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☆ Big investors worry the star managers they trust to run billions are getting distracted as the presidential election enters the homestretch
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Hedge fund managers and private equity executives have become the go-to sources for donations for both parties. AdvertisementBut for the industry's biggest names who have become involved in politics, personal interests and values drive their giving. Advertisement'It's a people business'Mercer's global chief investment strategist, Rich Nuzum, advises institutional investors with more than $16 trillion to invest. "You're probably alienating some potential investors," he said, and that puts all investors at risk if it impacts a manager's business health. While LPs prefer their managers stay out of the headlines, Griffin has not been shy in recent years about picking fights.

Persons: —, Ken Griffin, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Griffin, Timothy Mellon, George Soros, Lone, Stephen Mandel, Jim Simons, Elliott's Paul Singer, Blackstone, Steve Schwarzman, Singer, Andrew, Rudy Koitchev, Rich Nuzum, Brian Payne, Payne, Chris Walvoord —, Nuzum, Soros, David Tepper, Mandel, Griffin waded, Zia Ahmed, Koitchev Organizations: Service, Republicans, Florida Gov, Business, SEI, BCA Research, Carolina Panthers, Appaloosa Management, Citadel, Citadel Securities, mater, Miami, city's Museum of Science, Industry, LCH Investments, Teachers Locations: Florida, Lone Pine, Washington, Harvard, Chicago, Afghanistan, Illinois

☆ I've spent 50 years in one of the 'best places to live.' I love it, but that doesn't mean moving here is a good idea.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Helen Wolkowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Montreal is a gem of a city: It's safe and walkable, with a vibrant nightlife and a cultural calendar packed with events. It's also one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, so why wouldn't you want to get in on the action? AdvertisementIt has become harder for Montreal renters to check everything off their wish lists without raising budgets. AdvertisementGiven the condition of Montreal's housing market, our "starter" is now just our forever home. Christopher O'Donnell/ShutterstockBusinesses also have to compete against the city's carousel of construction projects, which can reduce foot traffic, among other issues.

Persons: —, It's, I've, Lisette Jemmott, Anatoli Igolkin, Jemmott, she's, Michael Falduto, isn't, Catherine Zibo, Falduto, it's, Glenn Castanheira, Marc Bruxelle, Yönder, Christopher O'Donnell, Castanheira, Helen Wolkowicz Organizations: Service, Business, The Coalition, Housing Committees, Associations of Quebec, McGill, Concordia, Concordia University, City, Montreal —, Montreal Locations: Finland, Montreal, Canada, Canadian, Toronto, Quebec, City of Montreal

☆ Investors with short time horizons should lock in rates, says Mercer's Olaolu Aganga
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInvestors with short time horizons should lock in rates, says Mercer's Olaolu AgangaOlaolu Aganga, Mercer U.S. Chief Investment Officer, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk how investors should adjust to recent comments from Fed Chair Powell.

Persons: Mercer's, Aganga, Powell Organizations: Mercer U.S, Chief Locations: Mercer

☆ What goes on behind the scenes in the most formidable alliance in the nerdworld business
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

At the time, "Critical Role" — the "D&D" Twitch stream that turned the company Mercer co-founded into a key player in the nerdworld business — was just taking off. Advertisement"There's love at first sight, and this is one of those variations," Mercer told BI. These two men have now formed a formidable alliance in the nerdworld business. AdvertisementOn to 'Downfall'Mercer and Mulligan had a lot of fun crafting the world of Aeor together, they told BI. Critical RoleMulligan told BI he had long watched Critical Role, and that he got to dive deep into Mercer's lore while working on EXU Calamity.

Persons: —, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Matthew Mercer, who's, Mulligan, Mercer, gunning, Matt, it's, Aeor Mulligan, Brennan, Lee Mulligan, AeorForever, PhVFddZD4Q — Clara, they're, Essek Organizations: Service, Business, West Hollywood, Garden, Wembley Arena, Tourism Locations: Mercer, Madison, London, Los Angeles

☆ Here's what goes on behind the scenes in the nerdworld business' coolest alliance
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

At the time, "Critical Role" — the "D&D" Twitch stream that turned the company Mercer co-founded into a key player in the nerdworld business — was just taking off. Advertisement"There's love at first sight, and this is one of those variations," Mercer told BI. Mercer is the chief creative officer at Critical Role, working with his eight friends on everything from Amazon-backed animation series' to board game ventures. AdvertisementOn to 'Downfall'Mercer and Mulligan had a lot of fun crafting the world of Aeor together, they told BI. Critical RoleMulligan told BI he had long watched Critical Role, and that he got to dive deep into Mercer's lore while working on EXU Calamity.

☆ A day in the life of someone who lives in Montreal — the 'Paris of North America'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Mira Miller | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I live in Montreal an idyllic Canadian town in Quebec known as the Paris of North America. A typical weekend day for me consists of great food, shopping, and catching up with friends. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementWhen you think about a world-class city where most locals speak French, Paris is likely the first place that comes to mind. Plus, unlike Paris — which is one of the most expensive places to live — Montreal has struck an ideal balance between a low cost of living and a high quality of life.

Persons: — Organizations: Paris of, Service, Business Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Paris, Paris of North America, Canadian

☆ Equities is where we're seeing growth and opportunities, says Mercer's Olaolu Aganga
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEquities is where we're seeing growth and opportunities, says Mercer's Olaolu AgangaOlaolu Aganga, Mercer U.S. CIO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk her investing playbook.

Persons: Mercer's, Aganga Organizations: CIO Locations: Mercer U.S

☆ This Canadian city has found the sweet spot between low cost of living and high quality of life
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Many Americans are struggling to afford a fun lifestyle amid the high cost of living. But just north of the border, Montreal offers residents a balance between high quality of life and low prices. Only a handful of major cities have found that sweet spot, according to consulting firm Mercer. But one Canadian city has found the perfect balance between offering its residents a great quality of life for a relatively low cost, according to Mercer's 2024 cost of living report. The study compared 226 cities worldwide according to their cost of housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.

Persons: Mercer, — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Montreal

☆ Mercer's Olaolu Aganga talks emerging markets and value plays
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMercer's Olaolu Aganga talks emerging markets and value playsOlaolu Aganga, Mercer U.S. CIO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk emerging markets investment, value growth, long-term investing and more.

Persons: Aganga, Olaolu Aganga Organizations: CIO Locations: Mercer U.S

☆ Critical Role returns to its fast and loose livestream roots to promote its Hasbro-killer board game empire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Critical Role started off as a Twitch livestream, but it now mostly rolls out pre-recorded episodes. The crew returned to its chaotic roots to promote Daggerheart, a new game it created in-house. Daggerheart is positioned to be an answer to Hasbro's D&D — the game that CR became famous for playing. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But while a March livestream was framed as a one-off event, the cast got back together on Tuesday night to promote their new game, Daggerheart.

Persons: Hasbro's, —, livestream, Sam Riegel —, Matt Mercer's Organizations: CR, Service, Business

☆ Amazon is pouring big bucks into geek culture — and Critical Role's Matt Mercer just dropped a major hint about the series fans have been waiting for
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewTo all the Critters, as members of the Critical Role fandom are known, I come bearing excellent news. The cast of Critical Role has remained tight-lipped about "The Legend of The Mighty Nein," their second Amazon-backed animated series. For the uninitiated, Critical Role is a juggernaut in the tabletop roleplaying game industry. "We're heavy in development on Campaign Two's animated series right now, and it's coming along so well," Mercer told me. Advertisement"Things that we didn't get to see in the campaign, we now get to explore as part of the animated series," Mercer said.

Persons: —, Matthew Mercer, Mercer, Vincent Valentine, Vox, Liam O'Brien, O'Brien, Caleb Widogast Organizations: Service, Business, London's Wembley Arena, Cerberus Assembly, CR, Amazon Prime Locations: Exandria

☆ Rejoice, millennials: The vampire boyfriend is cool again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If you've spent time on TikTok or X in the past few months, you may have spotted a proliferation of videos and posts about two video game characters. There's Astarion from "Baldur's Gate 3," and more recently, there's Vincent Valentine, a fan-favorite character from Square Enix's "Final Fantasy VII" remake. Square Enix; Gregg DeGuire/Getty ImagesMercer's opening line in "Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth" is now a fandom legend. from within the depths of his velvet-lined coffin, longtime "Final Fantasy" fans were introduced to the super-cool, uber-goth gunslinger. "I hope viewers of the work see, too, that there's more underneath the surface of a person than the trope of this decadent, hedonistic, theatrical vampire," Newbon said.

Persons: —, hasn't, you've, There's, there's Vincent Valentine, Edward Cullen sparkled, Edward, he's, there's, Alucard, Valentine, Matthew Mercer, Neil Newbon, Matt Mercer, Zelda, Vincent Valentine, Gregg DeGuire, Vincent, Mercer, I've, Vox, Scott Garfitt, who's, Astarion, Newbon Organizations: Service, Business, BAFTA, Getty Images

☆ There are pockets of opportunity in China, says Mercer's Olaolu Aganga
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere are pockets of opportunity in China, says Mercer's Olaolu AgangaOlaolu Aganga, Mercer U.S. Chief Investment Officer, joins 'Closing Bell: Overtime' to discuss investing in emerging markets and how to invest in the China market.

Persons: Mercer's, Aganga Organizations: Mercer U.S, Chief Locations: China, Mercer

☆ Real Estate is a great investment area 'if you have cash', Mercer's Olaolu Aganga
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailReal Estate is a great investment area 'if you have cash', Mercer's Olaolu AgangaOlaolu Aganga, Mercer, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk investing opportunities in the current market.

Persons: Aganga Locations: Mercer

An upswing in the use of GLP-1 drugs has had a notable impact on the higher growth of pharmacy benefit costs under such health insurance plans, Mercer said. GLP-1 drugs, which work by suppressing hunger and making a person feel full longer, are typically priced around $1,000 per patient per month. While employers cover the use of GLP-1 drugs as a treatment for diabetes, the debate around providing coverage for them as an obesity treatment lingers. "It may take another couple of years for price increases stemming from higher healthcare sector wages and medical supply costs to be felt across all health plans." Despite rising health-plan costs, large employers have avoided shifting additional costs to employees through higher deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket maximums in 2023.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Mercer, Health Actuary, Sunit Patel, Eli Lilly's, Patel, Beth Umland, Khushi Mandowara, Leroy Leo, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug, Health, Reuters, Novo Nordisk's, Mercer, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, August31, Victoria, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Mercer's Olaolu Aganga makes the case for shifting from public equities to private markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMercer's Olaolu Aganga makes the case for shifting from public equities to private marketsOlaolu Aganga, Mercer U.S. CIO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to discuss how large funds are investing in the midst of rising rates.

Persons: Aganga Organizations: CIO Locations: Mercer U.S

☆ These countries have the most generous retirement plans in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Portugal ranked at the top for the most financially adequate retirement system according to a new study. The US, however, ranked 24th in adequacy among the 47 countries studied for its retirement system. AdvertisementAdvertisementPortugal, the Netherlands, and Iceland ranked at the top for the most financially adequate retirement systems — while the US ranked 24th. AdvertisementAdvertisementMany Americans have been skeptical of the US's retirement system, funded primarily through savings in 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts, as well as Social Security. Portugal, which ranked at the top of Mercer's list, also ranked second for comfortable retirement on U.S. News & World Report's Best Countries ranking.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, US, Mercer CFA, Global, Security, U.S . News Locations: Portugal, Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark

☆ You're probably going to get a smaller raise next year, new surveys suggest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Workers, brace yourselves: You're probably going to get a smaller raise in 2024 than you did this year. Recent surveys show employers are budgeting less for merit-based raises next year. Many workers already effectively took a pay cut last year when their raises didn't keep pace with inflation. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Two recent surveys suggest that employers will be making smaller merit-based raises next year.

Persons: —, Mercer Organizations: Service, Aon, Bloomberg, HR

Benefit consultants from Mercer, Aon (AON.N) and Willis Towers Watson (WTW.O) see employer healthcare costs jumping 5.4% to 8.5% in 2024 due to medical inflation, soaring demand for costly weight-loss drugs and wider availability of high-priced gene therapies. Benefit consultants help design insurance plans for medium and large employers. About two-thirds of U.S. workers receive benefits through such plans.Insurers UnitedHealth (UNH.N), Centene (CNC.N), Cigna (CI.N) and Elevance (ELV.N), which manage employer insurance plans, declined to comment for this story. Of its projected 8.5% increase in employer healthcare costs for next year, Aon anticipates 1 percentage point coming from weight-loss drugs alone. Gene therapy treatment of just one employee could significantly raise costs for a company, consultants said.

Persons: Srdjan, Willis Towers Watson, Mercer, Marsh McLennan, Beth Umland, Aon, Novo's Ozempic, Eli Lilly's, Janet Faircloth, Jodi Picoult's, Khushi Mandowara, Leroy Leo, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Reuters Graphics, Novo, Reuters, Employers, Thomson Locations: Ljubljana, Mercer, Aon, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Never mind deflation and the property crisis - a brain drain could be the next big threat to China's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's been a rough 2023 for China, with Beijing failing to stop deflation or contain an ever-worsening property crisis. A brain drain could present the next big threat for the world's second-largest economy. Brain drains are almost always bad news for a country, robbing its economy of a key engine for growth. AdvertisementAdvertisementBrain drains are "horrible for the economy – you need leaders to drive your economy forward," Nuzum said. "If one entrepreneur leaves, whatever – but if tens or hundreds of thousands move across the border, that's a big problem."

Persons: It's, Xi Jinping, Jack Ma, Rich Nuzum, Nuzum Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Henley & Partners, Big Tech Locations: China, Beijing, Wall, Silicon, North America, Europe, that's

In fact, New York continues to be the most expensive city in North America, ranking sixth in the world. The most expensive city in the world for expats: Hong Kong, which topped the list for the second consecutive year. Here are the 10 most expensive cities for expats, outside the U.S.:Hong Kong Singapore Zurich, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland Basel, Switzerland Bern, Switzerland Tel Aviv, Israel Copenhagen, Denmark Nassau, Bahamas ShanghaiAs for the U.S., the data finds that the cost of living has increased in all American cities analyzed. While Hong Kong is the most expensive city on the list, that doesn't necessarily translate to a better quality of life. On the other hand, some global cities may offer expats a lower cost of living and, perhaps, a higher quality of life.

Persons: Warren Buffett Organizations: Bahamas Shanghai, Los Angeles Locations: U.S, New York City, San Francisco, New York, North America, Hong Kong, expats, Hong Kong Singapore Zurich, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland Basel, Switzerland Bern, Switzerland Tel Aviv, Israel Copenhagen, Denmark Nassau, Bahamas, Honolulu, Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, Barcelona, Spain

☆ Switzerland is the most expensive place in Europe to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tours, because of course it is
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Eras Tour tickets in Zurich are the most expensive in Europe, per Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. Surprising nobody, Switzerland has once again topped the charts as the "most expensive country" — this time for the cost of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour tickets in Europe. The cheapest tickets in the country cost 167.5 Swiss Francs, or $190, according to Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. Switzerland consistently ranks as one of the most expensive places on Earth, and the Swiss are no stranger to paying the most for, well, everything. And despite the steep ticket prices, the tour is still selling out in its Switzerland stops, according to NZZ am Sonntag.

Persons: NZZ, That's, Swift, Taylor, — Organizations: Bloomberg, Morning, Swiss, Mac, Mercer, Wall Street, NZZ Locations: Zurich, Europe, Warsaw, Swiss, Switzerland, Poland, United States, Geneva, Hong Kong, Singapore

☆ One of the world's most expensive cities just raised the minimum wage by 32 cents an hour — and it's getting absolutely slammed for it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Financial hub Hong Kong is one of the world's most expensive cities. On Monday, the city raised its minimum wage by 32 cents to about $5.1 per hour. A wage hike of 2.5 Hong Kong dollars, or roughly 32 cents, means that Hong Kong's minimum wage is now 40 Hong Kong dollars per hour — a 7% increase from 37.50 Hong Kong dollars previously, per the announcement. In 2022, Hong Kong was the most expensive city to live in, according to consulting firm Mercer's cost of living list of over 200 cities. The society added the minimum wage should be at least 53.40 Hong Kong dollars — 30% over the current level.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins edge Kraken on Jake DeBrusk's late tip-in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brandon Carlo scored the first of the Bruins' two third-period goals, while McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm had two assists apiece. The winning goal was DeBrusk's third goal in three games since returning from injuries. Minnesota killed off its 22nd straight penalty in the win and has not given up a power-play goal in nine straight games. Oilers 7, Penguins 2Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists as Edmonton scored seven straight goals to defeat host Pittsburgh. Vincent Trocheck scored the only goal for the Rangers, who have lost three straight following a seven-game winning streak.

☆ Asian economies may have to brace for rising debt and capital flight, IMF warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowAsia's biggest economic challenges will be rising debt and capital flight as interest rates continue to rise, the International Monetary Fund has warned. The warnings come as the IMF trimmed its global growth predictions in its latest economic outlook this week and warned the new year would feel like a recession for many parts of the world. "Debt has gone up in Asia," IMF Deputy Director of Asia and Pacific Department Anne-Marie Gulde told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Wednesday. "First, private sector debt has gone up since the global financial crisis but afterwards since Covid, public sector debt has gone up. The crisis in the U.K stemmed from rising yields and plunging bond prices, which sparked collateral calls for pension funds to cover their LDI-related derivatives.

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