stock price is down 46% since the beginning of the year. In its third-quarter earnings, the company reported over $4 billion in net losses and shared expectations for a "muted outlook" and "declining earnings" over the next year.

The company has faced several recent headwinds, including the expected loss of exclusivity on the blood-thinning drug Xarelto. Anderson said the drug was once responsible for a significant amount of Bayer's profits.

The company has also grappled with legal battles over Roundup, a herbicide produced by Monsanto, which Bayer purchased for $63 billion in 2018. The product has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits alleging it causes cancer, and Bayer agreed to pay billions of dollars to resolve some of the litigation while it also appeals some of the court decisions.

"The litigation topic is a big overhang for our company," Anderson said, adding that "there's a lot of great things happening" but investors want the company to deal with the lawsuits, which it is.

When Bayer announced the new operating model, the company said its goal was to become "more agile and significantly improve its operational performance," and Anderson has already reported some positive results.

In Bayer's third-quarter earnings report, Anderson said Bayer's Pharma division outside Milan cut release time by almost 50%, resulting in less waste, improved cash flow, and lower inventory. Anderson said in the report that when he first asked about success stories, he would get the same two or three examples.

"Now, I'm hearing stories like these basically on a daily basis," Anderson told investors. "I'm confident that will translate into results for our investors, and a bright future for us and our customers."

• Seven superhero movies came out in 2024.
• "Deadpool & Wolverine" was the only superhero film to get a Rotten Tomatoes critic score above 50% this year.
• Sony released three new movies in their Spider-Man universe, including the universally panned "Madame Web."

"Deadpool & Wolverine" may have made a whopping $1.3 billion at the box office but, overall, 2024 has been a bad year for superhero movies.

Disney's Marvel Studios and Warner Bros' DC Studios released a film each in 2024 in response to superhero fatigue criticism over the last couple of years and as they prepared to enter a new phase in their respective franchises.

This left space for Sony and other studios to enter the market. But critics panned most of this year's superhero movies, with only Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score above 50%.

Here are all seven superhero movies ranked from lowest to highest, according to their Rotten Tomatoes critic scores.

"Madame Web"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

Sony has made several blunders in its attempt to build its own Marvel Spider-Man universe (without any Spider-Man appearances), but "Madame Web" is possibly the biggest misfire.

Critics said the film was a mess. Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, the two biggest stars in the film, distanced themselves from it after it received bad reviews and did not do well at the box office.

Fans mocked it, too, and generally didn't turn up to see the film in theaters. It is the lowest grossing film in the Spider-Man franchise, making $100 million.

"Kraven the Hunter"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%

Sony's Spider-Man universe ended on a low this year with "Kraven the Hunter" debuting with the lowest domestic opening weekend for a Sony Spider-Man movie ever.

It earned $11,000 in North America, which is roughly $4,000 less than "Madame Web" and roughly $70,000 less than "Venom," the first spin-off Spider-Man movie that Sony released.

Critics were not as hard on "Kraven the Hunter" as they were on "Madame Web," but still thought the film had a dull story and poor special effects. While some critics thought the film was so bad that it was entertaining, others thought it was a waste of time.

"The Crow"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%

1994's "The Crow" is widely regarded as a cult classic. However, its reputation was marred after Brandon Lee, the lead actor, was shot and mortally wounded by a prop gun that wasn't supposed to contain bullets, eight days before shooting wrapped.

Lionsgate's attempt to revive the superhero franchise failed critically and commercially. This time, Bill Skarsgård starred as Eric Draven, a recovering drug addict who gains supernatural abilities after being resurrected from the dead and seeks revenge on the people who killed him and his lover.

Some critics defended "The Crow" reboot, saying it wasn't unwatchable, but most reviews were more negative, saying the film was incoherent and not better than the original film.

2024's "The Crow" made $23 million in ticket sales on a reported $50 million budget. The 1994 version made $50 million.

"Joker: Folie a Deux"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

There were big hopes for "Joker: Folie a Deux." Its predecessor made over a billion dollars, and Oscar and Grammy winner Lady Gaga took on the part of the hugely popular villain, Harley Quinn.

It was also a musical, following Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck as he stands trial for the multiple murders her committed in the first film, and begins a relationship with Lee Quinzel (Gaga).

But somehow, "Joker: Folie a Deux" disappointed both fans and critics and only made $206 million in ticket sales. Variety reported that Warner Bros. spent $200 million on the film and roughly $100 to market it, meaning the film likely did not turn a profit.

"Hellboy: The Crooked Man"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 37%

If you missed the latest "Hellboy" movie, you're not alone. Millennium Media, the production company that owns the rights to the Hellboy character, did not heavily promote "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," releasing the first teaser three months before it premiered in the US.

"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" takes Hellboy (Jack Kesy) back to his horror roots as he tries to take down a group of witches and their sinister demon leader, the Crooked Man.

Critics were divided on this film. Some said it was dull and had a messy script, while others praised it for actually being scary.

"Venom: The Last Dance"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%

"Venom: The Last Dance," the final film in the "Venom" trilogy, follows Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote Venom, who fleeing the world's military and a group of aliens working for Knull, Venom's creator

The "Venom" films are the only commercially successful movies from Sony's Spider-Man spin-off universe. Critics panned the series, and "Venom: The Last Dance" has the lowest-grossing of the three films.

But audiences still loved the film, which had the eighth-highest ticket sales of the year with a total of $475 million.

"Deadpool & Wolverine"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

Since 2009, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been engaged in a playful rivalry over who plays Canada's greatest Marvel superhero. Now they bring this feud to the big screen with "Deadpool & Wolverine."

In the multiversal movie, Deadpool (Reynolds) and Wolverine (Jackman) work together to save Deadpool's universe, find redemption for Wolverine, and lead a team of misfits to take down Professor X's powerful sister, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).

The final film was not only a finale to the R-rated hit "Deadpool" movie trilogy, but it was also a heartfelt goodbye to Fox's Marvel franchise, which ended when Disney bought Fox.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" also dispelled the myth that audiences were bored with superhero movies. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing movie in the trilogy.

• The Too Good To Go app aims to help consumers save money and reduce food waste.
• I tried it for a week to see how much I could save.
• I found it was most useful for fresh produce, but the pastries weren't always great.

Everything is expensive right now. It's rare that I ever leave the grocery store having spent less than I wanted to.

I've heard of apps like Too Good To Go, which sell surplus food at a discount, but never gone much further than signing up.

To test it out, I spent a week in early December only buying food from the app. I wanted to see if it was a viable way of saving money, sticking to a budget, and learning to be a bit more flexible with my cooking.

I also want to be more mindful about the groceries I buy and, unfortunately, sometimes waste.

Too Good To Go's CEO, Mette Lykke, told me in a recent interview that the app now operates in 19 countries across North America, Europe, and Australia, and covers 170,000 stores.

Lykke said the company hopes to inspire people "to make that the first step in a journey toward having a more responsible relationship with food."

"If we look at the state of the planet and the climate crisis, then it's pretty clear that something needs to change," Lykke said.

It was fun trying out new places in my city, London. While the pastries I received were hit-and-miss, the fresh produce from local stores was a real highlight.

Monday

Monday was largely spent figuring out the platform. I found that its map feature was the best way to find local cafés and stores.

I saw that an expensive café on my local high street offered pastries, so I opted for that — £3.90 ($4.95) for a blueberry muffin, chocolate chip cookie, and slice of banana bread.

After the sugar rush I was still hungry, so I chose a bag of sandwiches and pastries from my local Costa Coffee for £3.50 ($4.44).

I got a slightly stale pan au raisin and two sandwiches — one seasonal turkey feast, and a BLT which my boyfriend took for lunch the next day.

In total, I spent £7.40 ($9.39) on items worth at least £22.90 ($29.08), so the week was off to a good start.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I switched things up by trying out fresh produce from a couple of local stores. They offered "surprise bags" of groceries for £4 ($5.08) each.

While I was slightly overwhelmed with what to do with it all, it was an absolute hit with my boyfriend, who is always thrilled to be met with a culinary challenge.

One of the bags had Padron peppers, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, radishes, and beets. I also received three packets of pita bread, a sourdough baguette, a fruit bar, some buttermilk, and fresh herbs.

The multivitamin patches were a curveball, which I have to admit I didn't try.

In the other bag, I got a melon, some Greek yogurt, lettuce, butter, rainbow chard, and sausages.

The sausages went in the freezer, but almost everything else was used to make a pasta sauce, roasted peppers, sauteed mushrooms, buttermilk pancakes, and basil oil. The beets got pickled.

The only thing we ended up having to waste was the watercress, which was already looking past its best.

In total, I spent £8 ($10.16) on items worth at least £24 ($30.48).

Wednesday

Tuesday's groceries went further than expected, so I bought another pastry bag to satisfy my snackiness during the day.

I'm not convinced the sourdough loaf and pastel de nata (which I squashed) I got for £4.09 ($5.19) truly had a full sale value of £12 ($15.24), but they were both pretty good.

The server recommended putting the loaf in the freezer and toasting the slices, which was a great tip that lasted me the rest of the week.

Thursday

I knew I was out for dinner with friends on Thursday so I picked up some Starbucks pastries on the way. This was the biggest letdown of the experiment.

Throughout the week, I realized that several cafés don't offer anything until quite late in the day, by which time the food has been sitting out for hours. This makes sense from their perspective, but it does mean that some of the food isn't at its best.

But for £2.50 ($3.18), a muffin, cookie, cinnamon bun, and cheese stick is certainly better than nothing.

In total, I spent £2.50 ($3.18) on items worth at least £7.50 ($9.52).

Friday

I'd been eyeing up a nearby Bangladeshi restaurant all week, so knowing I had a night in alone on Friday, I went for the £4.09 ($5.19) curry bag they were offering.

I got a few bhajis, some chicken and rice, two veggie curries, more rice, some okra, and what I thought was probably cabbage.

It was all good and spicy, though the bhajis were slightly stale.

In total, I spent £4.09 ($5.19) on items worth at least £12 ($15.24).

The results

For the whole week, I spent £26.08 ($33.11) on £78.40 ($99.54) worth of food.

Not every bag felt like amazing value. But some, especially the grocery bags, were genuinely impressive.

The experience taught me a lot about how to be flexible. I'm now committed to focusing less on "use by" dates on food and sticking to the safety assessment Lykke taught me — "look, smell, taste, don't waste" — before throwing things out.

My advice for anyone downloading Too Good To Go is to use it with foresight. The app is great for saving money for those on a strict budget who are OK with some compromises.

Too Good To Go is available in huge stores in the UK (such as Asda) and the US (including Whole Foods), so there are plenty of places to try.

Lykke told me the nice thing about Too Good To Go is you don't have to give anything up, and she's right. From a quick scan of my area, there is bubble tea, ice cream, Turkish food, burgers, doughnuts, and more. You don't get to choose exactly what you want, but as long as you don't mind a bit of a surprise, it's worth a try,

"You actually get good food, it's a good deal, and you do something good," Lykke said. "It's win-win for businesses, for consumers, and for the planet."

• Nissan and Honda have announced they are beginning merger talks.
• A third Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi, will also participate in the discussions.
• The companies hope a merger could help them take on Tesla and Chinese EV makers, Nikkei previously reported.

Nissan and Honda, two of Japan's largest car companies, have announced that they are beginning merger talks.

The two automakers have agreed to proceed with discussions to build a "strategic partnership focused on intelligence and electrification," according to a statement issued on Monday.

Nissan and Honda are looking to reach a conclusion in talks by the end of January 2025.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has also been signed with a third company, Mitsubishi, signaling its involvement in the merger talks.

It would be the largest domestic merger in Japanese automotive history, and if finalized, it would create the world's third-largest automaker by sales.

The companies hope that a merger could help them better compete against Tesla and Chinese EV makers.

Profits were down in the latest earnings reports for all three of Japan's top auto companies — Toyota, Nissan, and Honda — with slumping sales in China a constant theme.

"At this time of change in the automobile industry, which is said to occur once every 100 years, we hope that Mitsubishi Motors' participation in the business integration discussions of Nissan and Honda will lead to further social change," said Toshihiro Mibe, Honda's Director and Representative Executive Officer.

Japan's stock market had closed for trading on Monday when the announcement was made. However, Honda's New York-listed stock was up 13% in premarket trade Monday on the back of the news.

After news of the merger was reported last week, Nissan's stock had surged by nearly 24%.

• More than 3,300 older Americans have shared their financial and other regrets with Business Insider.
• Some older adults said tight budgets and a lack of savings were contributing to loneliness.
• This is part of an ongoing series about older Americans' regrets.

Taffi Ozenne has a few simple and inexpensive joys in her life.

When she feels lonely, she counts them: a hot-fudge sundae at McDonald's ($3.79), a walk with her dogs (free), and the first puff of her cigarette ($9.63 for a pack) on a sunny afternoon in northern California. The 68-year-old repeats the list over and over.

"In those moments where I'm wishing I had a friend that I could do something with, I just gravitate toward my dogs and say, oh, I got two friends right here — let's go for a walk," she said.

Since mid-September, more than 3,300 older Americans like Ozenne have shared their retirement regrets with Business Insider through a reader survey or direct emails to reporters. Loneliness is a common theme.

Some said they regretted not saving more, as a lack of money makes it difficult to maintain a social life. Many said they struggled to ask friends and family for help, further isolating them from loved ones. For an older generation already facing a loneliness crisis, money woes are making it worse. This story is part of an ongoing series.

With no retirement savings, Ozenne is trying to get by on her $1,739 monthly Social Security payments and the money she cobbles together through part-time jobs at a law firm and a bowling alley. She said her schedule feels nonstop but she needs the work so that her total monthly income is slightly above $3,000, enough to cover her bills.

Ozenne said that her budget didn't allow her to travel or go out with friends and that she felt increasingly isolated. She said she regretted not saving enough to support herself in her 60s or 70s and worries she'll have no one to care for her as she ages.

"It's mentally exhausting," she said, adding, "I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

We want to hear from you. Are you an older American with any life regrets you'd be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form.

Limited retirement savings take a social toll

In a survey of US adults commissioned by Cigna and conducted by Morning Consult in late 2021, 63% of respondents who earned less than $50,000 a year and 41% of respondents over 66 said they felt consistently lonely.

Having limited income can erode social connections for older adults. Social Security checks aren't enough to cover many retirees' bills, and some don't have enough of a nest egg to afford a night out, holiday gifts, or gas to visit family members. Meanwhile, the costs of meals, flights, and concert tickets have crept up.

"My 'golden years' are not golden at all: I live alone and have no friends," one respondent in BI's survey wrote. Another wrote, "I feel hopeless, I'm lonely, and my health is rapidly getting worse."

Joseph Coughlin, the founder and director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that high costs of social activities, housing, and transportation could lead to social challenges for retirees.

"If you do not have the financial resources, you're pretty much constrained where you live," he said. "You may not be able to afford a place that gives you the opportunity for those chance collisions with friends and, frankly, new people."

Susan Harper lives on less than $1,000 in monthly Social Security, plus SNAP benefits, but she has no nest egg or investments. The 66-year-old recently moved from Oregon to Washington, DC, to live with her sister. They're sharing household bills until Harper can secure low-income housing in the area. (Harper is on a waitlist.) Harper said that while she appreciated her sister, she missed her community. She said she often declined invitations from new friends to go to bars or restaurants because of the cost.

Harper said that while she needed to move to receive financial support from her sister, living in a new city had made her lonely.

"It's just a very difficult time, and it's very isolating," she said. "Especially as I get older."

Older adults regret not having a support system as they age

In the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging conducted in March, older adults who weren't working, who lived alone, or who had lower household incomes were more likely to report feeling lonely. About 29% of adults 50 to 80 reported feeling isolated from others some of the time or often within the past year.

Coughlin said social isolation could exacerbate the risk of cognitive and physical decline for older adults, which may increase the likelihood that they need assisted care later in life. Genworth Financial, an insurance company, found that the median monthly cost of an assisted living facility in the US was $5,350 in 2023 — a price many older Americans told BI they couldn't afford.

John Keefe, 84, lives alone in Arkansas on his $2,700 monthly Social Security check and limited retirement savings. Keefe lost his son in 2011 and his wife in 2023. He said they were his main support system.

Keefe said he didn't travel much outside his hometown, and he worries about how he'll take care of himself when he can no longer drive to appointments or the grocery store. He said he wished that he and his wife had built a stronger financial cushion.

"I've outlived everybody," he said, adding that it was especially challenging to make connections as a widowed retiree.

Though there's no one-size-fits-all fix for loneliness, Coughlin offered a few suggestions. He said prospective retirees should think about "longevity planning." In addition to building a nest egg, he said, arranging the social aspects of retirement earlier in life — such as living near friends and family and developing hobbies — could reduce the risk of loneliness later and help people budget.

"Yes, it's about how much money you've saved — but it's also about all those other little things that make you smile and contribute to quality of life," he said. "That has to be planned as much as your 401(k) or whether you had your annual checkup."

Government and local assistance can also be a source of relief for older Americans struggling with finances and loneliness. The National Council on Aging estimates that 9 million older adults who are eligible for SNAP benefits don't receive them, and many forgo aid like Medicare Savings Programs designed to help pay for healthcare and other expenses. Many local senior centers offer free or low-cost social activities, transportation, and benefits counseling.

Ozenne is taking her life day by day. Because she works several jobs, her income is likely too high to qualify her for many forms of government assistance. So she sits at her kitchen table working on her monthly budget, and she stops by McDonald's for a hot-fudge sundae if she needs a pick-me-up. Her days still feel lonely, but she tries to "put on a brave face," she said. It helps to know she isn't the only one in this position.

"There are a lot of people — we're laying in bed awake at night wondering if we're going to make it through this month and if we're going to have enough money to pay bills," she said. "And if not, we wonder: What can give? What can I do without?"

Noah Sheidlower contributed reporting.

Are you experiencing loneliness because of your finances? Are you open to sharing your story with a reporter? If so, reach out to [email protected].

• Unexpected medical crises have derailed retirement plans for many older Americans.
• Many regret not preparing financially for sudden medical expenses, while some wish they worked less.
• This is part of an ongoing series about older Americans' regrets.

Vera Steward, 64, earned over $60,000 a year at the peak of her career. But since having a stroke at 48, she hasn't returned to work and is just scraping by.

She's one of many older Americans who shared with Business Insider in recent months how an unexpected medical crisis derailed their retirement plans and what they wish they'd done differently. As of publication, over 3,300 readers between the ages of 48 and 96 have responded to an informal online survey or emailed reporters about their biggest life regrets. This is part of an ongoing series.

While many medical diagnoses are unpredictable, dozens of respondents, including Steward, said they wish they'd been better prepared financially. Their regrets include not being more cautious with spending or savvier with investments when they were healthier, not prioritizing routine medical appointments, not factoring medical expenses into retirement planning, and not having robust insurance.

Eleven said in interviews that a medical diagnosis at the peak of their careers led them to retire early, and as a result, they rely on federal government checks to get by.

We want to hear from you. Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form.

Steward is one of them, despite having a master's degree and working since she was a teenager. After her stroke almost 20 years ago, she began receiving slightly over $1,000 in monthly Social Security Disability Insurance; she now receives $1,688 in Social Security after cost-of-living adjustments. Nearly half of her benefits go toward rent, and she only receives $23 monthly in SNAP benefits to help buy food. Some months, she decides between getting a haircut or buying groceries, and she's relied on her daughter for financial assistance.

"I've always been middle class, and now I guess I'm no class," said Steward, who lives in Columbus, Georgia. "I'm in this house almost 24/7. The only time I leave is to go to the doctor. I have nowhere to go."

Not prioritizing health in younger years and asking for what you need

Anita Clemons Swanagan, 59, wishes she'd spoken up for herself more during her working years to be paid what she's worth. While employed at prisons and hospitals, she was on her feet all day often working 12-hour shifts — in addition to second jobs as a gig worker — so she could raise her three daughters.

Swanagan injured her back and developed arthritis. She had a stroke at 45 and worked again for a decade until she had a second stroke in 2021, which affected her walking, speech, and cognitive functioning.

In addition to wishing she'd asked for better pay and more health accommodations, she said she could have done more to grow her wealth, such as saving more and giving less to others. She also wished she'd prioritized her health and took more time off while sick, but she said there's little use looking back on what might have been. She lives in her SUV in rural Illinois on $1,500 a month in Social Security before Medicare deductions.

"People think they have enough money, but all they have to go through is one major illness that could wipe out everything," Swanagan said.

Swanagan is one of dozens BI spoke with who are battling health conditions, unable to work, and relying on government assistance to keep them afloat. Because of their medical conditions, most rely on two federal programs colloquially called "disability": Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Many said it isn't enough to pay their bills.

SSDI benefits are based on your work history. In 2024, the average monthly payment was $1,537, with a maximum payment of $3,822 a month. SSI, which is allocated to people with disabilities and limited incomes, will be capped at $967 a month for an eligible individual in 2025.

Retirees' reliance on these programs has risen while the benefits have barely kept up with the cost of living. The average inflation-adjusted Social Security payment for disability insurance in December 1999 was $1,413 a month; at the end of 2023, it was $1,537, SSA data showed. While 3.2% of workers covered by Social Security in 1999 were disabled workers who received Social Security insurance, this rose to 4% in 2023.

And it's becoming more difficult to qualify for these benefits, said Steve Perrigo, the vice president of sales and marketing at the law firm Allsup. SSDI processing times have doubled over the past few years while approval rates have fallen to historic lows.

In fiscal year 2023, 61% of disability claims were rejected initially, while 85% were denied in reconsideration, according to Social Security Administration data and information provided by Allsup. About 45% of people are approved in hearings, which come after denials of an additional application and reconsideration.

Perrigo said he encourages clients to try to find work before, during, and after receiving benefits if they're able to.

"We see individuals who have to go through foreclosure and tap into their 401(k) and bankruptcies," Perrigo said of the long wait times to receive benefits.

For some, including Paula Mastro, returning to work isn't an option.

Mastro, who's 65 and lives on just under $1,100 a month in Social Security benefits, worked part-time in restaurants and catering jobs while raising her daughter and spent years as a full-time caretaker for her parents. She told BI she regretted working odd jobs that didn't provide a pension and not contributing to a 401(k). She also said it was a mistake to not properly document some of her income on tax forms, which hurt her Social Security allotment.

In 1991, Mastro received about $200,000 in a divorce settlement, most of which she spent on a home and car. She said often lived paycheck to paycheck and didn't prioritize investments.

Mastro developed back problems in the late 1990s after a car accident and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia over a decade ago. Earlier this year, she developed an inflammatory skin disease that prevented her from returning to work.

She said that last year, her public assistance covered only a fraction of her medical expenses, putting her thousands of dollars in debt. She lives in a low-income condo she inherited from her sister and barely has anything in savings.

"You expect in your golden years to be traveling, going on vacation, bringing your grandchildren to the theater," Mastro said. "I didn't do any of that because I couldn't. I should have saved up for retirement."

'Floating through life' with no concrete plan

Jan Lovell, 73, said she should have learned more about finances during and after her marriage. Lovell, who lives in Warren, Michigan, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. As the disease progresses, it further complicates her financial planning.

Lovell spent 25 years as a church secretary, earning a modest salary. She only contributed about 5% to her 401(k) and let her husband handle most of her finances. An unexpected divorce in 2004 put Lovell into "float through life" mode, during which time she didn't have a financial plan and did what she could to pay her bills. Over her career, she accumulated seven retirement funds she never combined, totaling $160,000.

She went through a foreclosure in 2010, and she worked for another decade until retiring in January 2020.

She lives off about $3,300 monthly gross income from Social Security pre-deductions and a pension, but medical expenses, such as contributing $3,500 for a wheelchair, have put a dent in her wallet. After a recent hospitalization, she's planning to move to a senior living facility that she expects will deplete her savings by 2027.

"Most places I've looked at now are $3,000 a month for a 400-square-foot unit, which is twice the cost and half the square footage of a regular apartment," Lovell said. "The 'assistance' is an additional charge, depending on needs, and I'll likely need the most expensive level, at about $2,000 a month."

Relying too much on the market

D. Duane MaGee, 78, thought he prepared well for retirement, but after losing thousands in the 2008 market crash, he regretted putting too much faith in the market — and hasn't touched investments since.

MaGee made six figures as a manager at Ford. He retired in his early 50s as the plant shuttered. He'd saved money throughout his career, though not enough. To compensate for his reduced income, he worked in security at a hospital and in hotel management.

His wife had a quadruple bypass surgery three decades ago, and he became her caregiver in between his work shifts. His wife's medications ate up a portion of their savings each month. The 2008 market crash erased nearly $80,000 of their limited retirement savings — much of which was his wife's inheritance from her mother — and he wished he had been more proactive about saving while at Ford.

MaGee, who still cares for his wife, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease six years ago. He gave up his retirement job shortly after the diagnosis, and they rely on about $62,000 a year in retirement income from Social Security and a pension. Meanwhile, rising inflation has made them even more cautious about spending.

"I don't know how I'm going to get savings now because we're getting a lot older now, and so we have things facing us now where we don't know where the money is going to come from," MaGee said.

Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form or email [email protected].

• Steve Ballmer said his investment strategy is partly influenced by Warren Buffett.
• But Ballmer, whose net worth is larger than Buffett's, has an unconventional investment portfolio.
• More than 80% of Ballmer's portfolio is held in Microsoft stock, per The Wall Street Journal.

Steve Ballmer has an unorthodox investing approach.

The former Microsoft CEO is worth $151 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the ninth richest person the world.

That puts him ahead of famed investor Warren Buffett by a nearly $10 billion margin.

In an interview published Sunday, Ballmer told The Wall Street Journal that his investment strategy is partly influenced by Buffett, who has long said that since most people picking stocks cannot beat the returns of a general index fund. But there's one key difference.

The Journal reported that Ballmer keeps more than 80% of his portfolio in Microsoft stock. The rest is held in index funds. Ballmer declined to say how large his stake is in Microsoft.

"Microsoft's outperformed just about every other asset I could have owned," Ballmer told the Journal.

Ballmer's investment strategy goes against conventional wisdom, which suggests that people reduce their risk by diversifying their capital across different asset classes. And the world's wealthiest people typically go beyond stocks and bonds to invest in non-liquid assets like private equity and real estate. Ballmer said he is "mostly dialing out of private equity."

To be sure, Ballmer wasn't always going against the trend.

The 68-year-old tried diversifying in the past but said he struggled to find money managers who consistently beat the market.

"The only stock I really study still is Microsoft, because that's still overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly the No. 1 thing that I own," Balmer told the outlet.

Ballmer began his career at Microsoft in 1980 and succeeded founder Bill Gates as CEO in 2000.

According to regulatory filings, Ballmer held 333 million shares, or a 4% stake, in Microsoft when he stepped down as CEO in 2014.

Microsoft's shares are up 16.1% this year. The Seattle-based tech giant has been in front of the AI race with huge bets on startups like Sam Altman's OpenAI and France's Mistral AI.

In October, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an earnings call that the company's AI business is on track to top an annual revenue run rate of $10 billion next quarter.

This would make it the fastest business in Microsoft's history to reach that milestone, Nadella added.

Ballmer attributes his bumper gains in Microsoft's stock to luck.

"Forget the stock price. I had luck, essentially, in getting to listen to the right people," Ballmer told the Journal.

"But I also had luck in terms of my loyalty to the company and not wanting to be a seller as a leader of the business. It turned out to be a great investment thing, too," he added.

Ballmer did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Russia's central bank has kept the key interest rate at 21%, bucking expectations of a hike to 23%.
• Russia's top central banker said she is eyeing "excessive cooling" in the economy.
• Russia's high interest rates are impacting business investments and profits, business leaders complain.

Russia's economy has been running hot on wartime activities, prompting the country's central bank to hike rates up to 21% — but it's now worried about too much cooling.

Elvira Nabiullina, Russia's top central banker, expressed that concern on Friday when she kept the key interest rate unchanged. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected her to hike rates to 23%.

"Our politics is aimed at prevention of extreme scenarios, which means that we cannot let the economy overheat further," Nabiullina said at a press conference following the rates decision, according to TASS state news agency.

"It is necessary to make sure that overheating subsides. That said, it is necessary to avoid excessive cooling, which is why we keep a close eye on this," she said.

Nabiullina said the central bank kept the interest rate steady as monetary conditions have "tightened even more than was implied by the key rate increase" in October, when the bank raised the rate from 19% to 21%. Russia started the year with its benchmark interest rate at 16%.

"Consequently, lending growth notably slowed down in November," she said. "We will need some time to assess how steady this deceleration in lending is and how the economy is adjusting to the new conditions."

Russian business leaders complain about high interest rates

Nabiullina's comments came as Russia's inflation hovered around 8% in the year to November, compared to the target rate of about 4%. Staples, like the price of butter and potatoes, have shot up this year. But the central bank's three straight rate hikes since June may be working, the top central banker signaled.

"Tough monetary conditions have evolved in the economy, which are to provide for inflation slowdown in coming quarters," she said, per TASS.

Russian business leaders have been complaining about the central bank's high interest rates, which they say are stifling business activities.

Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the defense conglomerate Rostec, said in October that record-high interest rates were "eating up" the profit from the company's orders.

"If we continue to work like this, then most of our enterprises will go bankrupt," Chemezov said.

Economic cracks in Russia

Even Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday acknowledged that his country's economy is not in a good place — and he blamed the central bank and federal government.

The Russian leader said that the central bank could have used instruments other than interest rates to cool the economy and that the federal government could have worked with economic stakeholders to improve supply.

"There are some issues here, namely inflation, a certain overheating of the economy, and the government and the central bank are already tasked with bringing the tempo down," Putin said during his marathon annual press conference.

Price rises had been an "unpleasant and bad" outcome, he said.

Given the sweeping sanctions against Russia's economy, Nabiullina faces a challenging job to keep Russia's seemingly resilient economy going.

Economic cracks are emerging as the Kremlin focuses on shoring up its defense industry for its war in Ukraine — but at the expense of other sectors, Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center fellow wrote on Friday.

Prokopenko, a former Russian central bank official, wrote that growth momentum could stall next year, with social and fiscal challenges developing into crises around 2026.

• Apple is developing smart home locks with face recognition tech.
• This move aligns with Apple's growing interest in the home devices market.
• Apple's device would compete with Google's Nest and Amazon's Ring in home security.

Apple is reportedly working on bringing its facial recognition technology to home security.

The tech giant is developing a smart lock and doorbell that would allow residents to automatically open their home doors by scanning their faces, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

The report said that Apple's doorbell system could work with existing third-party locks or the company could partner with one lock provider to sell a complete product. The technology is still in the early stages and could be released at the end of 2025 at the earliest, the report said.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

The smart lock adds to Apple's growing interest in the home devices market. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is working on an artificial intelligence-powered, wall-mounted tablet. The iPad-like device could be voice-operated, serve as an intercom, and control home appliances. Earlier this year, Bloomberg also reported that the company is working on building home robots.

Not all these developments may come to life. This year, Apple scrapped its car project and stopped efforts to develop a subscription model for the iPhone.

The door device could give the company an opportunity for more cross-selling with its other home products and its existing lineup of devices, like the iPhone and Apple Watch.

It could also allow the iPhone maker to compete with Google's Nest and Amazon's Ring. These devices have doorbells with a motion sensor that activates the camera and records a video of the surrounding area.

Such a product could draw the company into new debates about balancing users' privacy rights and working with law enforcement. Through emergency requests, police departments have received videos from Ring without receiving consent from the owner.

Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, are known for prioritizing user privacy. In 2016, Cook refused to cooperate with the US government to unlock an iPhone used by a shooter in a mass shooting and attempted bombing in San Bernardino, California.

• China's internet isn't happy that "Wukong Sun: Black Legend" is due for release on Nintendo's store.
• It's a 2D platformer game with art and a title that resembles "Black Myth: Wukong."
• Immensely popular in China, the game has an ardent player base that is fiercely defending the title.

"Black Myth: Wukong," the high-profile video game that earned superstar status in China, has a new titular competitor on the market: a side-scrolling platformer in which the Monkey King bashes through monsters of ancient legend.

"Wukong Sun: Black Legend," published by Global Game Studio, is now listed for preorder on Nintendo's store for its Switch console — much to the chagrin of China's social media.

Posts deriding the Nintendo-listed game as a knock-off emerged on Monday morning and, within an hour, topped discussion rankings on Weibo, China's version of X, per data seen by Business Insider.

"Hey everyone, have you heard? The stunning 'Black Myth: Wukong' has actually been copied! This really makes you speechless," one user wrote.

"Since Nintendo has removed pirated games from its shelves, this should also be removed," wrote another.

Promotional art for the Nintendo-listed game, which is due for release on December 26 and retails at $7.99, bears a striking resemblance to that of "Black Myth: Wukong."

But the new title's gameplay looks nothing like that of "Black Myth: Wukong," a 3D action game with spruced-up visuals and a famed boss system that's difficult to overcome.

"Wukong Sun: Black Legend" appears to feature 2D sprites that approach from the right of the screen as the player navigates from the left.

"Black Myth: Wukong," produced by Chinese developer Game Science, is based on characters from the 1592 novel "Journey to the West," one of the most famous literary works in the region and a cornerstone of Chinese popular culture and mythology.

The term "Black Myth" in the game's title refers to it telling a story that is not included in the original novel, which has served as the base for a hit 1986 TV show and a plethora of books, games, and other media.

On its Nintendo store page, "Wukong Sun: Black Legend" also references the novel, saying it would allow players to "embark on an epic Journey to the West" and battle characters from its mythology.

Weibo users aren't having any of it.

"Well-known games have been plagued by imitations for a long time," wrote Pear Video, a popular internet news account. "Malicious developers exploit the names of well-known games, reskin various small games, and put them on the shelves of big game stores with similar titles, deceiving uninformed consumers to buy and download."

"I wonder how Nintendo will deal with it," a popular millennial gaming blogger wrote.

Nintendo operates a marketplace that allows developers to publish games for Nintendo consoles. The company did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by BI.

Global Game Studio is listed as both the developer and publisher of "Wukong Sun: Black Legend." According to Nintendo's website the developer has also produced a soccer game, an extreme sports biking game, a "Farming Harvester Simulator," and a zombie shooter.

The studio did not respond to a request for comment in an email sent by BI.

"Black Myth: Wukong" is considered China's first homegrown AAA video game success, selling over 20 million copies on the marketplace Steam, per the data tracker Video Game Insights. The game retails at about $59.99 per copy, putting total sales north of $1 billion.

Its release dominated China's internet this summer and has garnered an ardent cult following. Earlier this month, the title's failure to clinch the coveted "Game of the Year" award from The Games Awards sparked a wave of dissatisfaction on Chinese social media.

• Nissan and Honda are reportedly considering a merger.
• But former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the move suggests that Nissan is in "panic mode."
• "There is practically no complementarity between the two companies," Ghosn told Bloomberg on Friday.

The potential merger between Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda is a "desperate move," said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's former CEO.

On Tuesday, Japanese newspaper Nikkei said the two companies are entering into merger negotiations.

Pooling their resources would allow Nissan and Honda to better compete against rivals in the electric vehicle space like Tesla and China's EV makers, the outlet reported.

Honda and Nissan are the second and third largest automakers in Japan, respectively. Their local rival, Toyota, is the world's biggest automaker.

A Nissan-Honda merger would result in the world's third-largest car company by volume.

Last week, Nissan and Honda told Business Insider that they are "considering various possibilities for future collaboration" but added that "no decisions have been made."

Ghosn said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday that pursuing a merger with Honda suggests that Nissan is in "panic mode."

"It's not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find," Ghosn said.

"There is practically no complementarity between the two companies. They are on the same markets. They have the same products. The brands are very similar," he added.

Ghosn, Nissan, and Honda did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Ghosn, once considered a legend in the auto industry, experienced a dramatic fall from grace in 2018.

The former CEO and chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance was arrested in Japan and charged with financial crimes in November 2018.

Ghosn was detained in a Japanese jail for over 100 days, before he fled the country by smuggling himself to Lebanon in a musical-instrument case in December 2019.

The disgraced auto chief has maintained his innocence. Last year, Ghosn filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against Nissan in Lebanon for damaging his finances and reputation.

On Friday, Ghosn told Bloomberg that the Japanese government — specifically Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry — was likely behind the Nissan-Honda merger talks.

"So at the end of the day, they're trying to figure out something that could marry the short-term problems of Nissan and the long-term vision of Honda," Ghosn said.

The merger talks come at a precarious time for Nissan, which has been grappling with falling profits and decreased sales this year. Last month, Nissan cut 9,000 jobs globally in a bid to reduce costs. The company's stock is down 20.7% this year.

Nissan is also facing increased competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD, as automakers vie for market share in developing markets like Southeast Asia and Latin America. Data compiled by the technology firm ABI Research for BI showed that Chinese carmakers accounted for 70% of the EV market in Thailand and 88% in Brazil in the first quarter of this year.

Nissan initially led the EV race when it launched the world's first mass-market EV, the Leaf, in 2010.

But the Japanese car company's EV strategy has since floundered. Nissan is one of the few car manufacturers in the US without a hybrid or plug-in offering.

"Nissan finds itself now with a very poor lineup of products and without obvious leadership in EVs, and that's the direct result of poor management," Andy Palmer, the former chief operating officer of Nissan, told BI in November.

• Tech employees share their salary negotiation tips, which helped boost their pay by tens of thousands of dollars.
• Their negotiation strategies include practicing pitches, using data, and leveraging multiple offers.
• Research and transparency are key in negotiating better compensation in tech roles, they said.

Sarra Bounouh has worked at consulting giant Accenture and three Big Tech companies.

But she still deals with imposter syndrome, especially when talking compensation.

"Going into a negotiation is always, at least for me, a very uncomfortable discussion," Bounouh told Business Insider. "I just want to push through and ask for what I deserve."

She and four other tech employees from Meta, Google, and Cisco shared their salary negotiation tips before joining a company or when trying to get promoted. They have used these strategies to add tens of thousands of dollars to their original offers in recent years.

Product manager at Meta

Avoid offering the first number. If you must, back it up with research, said Bounouh, a product manager who joined Meta earlier this year.

She suggested using resources like Levels.fyi or Glassdoor and selecting your role and geography to see recent offers and compensation that makes sense for that job.

"I personally don't like having detailed conversations about level and compensation from that first call with the recruiter because I want to meet the team, I want to meet the hiring manager, I want to get excited about the role," she said.

Bounouh prefers to negotiate her level and compensation once there's an offer on the table.

She said she often gets asked about salary expectations early in the process because recruiters say they want to save time for both sides.

She politely declines to share a number by telling the recruiter: "I don't have a number for your right now. I will need to do some research before getting back to you. At this stage of the process, I'm more focused on meeting the hiring manager and team."

Rehearsal is key for conversations about promotions or raises, she said.

Bounouh said she practiced her pitch for every job after Accenture and increased all three jobs' initial salary offers: Microsoft by 32%, Snap by 19%, and Meta by 37%.

Product manager at Oracle

Internal transfers between teams or offices are also an opportunity to negotiate your compensation package.

Ketaki Vaidya, who moved from Oracle's India to California office in 2022, said she approached her negotiation with an "everything under the sun is negotiable" mindset.

First, Vaidya looked at Glassdoor and talked to people who'd made the move to gather salary data. She wanted to ensure she was getting a fair offer for the US' cost of living.

"I was being given this offer for the credibility that I had built in the organization. I felt like I had an upper hand in negotiating," she said. "I was much more confident in asking for the things that I deserve — so it ended up being a very smooth transition."

After negotiating her base salary up to $80,000, she discussed other compensation components, including the timing of her next review, sign-on bonuses, relocation costs, paid leave, and remote work. She negotiated a sign-on bonus of $15,000 and a relocation allowance of $15,000, which weren't part of the initial offer.

Now, her compensation is about $130,000 annually, including stock units and bonuses.

Product manager at Cisco

When Varun Kulkarni switched from consulting to tech to work on more artificial intelligence projects, he was careful not to come off as aggressive during his pay negotiations.

Once he had offers from Cisco and others in hand in 2022, he was transparent with recruiters and mentioned other offers, without introducing his own counter number.

He asked recruiters how high they could go and what they thought about other offers.

"You want to kind of not be too pushy" he said.

His offer from Cisco already matched the market rate and what several competitors were offering, but he managed to negotiate it by 5%, bringing his total compensation to $180,000.

Product manager at Google

During his 2022 recruitment process at Google, Yung-Yu Lin used his employer at the time, PayPal, to land better offers from both companies.

He interviewed and landed jobs at several places — but their pay did not compare with Google's offer.

Lin decided to negotiate a retention package. PayPal countered with a 10% pay bump. He then renegotiated with Google.

Google offered a 20% raise on his original compensation at PayPal, which brought his offer to the $350,000 to $400,000 range as a senior product manager, including stock-based compensation.

Software engineer at Meta

Hemant Pandey, a senior software engineer at Meta, used other offers and research in his most recent job search.

After two years at Salesforce, in 2021 he applied to Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and two other companies. He used offers from these companies to negotiate his compensation at Meta.

"Be very transparent that you have other offers. Even if you have interviews going on, mention those, because it's also leverage," he said. It signals to the recruiter that they have to move fast and work with your parameters.

Meta's recruiters matched the base salary and restricted stock units from the highest of all offers.

Aside from being transparent, Pandey said it is important to be proactive and research how compensation works in different companies. For example, candidates should compare how stocks are refreshed, he said. A refresher is when the stock option portion of an employee's compensation is updated.

"I also negotiated my sign-on bonus and said, 'Hey, at Salesforce, I'll be leaving my $30,000 to $40,000 of annual bonus if I join you. Can you help me accommodate that?'"

Pandey was offered $520,000 in annual pay, including stock options, in that 2021 move.

"The most significant thing happened in my career when I made the move from Salesforce to Meta, which was close to almost 80 to 90% hike" in pay, Pandey said.

Do you work in tech, consulting, or finance and have a story to share about your career journey? Please reach out at [email protected].

• I'm the youngest of three siblings — and the only Gen Zer.
• When I graduated this year, I faced the realities of job-hunting and adulthood.
• I learned lessons from observing my sisters and other millennials navigate their 20s.

After 16 years in the education system, my time as a student ended on a random Wednesday afternoon in April. I was finally free from lectures, tests, and group projects — but thrust into the realities of a scarier world: adulthood.

In this world, there were no set milestones to tell me I was on the right track. Everyone seemed to be on a path to something greater, but I felt directionless.

I know I'm not alone. Every 20-something has probably felt at least a little bit lost in life. But amid mass layoffs and the threat of AI replacing jobs, stepping into the job market as a fresh graduate in 2024 felt like diving head-first into an abyss.

An August report by an early careers platform, Handshake, surveyed 1,925 graduating students. They found that 57% of the students felt pessimistic about starting their careers — an increase from 49% of graduating students last year. Of the 57%, 63% said the competitive job market contributed to their pessimism.

The stress of not knowing whether I could secure a job was compounded by uncertainty about my career. I had studied journalism but wasn't sure if it was the right fit. I had the irrational fear that if my first job turned out to be the "wrong" choice, I'd be relegated back to the start line of the rat race.

Amid a brewing quarter-life crisis, I looked to my sisters, aged 28 and 31. They do many things that people of my generation may scoff at, like watching Instagram reels exclusively and using the laughing emoji. But they seem to have figured out one thing: life after college.

Here's what I've learned from watching them conquer the Roaring Twenties.

Life doesn't end when school ends

Toward the end of college, I mentally prepared myself for the fast-approaching expiration of youth.

"You must treasure your university days," relatives constantly reminded me at yearly Lunar New Year gatherings. They painted adulthood as a bleak portrait of bills, mundanity, and loneliness. So, when the time came, I was reluctant to let go of my identity as a student.

But as the youngest sibling, I also watched my sisters graduate from college, get married, and build their own homes. I saw them achieve promotions at work, find new hobbies, and start a life outside the one I knew of us growing up together.

Adulting isn't easy — I now know that. But there are also so many new milestones and freedoms that come with it, and there is so much to be excited about.

A job is just a job

My elder sister works in communications and the other in architecture. Even when their hours stretched into the night and weekends, they built a whole life outside work.

One started a sticker side business, and the other is now an avid runner.

It wasn't always smooth. My second-oldest sister burned out after working too much in her first job and took a career break. She prioritized work-life balance at her next job.

In that way, millennials and Gen Zers are alike. A 2024 report by Deloitte found that work-life balance topped the priorities for both generations when choosing an employer. When asked which areas of life were most important to their sense of identity, both generations agreed that jobs came second only to friends and family.

Distancing myself from the idea that my job had to be my one true passion lifted a weight off my shoulders. As much as I still want a job that gives me purpose, I also make time for other aspects of life that fulfill me, like working out and spending time with friends.

Just give it time

As with most worries, the fear that I'd never find a job was unfounded. In July, I started my first job as a junior reporter. But when the first day at work finally ended, I trudged home in a daze.

"I have to do this every day for the next 40 years?" I asked my second-oldest sister, who laughed. It wasn't that I didn't like the job. It was the change in routine from school life to a 9-to-5 that unsettled me.

"You'll get used to it," my sister said. Six months in, I still don't know if I will. But seeing my millennial counterparts thrive has encouraged me.

It's not just my siblings who have set an example. At work, my millennial colleagues are a constant source of guidance to the Gen Zers in the office. On social media, millennial influencers brand themselves as "internet big sisters" and give advice on navigating the complex years of their 20s.

Older millennials are now turning 40, but they were once in the position of Gen Zers, being scoffed at by the older generations for being "lazy" and changing work culture.

Now, they've drawn the map for Gen Zers' entry into the strange world of adulthood. It's made adulting just a little less scary.

• Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against her "It Ends with Us" costar, Justin Baldoni.
• Taylor Swift and Hailey Bieber appeared in the complaint.
• Lively's complaint said Baldoni and his team conspired to damage her reputation.

In a new legal complaint, Blake Lively said that her "It Ends with Us" costar, Justin Baldoni, who also directed and produced the film, conspired to damage her reputation and credibility.

The complaint also mentions Taylor Swift and Hailey Bieber.

Lively named Baldoni and six other defendants in her complaint, including the CEO and cofounder of his production studio, Wayfarer Studios. She also named communications crisis manager Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group PR and Baldoni's publicist, Jennifer Abel.

In the complaint, Lively said Baldoni and his team created a "multi-tiered plan" using "social manipulation" to "destroy" her reputation.

"This plan went well beyond standard crisis PR. What Ms. Nathan proposed included a practice known as 'Astroturfing,' which has been defined as 'the practice of publishing opinions or comments on the internet, in the media, etc. that appear to come from ordinary members of the public but actually come from a particular company or political group,'" according to the complaint.

The complaint says that Baldoni and his team discussed controversies around Swift and Bieber as strategic suggestions while conspiring against Lively.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, said Lively's complaint was a "desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation."

Baldoni and his team considered leveraging backlash around Swift and the 'weaponization of feminism,' the complaint says

Nathan's communications company shared a "Scenario Planning" document with Baldoni and others that outlined potential strategies "should [Ms. Lively] and her team make her grievances public," the complaint says.

The complaint includes a copy of that document, which Lively's attorneys obtained through a civil subpoena.

The planning document discussed what Baldoni's team could do if Lively's husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, publicly defended her against critics. It included a reference to Swift, who is a friend of Lively. The pair have attended Kansas City Chiefs football games together and have been photographed by paparazzi while hanging out.

"As part of this, our team can also explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in BL's circle, like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to 'bully' into getting what they want," the planning document says, according to the complaint.

The complaint says Baldoni used a social media post about Bieber and bullying as an example strategy

Lively's complaint also contained screenshots of text message conversations between Baldoni and his team, which were also obtained through a civil subpoena. According to the complaint, Baldoni sent a text message to his publicist, Abel, in early August.

"A few days later, on August 5, 2024, Mr. Baldoni set the narrative for the social media campaign, sending Ms. Abel a screenshot of a thread on X that had accused another female celebrity of bullying women," the complaint said. "Mr. Baldoni stated, 'this is what we would need.'"

The social media post included two pictures of Bieber and insinuated she had bullied other women. That narrative gained traction on social media in 2023 and resulted in widespread backlash against Bieber.

A representative for Lively referred Business Insider to a statement she shared with The New York Times.

"I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," she said.

Lively also said neither she nor her representatives planted negative stories about Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios.

Baldoni's attorney said the accusations in Lively's complaint were "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."

Representatives for Bieber and Swift did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• My birthday falls in the week between Christmas and New Year.
• Other celebrations always overshadowed my special day.
• My twins were born on December 23rd, and I often can't make their birth as special as I'd like.

Growing up, I often gave my parents low-key guilt trips about my birthday. Being born in the week between Christmas and New Year's meant I never got to have a celebration at school and rarely had parties since my friends were usually out of town.

While I understood at some level that my parents hadn't chosen that particular day on purpose, I carried a lingering resentment that I'd been born at the worst time of year.

My day was overshadowed by other celebrations

My "special" day always seemed to be overshadowed by the rest of the holiday season.

I got over it eventually. As a young adult, I threw parties for myself in late January or spent the day hitting post-Christmas sales with friends. Sometimes, when days of nonstop family time had drained all my energy, it was a treat to gift myself a trip to the movies — alone.

While I eventually made peace with the situation, a holiday birthday was one family tradition I had no intention of handing down. After I got married and my new husband and I started talking about children, I was careful to make the nine-month calculations and ensure I didn't get pregnant in March.

My first child, Clara, was born in early September, a date that came with its own issues but was well ahead of the holidays. But things weren't as straightforward when we started trying for a sibling. Eventually, I started IVF, and any attempts to time my next pregnancy went out the window. I was at the mercy of shots and cycles that were very much out of my control.

My due date was in February

The first attempt at IVF didn't take, but a few months later, the second one did. Soon I found out I would be having twins in early February. Crisis averted! Or so I thought.

Pregnancy being pregnancy and twins being twins, I should have known the due date was an estimate, not a guarantee. Throughout that fall, as I started coming to my doctor for more frequent checkups, she reminded me that twins tend to arrive early. After some signs of possible early labor, I was put on bedrest in early December. A few weeks later, I was moved to the hospital.

And early on the morning of December 23, James and Alan arrived.

My first emotion was overwhelming relief that they were healthy, and my second reaction was an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"I'm so sorry, little guys," I thought to myself. "I never wanted you to get stuck with a December birthday."

The one consolation, I hoped, was the fact that they had a mother who could commiserate and help them make the best of it.

I made sure their birthday was celebrated

From their very first birthday, I made sure the day was its own distinct occasion, with balloons and streamers and cake. I discreetly suggested to well-meaning family members that it was better to buy the boys two separate, smaller gifts rather than a single, combined "Christmas/birthday" present.

No matter what other holiday events were planned during that week, my boys got to choose whatever activity they wanted on their birthday and whatever kind of food. Christmas cheer would take a 24-hour pause.

That doesn't mean my boys are any happier about their birthday timing than I used to be. They've missed birthday-at-school shoutouts; birthday sleepovers with friends have had to be pushed into January; and despite my best efforts, I'm often so busy doing last-minute shopping and baking that I don't always make the day as special as it could be.

But I like to think this experience has taught my boys a lesson it took me a long time to learn. In a culture where people are constantly curating versions of themselves online, it's easy for children to think that anything they don't like about themselves can be airbrushed or exercised away.

But there are certain things about your life you can't control. Getting pregnant is one of them. Having a healthy child is another. And if you've ever worried about either of those things, you quickly realize how little an actual birth date matters.

The whole point of a birthday celebration is to make a person feel appreciated and special, to let them know they're loved. And you can do that any day of the year.

• President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to retake control of the Panama Canal.
• Trump blasted the "exorbitant" fees charged to US vessels using the canal.
• Panama's president responded on X, saying that "every square meter" of the canal belongs to Panama.

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to retake control of the Panama Canal as he hit out at what he called the "exorbitant" fees charged to US ships traversing the passage.

Panama charges tariffs for vessels traveling through the iconic waterway, with fees varying by size and purpose.

"The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding: "This complete 'rip-off' of our Country will immediately stop."

The US transferred control of the canal to the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) in 1999 in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

"If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question," Trump continued in a separate post. "To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!"

Panama President José Raúl Mulino responded in a video statement on X, stating that "every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zones" belongs to Panama.

The president held up a red book titled "Torrijos Carter Treaty" as he referenced the 1977 agreement that would lead to the dissolution of the Panama Canal Zone and hand over the canal to Panamanians on December 31, 1999.

The roughly 80-kilometer (around 50 miles) canal was officially opened in 1914, offering a new link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

According to the PCA's website, between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the waterway each year, "connecting 1,920 ports across 170 countries." The United States is the largest user of the canal.

In 2023, a shipping company paid almost $4 million on top of regular fees to get through the Panama Canal following a logjam, Bloomberg reported.

Japan's Eneos Group paid $3.98 million in an auction to jump the queue after a drought caused congestion, the report said.

• There are some Christmas traditions in the UK that might confuse people from the US.
• Every Christmas, families gather to watch pantomimes or meet their school friends at the pub.
• They also eat Yorkshire puddings, mince pies, Christmas pudding, and Christmas cake.

Christmas in the United Kingdom differs slightly from celebrations in America and elsewhere around the world.

People who celebrate Christmas in the UK have slightly different traditions than those who live in the US. From what is traditionally served at a Christmas Day feast to festive activities and childhood traditions, families across the pond have their own unique and quirky ways of celebrating the holidays.

Here are 18 British Christmas traditions that might surprise you.

Pantomimes, or "pantos," are plays performed around Christmastime in the UK.

Pantos are humorous, slapstick entertainment for the whole family, often featuring men dressed in drag. They are sometimes based on a famous fairy tale or story, like "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," or "The Wizard of Oz." 

Pantomimes rely on specific tropes. For example, there's often a villain who will sneak up on the protagonist intermittently throughout the play. It's then the role of the audience to scream, "He's behind you!" to the main character while he or she struggles to figure out what's going on.

Yorkshire puddings are perfect with gravy, but people outside the UK may have never heard of them.

A traditional British roast dinner wouldn't be complete without Yorkshire puddings filled with Bisto or homemade gravy. Yorkshire puddings — not to be confused with sweet puddings — are made of eggs, flour, and milk or water.

After they're cooked in hot oil in the oven, they end up with a distinct hole in the middle. They closely resemble what Americans know as popovers.

While Yorkshire puddings are commonplace at Sunday dinners throughout the year, they're also eaten at Christmastime, though some argue they have no place on a Christmas plate.

Santa Claus is referred to as "Father Christmas."

While some do refer to old Saint Nick as Santa Claus in the UK, it is widely accepted that Father Christmas is his more traditionally British name.

"Santa Claus" is seen as an Americanism, and The Telegraph reported that even the British National Trust said that "Santa Claus should be known as 'Father Christmas' in stately homes and historic buildings because the name is more British."

British children hang Christmas stockings at the ends of their bed.

In America, Christmas stockings are hung by the fireplace with care. However, some British children hang their stockings at the ends of their beds for Father Christmas to fill up while they're sleeping. 

Christmas Eve is a time for school-friend reunions.

Thanksgiving weekend is seen as an opportunity in the United States for students to reunite with friends from high school or middle school. In the UK, it's a tradition for school friends to come together on Christmas Eve, often at the local bar or pub.

Christmas pudding is a traditional British dessert popular during the holiday season.

A Christmas pudding is a dense fruit cake often made weeks or even months in advance. This time allows the dried fruit to soak up alcohol that's regularly poured onto the cake in the weeks before it's consumed.

On Christmas, the cake is set alight and then topped with a sauce of brandy butter or rum butter, cream, lemon cream, ice cream, custard, or sweetened béchamel. It is also sometimes sprinkled with caster or powdered sugar.

For many years, Queen Elizabeth II even gifted each member of her staff a Christmas pudding from Tesco.

Another dessert of choice is Christmas cake, a rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and icing.

While fruit cake is certainly a polarizing dessert wherever you are, Brits seem to make it a little better with thick, sweet white icing. Oftentimes, Christmas cake also comes topped with festive holly decorations. 

Mince pies are pastries filled with dried fruits and spices that are eaten at Christmas.

The BBC reported that the first-known mince-pie recipe dates back to an 1830s-era English cookbook. By the mid-17th century, people reportedly began associating the small pies with Christmas.

At the time, they were traditionally filled with pork or other kinds of meat, sage, and other spices. Nowadays, the pies are filled with dried fruits and sugar powder.

British Christmas desserts are often enjoyed with brandy butter.

The perfect accompaniment to Christmas pudding and mince pies, brandy butter consists of butter and sugar beaten together before brandy is added. Rum butter is an alternative.

The result is still butter-like in consistency, and it's served cold alongside desserts. Americans might know it as "hard sauce."

Brits say "Happy Christmas" instead of "Merry Christmas."

You might remember a scene from the first "Harry Potter" movie in which Ron says, "Happy Christmas, Harry!" While this may sound strange to an American, saying "Happy Christmas" is commonplace in the UK, as opposed to "Merry Christmas." 

Christmas crackers are cardboard tubes wrapped in brightly colored paper and twisted at each end that two people pull for a fun surprise.

Christmas crackers are often pulled at the start of the meal, and the paper hats found inside are worn throughout the meal. Also inside each cracker is a "banger," which makes a loud pop when the cracker is pulled, a joke, and a small prize.

The jokes are usually cheesy and festive. For example: "Why did Santa's helper go to the doctor? Because he had low elf esteem!" 

However, be sure not to pack them if you're traveling to or from the UK on an airplane — they're not permitted to go through TSA in carry-on luggage.

"Top of the Pops" is a television special featuring performances of the year's most popular songs.

On Christmas, the BBC usually runs a holiday special of the since-retired show "Top of the Pops," which features performances from the year's most popular musicians.

The program ran weekly from 1964 until 2006, when it was canceled. People were so upset that the BBC decided to keep the Christmas special, which airs late in the morning on December 25.

Millions of people watch the King's annual televised Christmas Day speech every year.

Every year, families gather to watch the royal Christmas address, informally known as the Queen's or King's speech.

The Telegraph reported that the first Christmas address was 251 words long, but Queen Elizabeth II later came to average 656 words in each speech. It is often one of the most-watched television programs on Christmas Day in the UK.

Christmas commercials are as talked-about as Super Bowl commercials are in the United States.

While Super Bowl commercials are highly scrutinized in the US, Brits pay just as close attention to Christmas commercials.

Not only is the John Lewis ad, or "advert," a Christmas tradition, but almost every supermarket and clothing brand tries to get in on the buzz with a talked-about Christmas commercial.

Brits also anticipate which song will become the annual "Christmas No. 1" single.

The British "Christmas No. 1" has been a tradition for over half a century. Starting in 1952, the top song on the British singles chart has been a coveted spot every Christmas. Christmas No. 1 alums include The Beatles, Queen, Ed Sheeran, and more.

While some Christmas No. 1s have indeed been Christmas songs — "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid II in 1989, for example — they don't have to be.

School nativity plays are a popular tradition in UK primary schools.

While religious elementary schools in the United States may put on nativity plays, they are arguably much more popular and part of the culture in Britain.

In the popular British Christmas movie "Love Actually," the characters even attend a Christmas nativity play.

Brits take advantage of after-Christmas sales on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day is typically called British Black Friday, but there are some differences between the holidays. Boxing Day, which is a public holiday in the UK, falls the day after Christmas and has a rich cultural history in Great Britain.

Originating in the mid-1600s, the day was traditionally a day off for servants. On this day, servants would receive a "Christmas Box," or gift, from their master. The servants would then return home on Boxing Day to give "Christmas Boxes" to their families.

In the UK, it can be bad luck to keep your decorations up for more than 12 days after Christmas.

Another difference between US and UK Christmas customs comes after all of the festivities have ended. 

In the UK, it's tradition to take down your tree and decorations 12 days after Christmas — known as Twelfth Night — to avoid bad luck in the new year.

In the Anglican tradition, Twelfth Night, or Epiphany Eve, is the day before Epiphany, which celebrates the coming of the Magi to baby Jesus and marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas. 

• My children have lied to me ever since they were young.
• This is a normal part of development as kids test the waters and try to avoid punishment.
• I've struggled to deal with the lying and tried to remain a positive role model for them.

It never ceases to amaze me how effortlessly my children lie. My 18-month-old, whose face was covered with crumbs, swore up and down that she hadn't been near the cookie jar. My preschooler looked me in the eye and denied breaking the window with his plastic bat that was still in his hand. It didn't seem to get better as they got older.

After I handed my ATM card to my two oldest sons so they had money for lunch, I asked for the change, and they said, "We only took out $5, so there is no change."

We all know you can't just withdraw $5.00. How could they tell me such a bald-faced lie with a straight face?

Dealing with my children's lies has been one of the most challenging aspects of parenting.

Lying is natural in childhood

Here's the problem: Lying is easy. What I find especially distressing is that no one has to teach children how to lie.

"Lying is developmentally appropriate," Ailen Arreaza, the executive director of Parents Together, a national nonprofit parent and family advocacy group, told me. "When a toddler or a 4-year-old lies, it's frustrating for the parent, but it's perfectly normal. It means that your kid's brain is developing in the way that it should be."

Arreaza also told me kids tell three kinds of lies: attention-seeking ones, careless ones, and serious ones that happen when they're older.

For example, one of my sons told me he missed curfew because he lost track of time when, in fact, he was at his girlfriend's house and just didn't want to leave.

"Often teenagers tell lies because they're afraid of the consequences or they're embarrassed," Arreaza said.

I struggled with how I should handle lying

Confronting my children in search of the truth is never comfortable. In fact, it can be exhausting — a round-robin of questions and denials before they finally break and admit what they've done.

There have been times when I was so eager to know the truth that I promised to refrain from any form of punishment. I want to hear a confession to satisfy my suspicion and feel vindicated, but then I face the sticky situation of what happens next time they lie.

"It's important to address the lie, but not in a way that shames the child and labels them as liars," Arreaza said. "This is about changing a behavior, not who the child is. Create a safe environment where truth-telling is encouraged. If they think they're disappointing you or they're going to get in trouble, they're going to continue to lie to please you."

I try to be a role model for my kids

I want nothing more than for my children to tell the truth, and often they do.

When he was 12, one of my boys came to me and, unprompted, confessed to a more serious lie he'd told previously. I had no clue, but it was eating him up inside. My son expressed his remorse and asked for forgiveness. I imagined the guilt was gnawing at him for betraying my trust.

I'm glad he admitted that he lied. In modeling the truth for my children, I hope they understand they can always come clean to me. My son felt safe and supported to do just that.

In that way, I have to believe that the truth will always win out in the end.

• Shelby Vanhoy has been personalizing her North Carolina home since December 2023.
• She recently decided to break up her open-concept living space with a glass wall.
• Vanhoy said the space is more functional and calming thanks to the change.

Shelby Vanhoy has been in home decor mode for nearly a year now.

Vanhoy, 34, lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, 2-year-old son, and two dogs. They relocated from New York City to North Carolina in December 2023 to be closer to family.

"My parents are here, and it just makes our life a lot easier," she said of the change.

Vanhoy and her husband became homeowners when they moved back. Since then, Vanhoy, a full-time content creator who runs the blog Pretty in the Pines, has been customizing their four-bedroom home, built in 1988.

She told Business Insider her style leans traditional with a twist.

"Some people say it's 'grand-millennial' with all the mixing of patterns and prints and kind of like grandma vibes," Vanhoy said of her decor style. "I love tying in antiques and vintage furniture and lights to make our house feel older than it actually is."

Vanhoy also said it's important for her home to function for her family — which is how she decided to enclose her open-concept living space.

Open-concept living didn't work for their home

The main floor of Vanhoy's home featured an open-concept space with a kitchen, dining area, and living room, which she wasn't excited about.

"When we bought the house, it was just something that wasn't my first choice," she said.

After they moved into the house, Vanhoy found the open area didn't work for her family.

"It felt very overstimulating," she said. "I would be in the kitchen cooking things, and then the TV room was right beside the kitchen and the whole downstairs. You could just see everything."

"Even decorating it, it felt like everything had to kind of go together because you're looking at everything all at once," she added.

Vanhoy also works from home and doesn't have a designated office space yet.

"I would be working in the dining room, which was connected to the kitchen and the living room, so everything just felt like you were doing so much at one time," she said. "It just didn't feel very calming when you were on that floor."

Vanhoy decided she wanted to separate the living room to section off the space.

A transparent solution

Rather than fully enclosing the living room, Vanhoy decided to add a partial glass wall to her space.

"Our living room is, natural-light-wise, a little dark," Vanhoy told BI. "I did want to add some sort of wall to enclose it a bit, but I didn't want to lose any of the natural light."

The living room also featured glass French doors that Vanhoy loved, so she took inspiration from them.

"We decided to make it glass and make it look kind of like a window while also making it feel like its own separate room," Vanhoy said.

The wall features an archway in the middle, and the sides are enclosed with walls covered in windows.

Vanhoy hired professionals to complete the project, who added wood beams for support and moved a few outlets to make the wall work. The project cost under $6,000.

The space is more functional

Vanhoy said the glass offers the best of both worlds, as it sections off the space without making it impossible for her to see into the living room.

"The best part about it is that it created other little functions, and it made the whole downstairs feel a lot more functional," Vanhoy said, adding that the design also brought character to the space.

"I made a breakfast nook on one side of the wall, so that added a whole other function that we didn't have," she said. "And then we have a little kids' craft table on another side of the wall."

The glass wall isn't complete, as Vanhoy intends to add more ornate molding to the windows for a personal touch.

But it's already changed the way Vanhoy feels about the space.

"I do like seeing through because that room also has a nice fireplace, and I like seeing the fire on," she said. "But at the same time, it just feels totally separated, and light shines through."

"The one downside, I guess, is it's just more windows to clean," she added.

• 2024 may not have been as big a year for television as 2023 – but there were plenty of gems.
• Series like FX's "Shōgun," Prime Video's "Fallout," and Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" cut through the noise.
• Here are the BI entertainment team's favorite television series of the year.

Amid shake-ups in the television industry, 2024 still delivered a slate of great TV series ranging from familiar continuations to ambitious debuts.

That includes series like FX's "Shōgun," an immersive adaptation that brought top Japanese talent to American screens; the Brian Jordan Alvarez comedy "English Teacher," which turns high school culture wars into comedy fodder; and hits like "Baby Reindeer," which captivated the world with a story pulled from creator Richard Gadd's life.

Here are our favorites from this year.

"Abbott Elementary" season 4

Season four of "Abbott Elementary" picks up with Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) officially dating after their slow-burn romance played in the show's previous seasons. At the start of this season, the pair are unsuccessfully trying to keep their relationship a secret from their Abbott Elementary coworkers when they return to school.

The writing of "Abbott Elementary" remains as sharp and culturally relevant as ever, and the latest season sprinkles in new characters that keep the show fresh and exciting — from Jacob's younger brother Caleb (Tyler Perez) and an IT guy named O'Shon (Matthew Law) whom the staff have a crush on to a lovable guinea pig named Sweet Cheeks who breaks through Melissa's (Lisa Ann Walter) tough exterior. — Olivia Singh

"Arcane" season 2

Netflix and Riot Games' "Arcane" is one of the most impressive and ambitious animated works of the past decade — and while it doesn't always find its footing, the end result is still so spectacular.

The series is adapted from Riot Games' massively popular video game "League of Legends," honing in on a small cast of characters who live in Piltover, the gleaming city of progress, and Zaun, its less-than-scintillating undercity. The conflict between the two cities has reached a critical point by season two. Unfortunately for all parties, so has the evolution of Hextech, a magic-powered technology that has spiraled out of control and turned one of its developers into a misguided messiah. Oops!

Season two is nothing if not ambitious and widens its scope while leveling up its already excellent animation, courtesy of the French studio Fortiche. In the process, it loses some of the intimate character work and tight focus that made its first season truly extraordinary. Still, the second season serves as a fitting conclusion and is a harbinger of good things to come from Riot's entertainment arm. — Palmer Haasch

Read Haasch's interview with "Arcane" showrunner Christian Linke.

"Baby Reindeer"

Few shows caused as much of a stir this year as "Baby Reindeer," starring and written by comedian Richard Gadd. Netflix and the creator himself billed the series as a true story based on Gadd's real-life experience of being stalked by an older woman. Unfortunately, the show's stalker character, Martha Scott, was quickly outed as Fiona Harvey, who took legal action against the streamer.

Despite all the behind-the-scenes controversy, "Baby Reindeer" is a work of art. Gadd lays himself bare as Donny, who's loosely based on himself. He's a powerhouse in episode four, which flashes back to explain the source of Donny's trauma before meeting Martha.

It's an engrossing watch with equally powerful performances from Jessica Gunning, who plays the disturbed but deeply sad Martha, and Nava Mau, who plays Donny's girlfriend, Teri. — Caralynn Matassa

Read about the legal drama behind "Baby Reindeer.'

"The Boys," season 4

If "The Boys" is Prime Video's NSFW answer to superhero fare like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then season four feels like the equivalent of "Avengers: Infinity War" — minus a snap from a villain that wipes out half the universe.

Season four of "The Boys" is darker than past seasons, as the characters confront deep-seated traumas. For an aging Homelander (Anthony Starr), this means grappling with the legacy he'll leave behind for his son Ryan. For his nemesis Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), it means coming to terms with his looming death and trying to prevent Ryan from succumbing to Homelander's darkness.

It's a season filled with even more gory, jaw-dropping scenes and yet another Emmy-worthy performance by Starr, particularly in Homelander's gory homecoming episode.

The endgame is nearing, with a fifth and final season of "The Boys" likely premiering in 2026. Season four ends with the perfect foundation for all hell to break loose one last time. — OS

"English Teacher"

It's astounding that it took this long for Brian Jordan Alvarez to get a series order after the release of his excellent 2016 web series "The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo" — but thankfully, "English Teacher" premiered this year.

The series stars Alvarez as Evan Marquez, a beleaguered but idealistic Texas high school teacher who comes under fire at work when a parent complains about him kissing his ex-boyfriend in front of the students.

While "English Teacher" embraces the thorny politics of being an American educator in 2024, it doesn't spin them into saccharine teaching moments or cheap jokes. It mines them for character threads and comedy. — PH

"Fallout"

With "Fallout," Jonathan Nolan proved that prestige-y video game adaptations weren't exclusive to HBO. Rather than directly adapting one of the multiple games in the postapocalyptic "Fallout" universe, Nolan instead leverages the style, humor, and striking visual identity of the games to show us something new.

"Fallout" stars Ella Purnell as Lucy, a naive resident who grew up in an underground bunker known as a Vault, established to protect humanity from nuclear armageddon. However, after tragedy befalls her home, she ventures to the surface, only to learn it isn't as deserted or unsurvivable as she was led to believe.

The series features stellar performances from Purnell and Walton Goggins, who spends most of the season admirably noseless. And while it's set in the grim aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse, it's also irreverently funny and endearing. — PH

Read Eammon Jacobs' review of "Fallout" and Jason Guerrasio's interview with Walton Goggins.

"Hacks" season 3

The Max original "Hacks" has only gotten better with age, and in season three, it feels like the show has hit its stride.

The show follows veteran stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, who, on the coattails of a successful comedy special, is gunning for her dream: a late-night hosting gig. After cutting her young writer, Ava Daniels, loose at the end of season two, Deborah realizes that she needs Ava — and Ava craves working with Deborah again, too.

This central relationship — and all the ways Deobrah and Ava support, encourage, and mess each other up — is constantly in flux. Season three not only succeeded in being funnier and more resonant than its predecessors but also in shifting Deborah and Ava's power dynamic into something new and a bit dangerous ahead of season four. — PH

Read Haasch's interview with "Hacks" stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Mark Indelicato.

"Industry" season 3

Move over, "Succession" — there's another contender for the best HBO show about horny, psychopathic capitalists. "Industry," the show about London's most dedicated and depraved bankers, finally broke through to the mainstream with its third season.

Seasons one and two delivered well-written, well-acted, character-driven drama about the highs and lows of a group of young bankers trading stocks (and spit). Still, season three upped the ante, spending more time away from the office in lavish locations, such as the English countryside, a yacht in the Mediterranean, and a Davos-like conference in Switzerland.

The change in scenery enhanced the story and deepened our understanding of the series' core group of complicated characters, most of whom have greatly evolved since we first saw them sitting and sweating at their Pierpoint desks.

All of it leads to an explosive finale that's massive in both budget and sheer plot, effectively wiping the slate clean for a now-confirmed season four. It's an appropriately daring move for a show confident in its vision. It's peak TV at its peak. — Samantha Rollins

Read Rollins' interview with "Industry" showrunners Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.

"Love Island USA" season 6

There were many (many) reality dating shows that aired in 2024. Having regrettably watched most of them, I can confirm that the latest installment of "Love Island USA" blew them all out of the water.

The franchise, which spun off of the UK edition, has the secret sauce that makes this genre sing. It's largely thanks to a format that other shows have tried — and failed — to replicate, wherein participants must constantly recouple to find true love (and win a cash prize).

Season six had a particularly explosive set of personalities among its cast, leading to some serious drama, shocking betrayals, truly memorable moments, and fan-favorite standouts, including Serena Page, Leah Kateb, and Jana Craig. — CM

"A Man on the Inside"

"A Man on the Inside" is initially presented as a spy mystery series as Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson), a widower who recently lost his wife, accepts a job to go undercover in a retirement home.

That's all background noise to the main event, which follows the lives of a kooky gang of residents who find community with each other after being left behind by their loved ones.

Anyone who has seen Danson in any of his other many roles would not be surprised that he is an incredible leading man. However, the show's real strength is the supporting cast, especially Margaret Avery, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Sally Struthers, who provide so much humor and heart that they may make you shed tears.

"A Man on the Inside" proves we really need more TV shows centered on older characters, and there's ample talent out there to make those stories worth watching. — Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Read Rollins' interview with "A Man on the Inside" creator Mike Schur.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith"

Prime Video's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," a reboot of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's 2005 film (mostly in name only), is deeply funny, emotionally stirring, and clever.

Sure, both titles share a similar premise — a husband and wife who are both assassins — but the television series flips it on its head to create something much better.

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play two strangers who, upon taking a new job as shady agents for a mysterious boss, are paired together as a cover story.

The 10-episode season features a laundry list of guest stars, ranging from Ron Perlman to Micaela Coel. — PH

Read Haasch's review of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and Jacobs' interview with guest star Ron Perlman.

"Nobody Wants This"

Rom-coms are so back.

Six years after Netflix was credited with a rom-com renaissance thanks to hits like "Set It Up" and "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the streamer struck gold again with "Nobody Wants This," a comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. The show became an instant hit, proving audiences yearn for more high-quality modern rom-coms.

"Nobody Wants This," created by Erin Foster and loosely inspired by her love story, follows Noah (Brody), an attractive and newly single rabbi, and Joanne (Kristen Bell), the outspoken agnostic host of a sex podcast. Despite their different views on religion and lifestyle, they pursue a relationship.

Noah and Joanne's swoon-worthy first kiss scene went viral, people realized that Brody had been leading man material all along, and the show jumped to the No. 2 slot on the streamer's Top 10 list for English-language TV in the week of its debut. Unsurprisingly, "Nobody Wants This" will be returning for a second season, which begins filming in February. — OS

"One Day"

The second attempt at bringing David Nicholls' bestselling novel "One Day" to the screen (after a 2011 film adaptation) is a rousing success.

The novel of the same name is already beautifully tragic, relatable, and perspective-altering, but the Netflix show amplifies all these strengths with gut-punching performances from leads Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod, who play destined lovers Dexter and Emma.

With each episode set in a different year, "One Day" takes audiences on a 14-year journey as the two grow into adults and fall in love with other people and each other, but never at the right time. For romantics or young people worried about the future, this is the show to watch from 2024. — AA

"The Penguin"

Colin Farrell leads the spinoff sequel to the 2022 film "The Batman," playing the titular comic book villain Oz "Penguin" Cobb. It was fascinating how quickly it became apparent that the show had more in common with "The Sopranos" than nearly anything DC Studios has released.

Farrell utterly transforms as Cobb, the mobster clawing to the top in Gotham after the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone in "The Batman" left a power vacuum. Still, Cristin Milioti is the real standout as Sofia Falcone, Carmine's daughter and accused psychopathic serial killer, fresh out of a stay in Arkham State Hospital. — CM

Read Jacobs' interview with "The Penguin" showrunner Lauren LeFranc.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"

On its surface, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was a show greenlit solely because of a TikTok scandal where several couples in a Mormon community were implicated in an alleged swinging scandal. That premise didn't seem like it'd carry far, but turns out the swinging was possibly the least dramatic thing about these women.

After a moderately slow start, "Secret Lives" turns the dial up to 11 in episode four, a group birthday vacation where all hell breaks loose as the group of friends and frenemies start calling one another out. (Shout out to the truth box, the real MVP.)

It was hard not to root for Taylor Frankie Paul and follow her tumultuous relationship with Dakota Mortensen or to root against the deeply annoying Whitney Leavitt, who became the sleeper villain of season one. We're dying to see what becomes of MomTok when the show returns in 2025. — CM

Read Haasch's interview with Taylor Frankie Paul and Mayci Neeley.

"Shōgun"

There was no stopping "Shōgun" at the 2024 Emmys, and for good reason. Based on James Clavell's 1975 novel, the stunning historical epic focuses on an English sailor who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan and crosses paths with Lord Toranga, a powerful warlord.

With incredible performances, sweeping visuals, and mesmerizing battle sequences, it's no wonder the show set a record for the most Emmys won by a single season of television and that the creators decided to rethink their limited series plan and continue the show with second and third seasons. — CM

"The Traitors" season 2

They were the words heard 'round the reality TV-loving world: "Oh lord, not Ekin-Su."

Few shows were as memed as "The Traitors," the US iteration of the international competition series where reality stars and celebrities try to deceive one another to claim a cash prize.

Season one, which aired in 2023, was entertaining, but season two reached new heights, largely thanks to compulsively watchable characters like meme factory Phaedra Parks and "Shahs of Sunset" star MJ Javid, who gave us one of the best reaction shots of the year. — CM

Read Matassa's interview with "Big Brother" alum Dan Gheesling, who tried and failed to extend his gaming skills to "The Traitors."

"X-Men '97"

Not only did "X-Men '97" expertly capture the spirit of the original animated "X-Men" series, but it also made it feel modern and relevant to the 2020s amid some gorgeously animated action.

The performances are seamless with the original show, adding new dimensions to the Marvel Universe that fans, new and old, will appreciate.

It deserves all of the praise for easily navigating the messy Jean Grey/Madelyne Prior clone saga from the comics. Season two can't come quickly enough. — Eammon Jacobs