Sensory Santa event brings holiday cheer in a calming atmosphereJimmy Carter has been one of the classic examples of Democratic politics in the US history book for decades, but one feather is now going to be added to the cap of the former US President. Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, by running as a Democrat, ruled with an iron fist during his tenure. He passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Centre , an organization founded by him, has confirmed. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Reuters Former US President Jimmy Carter Has Jimmy Carter set a new record? With the death of Jimmy Carter, he sets the record for living longer than any president in American history. He had just celebrated his 100th birthday a couple of months before, and has been a pivotal example of ruling the country smoothly through a epic period of economic and diplomatic crisis. Even though he had to leave the White House with a dent on his legacy, based on his low approval ratings, he bounced back into the political forefront, when he ended up winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. Carter to remain an idol of humanitarian work? The record of being the oldest President to have lived may not be broken in the coming years now, and his new record is going to stay safe, along with a refresher course for the new generation of Americans about the former President. He will always be remembered in history as one of the champions of human rights, claim reports. 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Yes, Jimmy Carter has passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Centre has confirmed. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )City fell behind twice in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park, where Rico Lewis scored a second-half equaliser before he was sent off, ruling him out of next Sunday’s Manchester derby. Guardiola was missing seven potential starters through injury or illness for the trip to south London and he said: “It’s football, and we know that this season will be like this. “What I said to the players (was) ‘Don’t feel sorry. Please accept the challenge’. “It will be more difficult, but that’s what it is and maybe at the end we will have more satisfaction, in the way that we are going to (respond) to these problems, than maybe in the other seasons that we won the title. “All teams want their players always fit and ready and unfortunately since the beginning that could not happen, and it’s going to be, I think, for longer. “But one way or the other, we are going to try.” City, with 27 points, are eight behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand after their Merseyside derby was postponed by Storm Darragh. John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri and Oscar Bobb were all ruled out of the Palace trip by injury while Phil Foden was unavailable due to illness. Erling Haaland’s 13th goal of the season cancelled out Daniel Munoz’s fourth-minute opener. Summer signing Maxence Lacroix opened his Palace account to fire the hosts back in front after the break, but Lewis salvaged a draw in the 68th minute before he was controversially booked for a second time following a challenge with Trevoh Chalobah. With Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Ruben Dias all having recently returned from injury, Guardiola is thin on fully-fit personnel. “The season starts difficult, it will be difficult all season,” added the City boss, whose side next travel to Juventus for Wednesday’s Champions League encounter. “We have to survive the season, every game, try to take points, to try to win games and go forward. “Unfortunately (Lewis) is an important player for us for the next game against United at home, but in general what they have done in the circumstances is really, really good.” “From the beginning, everything was wrong and unlucky in many things and we have to continue with that, with the players that we have at our disposal. “We go to the Champions League now in Turin and try to perform well, and we take the results.” Crystal Palace’s season has been the mirror image of their opponents’. While City have slumped since late October, it was at the same point that the Eagles snapped an eight-game winless streak with victory over Tottenham. Palace have now picked up 10 points from their last seven top-flight games but remain 17th, four points clear of Ipswich in the relegation zone. Glasner, who said he deliberately dialled up Palace’s “intensity” in Saturday’s stalemate, said: “We don’t feel unlucky. It was a good performance, but I think we can do better. “It’s always up to the players. You support them. It’s important to be fit and stay fit, otherwise you never reach your best. You can’t play on your best level. “You need the training, you need the games, you need the minutes. We need all the players fit, we need them sharp, being ready to play how we want to play. “I think then we still have a lot of potential to improve.”Former Spurs midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood has called out Tottenham supporters who want Ange Postecoglou gone, describing the Australian as a “breath of fresh air” the team “needed”. Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Sherwood’s passionate message to the Tottenham fan base came after Spurs stunned Manchester City 4-0 at Etihad Stadium in a result that was just as impressive as it was perplexing given the side’s inconsistency this season. Sunday’s shutout was one of a few standout games for Tottenham, including a 3-0 victory at Manchester United, 4-1 triumph over Villa and win against City in the League Cup. Conversely, Spurs also dropped a home game 2-1 to Ipswich before the international break and have also suffered surprise losses to Crystal Palace and Brighton. Those defeats have seen pressure build on Postecoglou, with some fans turning on the Australian who was a revered figure at times in his debut season at the helm. But speaking on Matchday Live on Optus Sport, Sherwood had a very clear message of support for Postecoglou. MORE TOTTENHAM VS CITY NEWS CITY ON THE DECLINE? One word City won’t want to hear as Pep makes big admission ANGE SPEAKS: There is still one flaw Spurs must ‘eradicate’ despite win “I’m pleased for the manager because there’s probably a 50-50 split on Tottenham fans who either want him or amazingly want him out,” Sherwood said. “It’s incredible. Shame on you guys for wanting this guy out. This guy, for me, is a breath of fresh air and what Tottenham needed. “He needs results like this to convince a lot of the fan base that he is the main man. Give him time, give him the money, give him a few transfer windows, he’s got a clear identity — he will win trophies at this football club but he needs to be given time to be able to do it. “Today is a good, good reminder for a lot of those fans who ring up these phone ins demanding the manager out and saying he’s not good enough. Believe me, he is good enough. “He is a top drawer manager who’s got different ideas to the majority of managers in the Premier League.”
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‘Legacy planning’ for Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald involving a potential run for the Presidency next year is already underway, party sources revealed this weekend. Sinn Féin figures indicated that plans for life after Ms McDonald are already in the pipeline following the party’s disappointing general election result. Although Sinn Féin increased its seats from 35 to 37, its overall vote share dropped and the party’s TDs are resigned to another term in opposition. Ms McDonald this week approached the Social Democrats and Labour – which both doubled their seats – in an attempt to build a Sinn Féin-led left-wing alliance to take on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the next election. Sinn Féin and Ms McDonald were sharply criticised for failing to build such an alternative in the lead-up to the election. And speculation is growing within Sinn Féin and among its political rivals that the party’s president may not be around for the next general election battle. A Sinn Féin source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The process of legacy planning is starting for Mary Lou. There is a growing sense that despite all the post-election spin, the party has stagnated over the last five years.’ Referring to the series of scandals that engulfed the party ahead of the election campaign, the source added: ‘The events of the last six months caused immense reputational damage, and the buck ultimately stops at the leader’s desk.’ Throughout the election campaign, Sinn Féin and Ms McDonald were accused of going to ground and doing only short broadcast interviews. In a highly unusual move, the party’s election broadcast didn’t even feature its leader. Instead, housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin – one of the favourites to succeed Ms McDonald – was front and centre in the video. Speculation about Ms McDonald’s leadership intensified when her predecessor Gerry Adams emerged on the campaign trail. Mr Adams also wrote an op-ed for the Irish Times while his successor dodged newspaper interviews. Another Sinn Féin source said: ‘Comparisons are being made in certain places with the Assembly elections and the performance of [Sinn Féin vice president and Northern Ireland First Minister] Michelle O’Neill. The lack of promotion of Mary Lou during the General Election was noticeable. It is as if she was, in real time, being taken out of the picture.’ They added: ‘Quiet chattering is starting in corners. The view is that there is a presidential election coming up next year. Sinn Féin, especially if Micheál Martin isn’t running, will have a real chance with a candidate of substance. ‘Even Gerry Adams, a hero of the occupation, knew there was a time to go and went when it was timely. Mary Lou needs to recognise that too.’ Sinn Féin is unique in Leinster House in that the party has never had a leadership contest. But one source noted: ‘The circumstances are different on this occasion. No one was going to take on Gerry Adams. When Mary Lou succeeded Gerry, once Pearse Doherty decided not to run, there was no competition to Mary Lou. ‘Should Mary Lou depart, the situation will be very different on this occasion.’ If Ms McDonald does stand down as leader, long-term finance spokesman Pearse Doherty will be the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed her. Sources said housing guru and Dublin Mid-West TD Eoin Ó Broin would be another early front-runner, with outspoken Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy also regarded as a contender. One source told the MoS: ‘Matt Carthy is closely connected to the hierarchy; they like how he operates. [Fingal West TD] Louise O’Reilly is undercooked – she is not ready at this point – while David Cullinane would frighten the sort of voters Sinn Féin want to take off the Social Democrats, and [Mayo TD] Rose Conway-Walsh is simply not well enough known.’ Ms McDonald’s difficulties have been exacerbated by external factors beyond her control. The Sinn Féin leader’s attempt to build a left-wing alliance with Labour and the Social Democrats is being compromised by internal disputes within Labour over whether to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Social Democrats interim leader Cian O’Callaghan, who also met with Sinn Féin this week, described an initial meeting with Labour as ‘positive’. But he ruled out a proposal by Labour leader Ivana Bacik for a Labour-Social Democrats platform, saying it was a ‘non-runner’. One Social Democrat TD said: ‘Labour appear to be struggling to understand that we are a growing party, in terms of seats and votes. We have more of the latter than Labour.’None
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‘Legacy planning’ for Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald involving a potential run for the Presidency next year is already underway, party sources revealed this weekend. Sinn Féin figures indicated that plans for life after Ms McDonald are already in the pipeline following the party’s disappointing general election result. Although Sinn Féin increased its seats from 35 to 37, its overall vote share dropped and the party’s TDs are resigned to another term in opposition. Ms McDonald this week approached the Social Democrats and Labour – which both doubled their seats – in an attempt to build a Sinn Féin-led left-wing alliance to take on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the next election. Sinn Féin and Ms McDonald were sharply criticised for failing to build such an alternative in the lead-up to the election. And speculation is growing within Sinn Féin and among its political rivals that the party’s president may not be around for the next general election battle. A Sinn Féin source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The process of legacy planning is starting for Mary Lou. There is a growing sense that despite all the post-election spin, the party has stagnated over the last five years.’ Referring to the series of scandals that engulfed the party ahead of the election campaign, the source added: ‘The events of the last six months caused immense reputational damage, and the buck ultimately stops at the leader’s desk.’ Throughout the election campaign, Sinn Féin and Ms McDonald were accused of going to ground and doing only short broadcast interviews. In a highly unusual move, the party’s election broadcast didn’t even feature its leader. Instead, housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin – one of the favourites to succeed Ms McDonald – was front and centre in the video. Speculation about Ms McDonald’s leadership intensified when her predecessor Gerry Adams emerged on the campaign trail. Mr Adams also wrote an op-ed for the Irish Times while his successor dodged newspaper interviews. Another Sinn Féin source said: ‘Comparisons are being made in certain places with the Assembly elections and the performance of [Sinn Féin vice president and Northern Ireland First Minister] Michelle O’Neill. The lack of promotion of Mary Lou during the General Election was noticeable. It is as if she was, in real time, being taken out of the picture.’ They added: ‘Quiet chattering is starting in corners. The view is that there is a presidential election coming up next year. Sinn Féin, especially if Micheál Martin isn’t running, will have a real chance with a candidate of substance. ‘Even Gerry Adams, a hero of the occupation, knew there was a time to go and went when it was timely. Mary Lou needs to recognise that too.’ Sinn Féin is unique in Leinster House in that the party has never had a leadership contest. But one source noted: ‘The circumstances are different on this occasion. No one was going to take on Gerry Adams. When Mary Lou succeeded Gerry, once Pearse Doherty decided not to run, there was no competition to Mary Lou. ‘Should Mary Lou depart, the situation will be very different on this occasion.’ If Ms McDonald does stand down as leader, long-term finance spokesman Pearse Doherty will be the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed her. Sources said housing guru and Dublin Mid-West TD Eoin Ó Broin would be another early front-runner, with outspoken Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy also regarded as a contender. One source told the MoS: ‘Matt Carthy is closely connected to the hierarchy; they like how he operates. [Fingal West TD] Louise O’Reilly is undercooked – she is not ready at this point – while David Cullinane would frighten the sort of voters Sinn Féin want to take off the Social Democrats, and [Mayo TD] Rose Conway-Walsh is simply not well enough known.’ Ms McDonald’s difficulties have been exacerbated by external factors beyond her control. The Sinn Féin leader’s attempt to build a left-wing alliance with Labour and the Social Democrats is being compromised by internal disputes within Labour over whether to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Social Democrats interim leader Cian O’Callaghan, who also met with Sinn Féin this week, described an initial meeting with Labour as ‘positive’. But he ruled out a proposal by Labour leader Ivana Bacik for a Labour-Social Democrats platform, saying it was a ‘non-runner’. One Social Democrat TD said: ‘Labour appear to be struggling to understand that we are a growing party, in terms of seats and votes. We have more of the latter than Labour.’Brittany Mahomes' latest health update is causing alarm among her family and friends: Is her pregnancy at risk?
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Las Vegas Grand Prix Puts Luxury on Overdrive and Delivers High-Octane HospitalityMuscat: In a clear sign of shifting financial behaviours, mobile payments in Oman experienced a remarkable rise in 2023, marking a pivotal trend in the country’s move towards digital financial solutions. The surge reflects a broader transformation in the nation’s payment landscape, driven by the Central Bank of Oman’s ongoing efforts to modernise and secure the country’s payment systems. The impressive growth in mobile payments is part of a larger vision aligned with Oman Vision 2040, positioning the Sultanate as a leader in the region’s digital financial evolution. The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has made significant strides in strengthening the national economy by adopting the latest technologies to enhance financial infrastructure. As part of its commitment to creating a robust and efficient financial ecosystem, the bank has focused on advancing the National Payment System (NPS), which underpins a wide range of transactions across the country, from high-value fund transfers to everyday consumer purchases. The NPS includes systems such as the Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Automated Clearing House (ACH), and the Mobile Payments Clearing and Settlement System (MPCSS), all of which play a key role in streamlining the nation’s financial operations. In 2023, the MPCSS saw an extraordinary surge in mobile transactions, increasing from 4.9 million in 2022 to 40 million by the end of 2023. This remarkable 700% rise in transaction volume highlights a rapid shift towards mobile payments, reflecting the growing demand for quicker, more secure ways to transfer money. The value of funds processed through the MPCSS system also experienced a substantial jump, reaching OMR1.44 billion over a two-year period. This significant growth signals a clear preference for mobile payments, which offer enhanced convenience and security, and are becoming an increasingly popular choice for both consumers and businesses across the country. Meanwhile, the RTGS system, which handles large-value payments between financial institutions, recorded a 17% increase in transaction value, reaching OMR 209 billion in 2023. Although the number of transactions decreased, this is typical for RTGS, as it primarily handles fewer, higher-value payments. The system’s growth reflects a steady demand for secure, real-time settlement of interbank transactions, reinforcing Oman’s financial stability. Retail payment systems also saw robust growth, with the total number of transactions increasing by 41%, reaching 395 million in 2023. The value of these retail payments rose by 16%, totaling OMR 31.9 billion in 2023. The surge is indicative of a broader shift towards digital payment methods, with Oman’s residents increasingly opting for electronic transactions for everything from everyday purchases to business dealings. Card-based transactions Card-based transactions on the OmanNet network also grew by 30%, reaching 329 million by the end of 2023, with a total value of OMR 6.4 billion. This rise is fueled by the widespread adoption of Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, which have become integral to the country’s retail environment. The Automated Clearing House (ACH) system, which facilitates recurring payments such as salaries, also saw a notable 18% increase in both transaction volume and value in 2023. By the end of the year, ACH processed 21.9 million transactions worth OMR 13.5 billion, driven by the system’s ability to handle payments around the clock. The growth in ACH transactions underscores the growing reliance on digital systems for efficient, automated financial operations. On the flip side, traditional payment methods, such as cheques, continue to see a decline in use. The number of cheques processed through the Electronic Cheque Clearing (ECC) system dropped by 1% in 2023 resulting in a total of 3.7 million cheques by the end of 2023. However, the value of cheques processed saw a slight increase, reaching OMR 10 billion, reflecting the ongoing, albeit shrinking, role of cheques in Oman’s financial ecosystem. Notable increase in WPS Further reinforcing the shift towards digital payments, the Wages Protection System (WPS) introduced by the Ministry of Labour has been instrumental in increasing salary-related transactions. In 2023, salary transactions grew by 3% in volume, and their total value rose by 4%. The WPS has ensured the timely and secure transfer of salaries, contributing to greater financial inclusion and the adoption of digital payment solutions by businesses and employees alike. These developments signal Oman’s growing embrace of digital payment solutions, which are transforming the country’s financial landscape. With mobile payments leading the charge, the Central Bank’s efforts to modernise payment systems and enhance financial infrastructure are playing a critical role in shaping Oman’s economic future. Decrease in ATM transactions OmanNet has witnessed significant changes in its electronic payment channels over the past year. Transactions via ATMs decreased by 11% in 2023, compared to a 15% drop in 2022, indicating a shift away from traditional cash-based systems. In contrast, digital payment channels experienced notable growth, with point-of-sale (POS) transactions increasing from 68% in 2022 to 74% in 2023. This surge is likely driven by the expanded utilisation of POS software and the growing acceptance of digital payments. Meanwhile, e-commerce transactions saw a slight decline, dropping from 17% in 2022 to 15% in 2023. This change reflects evolving consumer preferences, with a growing interest in alternative payment methods., with Phil Pearlman (December 11, 2024) Wall Street is always looking for an edge over the competition. But what if there was a giant source of overlooked alpha? We discuss how to obtain “Fitness Alpha.” Full . ~~~ About this week’s guest: Phil Pearlman, is former Chief Behavioral Officer at the Bank of the Ozarks and founder of the Pearl Institute. For more info, see: ~~~ Find all of the previous , and in the MiB feed on , , , and . And find the entire musical playlist of Musical Intro: Everyone on Wall Street is looking for an edge. We deploy quant models, hire analysts, run various simulations, All to gain the slightest advantage that might be worth a few basis points over a year. But what if you were overlooking a giant source of alpha? I’m Barry Ritholtz. And on today’s edition of at the money, we’re going to discuss how Wall Street has been using personal health to gain a competitive advantage to help us understand all of this and its implications for your portfolio. Let’s bring in Phil Perlman. Previously, he served as executive editor at Stocktwits and was chief behavioral officer at the Bank of the Ozarks. Today he runs the Pearl Institute, focusing on personal health and the process of making effective change. So Phil, let’s just start with a basic question. What is Fitness Alpha? Fitness alpha is a model of performance, and we can derive alpha in markets from so many different areas. And, you know, just as a very brief primer, for those who might not know, alpha is this idea of how much we outperform. So if our benchmark is the S& P 500, we’re a money manager, and we make 25 percent in a year when the market’s up 20%. That’s 5% Percent of alpha and so forth. If we’re, if we’re up 15%, that’s 5% of negative alpha. If the market’s up 20%. And so where do you get the alpha from and you know, do you get it from information, do you get it from having a certain model? There’s different sources and there’s one source that is just a very simple source of alpha that nobody. Is talking about, nobody has ever talked about it. And it’s basically the outperformance we derive from our health, the healthier we get, the better we perform across multiple areas of function. So give us a few examples of some of those multiple functions that create an advantage in the financial marketplace. Well, markets are a competitive endeavor, and we know from years of research that health, the better, the more healthy we get, the better we perform across multiple areas of function, including stress tolerance. Right. So the markets are stressful. 2022, anybody who’s involved with markets for years, think of 2022 for one moment, and you know, it was a stressful time and bear markets occur periodically. I don’t know, every five or six years. And so when we have bear markets and we’re able to tolerate stress more adaptively, our performance will improve not only stress tolerance, but emotional regulation and emotional control, how we’re able to control our emotions, how we’re able to cope with our emotions. Do they affect us behaviorally? Do we go on tilt or do we remain rational during volatile periods. This sounds like you’re referring to fitness alpha helps you make better decisions, especially in times of volatility. Absolutely. And there are so many different areas, for example, stamina and resilience, right? I mean, money managers have pressure, Even during bull markets, because everybody’s sort of chasing returns and that is a stressor. So it’s not just during periods of volatility in bear markets, you get it in bull markets alike and our ability to bounce back. So just to go back to your other question, there’s so many different areas and that’s why I’m harping on it. Resilience. We bounce back better, the healthier that we get, we recuperate faster. We’re able to To stay focused longer, long days. We can put in long days after long days, our charisma, our self confidence and the way we are perceived by others. You and I have spoken about this previously, and you have mentioned that this has quietly become a thing on wall street, more trading desks, more funds are internally discussing fitness alpha. Explain a little bit about what’s happening on the street. Well, you know, there was a moment, you know, and this goes back 30 some odd years, but there was a moment. When Tiger Woods won the masters, he changed the game of golf forever because before Tiger Woods, none of the golfers really thought about their physical health. And all of a sudden here comes a young golfer who’s in better shape than anybody else out there and he’s crushing the ball and he is able to manage his emotional world, his stress and stay ice cold, even with the greatest pressure on him. And after Tiger Woods, now you go and you look at the tour, almost everybody is incredible conditioning. And so you’re starting to really see something similar to that happen on wall street, especially, um, at the highest tiers and in the hedge fund industry. I’ve had numerous clients who’ve come to me with, uh, metabolic health problems with, uh, alcohol and other substance problems. And they begin to get those under control. And then all of a sudden they have more energy, they bounce back quicker, their resilience improves. And they’re performing better and feeling like it’s a more sustainable thing than being day to day and hour to hour. So let’s talk about some of the areas of health that you focus on. You touched on drinking, you touched on metabolism, which I assume involves nutrition. What are the areas that you can derive fitness alpha from? Well, here’s the thing about that. I’d like to keep things really, really simple. Okay. And if you go out there, there’s a thousand books and there’s 10, 000 hours of podcasts focusing on health and wellbeing these days. And they get very, very granular. And there’s a lot of debates and arguments and, you know, mitochondria and VO two max, and there’s a thousand buzzwords. I like to keep it very, very simple. And from my point of view, there are four elements of health that we can focus on. And if we can just get a little bit better, we don’t have to get 1 percent better every day. We could just get 5 percent better a year. And if we do that year after year, and those four areas, those four elements of good health. or nutrition, what we put into the only body that we are ever issued on this earth body movement, which is exercise, which includes cardiovascular, you know, aerobic exercise, and also anaerobic exercise or resistance training. Uh, it also includes sleep and rest and how we allow our bodies to heal, uh, over time, whether that’s sleeping or whether that’s taking a day off or two, if we’re injured and social and family and love. And that’s the fourth one. It’s a very surprising one when I mentioned that, but huge alpha in a relationship and love, uh, focus. Sleep, nutrition, exercise, social. All right. So those are the four big areas. So within those four areas, someone listening to this, whether they’re a trader or a fund manager or, uh, driving a truck or working in a retail store, what do they need to do to generate that performance boost to generate that fitness alpha in those four areas? Well, all you have to do is get a little bit better at a time. All you have to do is get incrementally better over time. You don’t have to try. To blow the lights out. Hey, I’m going to start exercising six times a day. I’m going to completely change my diet. I’m going to do all these things. You don’t have to get super duper gung ho. And I would say that for each person, there is a gateway drug in a good way. You know, not a gateway bad drug, but a gateway good drug. There’s a place to start. And it really, there’s individual differences. And it’s dependent on the person. I’ll give you a few examples. If you have somebody who really does not move their body. and they’re gaining weight over the years, begin to move your body. And that can be as simple as just walking. Walking is an incredible thing. You get outside, you get into the fresh air. Maybe you turn notifications off on your phone and you just begin to get the blood flowing. And the body movement for other people. Hey, you might have people who love food, who are good cooks. Maybe their gateway drug is to say, Hey, I’m going to really begin this by focusing on my nutrition and you don’t have to do anything fancy there. You could keep it stupid, simple there too. And just start eating real foods with very few ingredients. and staying away from ultra processed foods and staying away from foods that have a lot of added sugar. The one other thing that I thought of when you asked me that question was this, that I find that substance abuse and alcohol abuse. It’s very prominent in our culture and extremely prominent among professional market participants. And we know, especially as we age that alcohol and other substances affect our performance and affect our brains very, very significantly. And so if you could get a handle on that, that would be another fantastic gateway. So let’s say we all start moving a little more. We start eating better. We cut the cigarettes and that glass of wine with dinner. How does that show up in our portfolios? What sort of advantages accrue to us? Well, it begins with executive functioning. And it begins with decision making, and this is a direct relationship to the ideas coming from behavioral economics, um, and this idea that we are not always rational decision maker. And the better, you know, I always use, I always, whenever I hear the word rational, I, I, I substitute the word wise. Right. So we are not always wise decision makers. And we know that the average human suffers from loss aversion. And we know that there’s anxiety related to losses, especially. And so when we are even incrementally. improving our ability to make decisions, to make wise decisions. That’s really where we experience alpha, where we make better decisions that affect our portfolio, that improve our performance. And are there any fringe benefits to this besides just improving our portfolios? Well, that’s actually a beautiful question because I’m actually flipping the primary use case. You know, when people talk about getting healthier, they’re not talking about improving your portfolio. They’re talking about extending your life and staying healthy for longer and improving your mood and improving your relationships and improving your quality of life. And so really the fringe benefits are just incredibly central. And some would argue primary. I mean, let’s say if you were not an investor or market participant, and I was talking to you about this, I would be making the same exact case related to, Hey, well, wouldn’t you like, you know, we’re only here once. Wouldn’t you like to stay healthier longer? And so that you can enjoy life for a longer period of time. So this sounds like this is not just for wall street traders and fund managers. Uh, fitness alpha sounds like it can apply to just about everybody. I built this model from my own experience, Barry. I was not a healthy person and I was kind of faking it. Like I was performing well enough professionally that I was getting by and I was making some money, but I was not thriving. And I started to get myself healthy and I started to experience this. Wow. I have more energy. Wow. I want to, I want to interrupt you because I want people to realize back in the day, You were considerably heavier. You were a big drinker. You were not in any sort of shape other than round round as a shape, but you were, you know, you, you, you were struggling. Tell us a little bit about that aha moment and tell us what you accomplished. You know, I’m like a hair club for men. Remember that commercial, the hair club for men guy. I use the product myself. So I bought You know, I mean, I got myself healthy and I was kind of You know, I was kind of faking it. I was an executive within the financial services space and I was miserable traveling too much, drinking too much, not moving my body. When I was 12 years old, 15 years old, I was an athlete, but I had gotten so far away. From who I was, you know, there’s this idea in buddhism of enlightenment This one great author once said that enlightenment is nothing mysterious. It’s really just rediscovering who you always were And so I felt like as I started really getting healthy getting my mind and body in shape That I started really rediscovering who I was getting back to me and lo and behold Uh, I started performing better across all aspects of my life. So to wrap up, fitness alpha is how Wall Street finds yet another edge to enhance their performance, but it’s not just for Wall Street professionals. We sleep better, we eat better, we move, we have better social relationships. Not only does that show up in our portfolios. But it also shows up in extended lifespans and healthier for longer as part of your alpha. I’m Barry Ritholtz and you are listening to Bloomberg’s at the Money ~~~
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