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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ryan Fields-Spack is a dad of three and wellness lead for first responders.</li><li>He's worked in emergency response for more than 23 years.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryan Fields-Spack, first responder wellness lead at <a target="_blank" href="https://url.emailprotection.link/?boii6iitRERla_NPCKQMtq7Jl5RVnG8dhvEObWfTP1iyywzPGVZ-89UnBxiDOEvN3f82KFZteU1ApgpHMGgExmtJSDURpIHfxLc0aMTQO3jEkcU787bSZahSfzxOVfWdW">FirstNet</a>, a communication platform for first responders built by AT&amp;T. It has been edited for length and clarity.I was 17 when I started volunteering with my local <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-fire-department-false-alarm-tv-flames-viral-video-2023-10">fire department</a> in Colorado. One of my first calls was truly horrific: another fire department had responded to a highway accident, but a tow truck had struck those first responders. My department was called in to take over the scene.It was absolute chaos. The commanding officer let the stress of the situation hijack his response. His speech was distressed and agitated, which made everyone else fearful. As a teenager still trying to understand how to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/adrenal-fatigue-treatment-supplements-feel-worse-doctor-2023-11">handle the adrenaline</a> and emotion of emergencies, I felt completely overwhelmed.Two months later, I responded to a very <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-fire-decluttering-lesson-2024-9">serious house fire</a>. I worried we would never get it under control. The chief in that situation could see my distress. He put his hand on my shoulder and spoke with calm confidence. He said, "You're going to stay right here, and we're going to put this fire out."That's when I learned there's a right — and a wrong — way to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/health-effects-of-stress-2017-8">respond to stressful events</a>, whether at home or at work. Twenty-three years later I'm a dad of three, and use the same tactics to respond to 911 calls that I use to handle stressful situations at home.<h2 id="184b60ac-e87f-4ef0-be34-66c24c594712">Start from a place of neutrality</h2>Whether you're giving a public speech, dealing with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-how-prevent-toddler-tantrums-big-little-feelings-experts-2024-4">toddler meltdown</a>, or handling a medical situation, starting from a neutral place is helpful. I do this with a simple truth: I realize people don't want the worst for me. They generally want the best and are entirely neutral at worst.That's a good thing. It means I can respond without worrying that they're judging or hoping for my failure. At home, I get back to neutrality by having a quick cuddle with my kids. Even if we just lost our tempers with each other, we can move forward together.<h2 id="632d034f-c953-4fe6-9dfb-c884b9ac301b">Be mindful</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/key-to-practice-mindfulness-meditation-2015-8">Meditation is key</a> for keeping my equilibrium at work and at home. You don't have to be a monk, and you don't need a bunch of apps.I take two minutes each morning to focus on my breathing. If my mind starts wondering, I bring it back to my breath. Over time, that makes your brain stronger and better able to recenter itself.Later in the day, I might find myself in a stressful situation. My mind can move away from neutrality and think that people are being adversarial to me. Because of my meditation practice, I can bring my mind back to neutrality in those tough moments — even if my kids are the ones causing them!<h2 id="b1f33454-b851-49c8-9297-ca9f45e3c880">Just breath</h2>"First, just breathe" is a saying I use to remind myself what to do when my adrenaline rises. "First" represents fists. When we're nervous or upset, we tend to clench them. "Just" represents the jaw, another place lots of us hold tension. If you can move your hands, shake out your fists, and move your jaw around, you'll feel a lot of tension slip away."Breath" is obvious: take a slow, deep breath. It will lower your pulse and blood pressure and help dissolve anxiety. I teach my kids to do the same thing when they're overwhelmed or frustrated.<h2 id="1963fce5-c3cb-4d68-ac3c-2cc3f5b2cc9a">Do a mental rehearsal</h2>As a first responder, I would review my rig in the morning, ensuring I had all the equipment I needed for the day. At the same time, I was doing a mental rehearsal of my day. I would even go so far as to speak out loud the commands that I would need to say into the radio. I ran through all possibilities while thinking about a good outcome, and when the situation arose, I felt better prepared. Today, I use the same approach to prepare for public speaking, which is sometimes part of my job.Whether you're dealing with lights and sirens or diapers and homework, there's satisfaction in bringing calm from chaos. Just a few minutes of breath work and body movement help me reset and have calmer, more in-control interactions with the world around me — including my kids.

I'm a dad and an EMT. I use the same 4 steps in stressful situations at home as I do on the job. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The price of oil could hit $120 a barrel by early 2025, according to Citi.</li><li>That's according to the bank's bull case, which assumes conflict in the Middle East escalates.</li></ul>Oil prices could soar more than 60% by early next year if conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, according to Citi.The bank said oil prices could go as high as $120 per barrel in the first quarter of 2025, implying a 62% increase. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, traded around $73.48 a barrel around midday on Thursday.The forecast is Citi's bull case for oil, which hinges on conflict in the Middle East escalating and sparking disruptions to supply. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-iran-middle-east-upheaval-hurt-harris-campaign-before-election-2024-10">Should Israel retaliate</a> against Iran's recent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-attacks-israel-with-missiles-after-hezbollah-leader-killing-2024-10">missile attack</a>, that could jeopardize key oil production infrastructure in Iran, which could crimp production and put upwards pressure on prices, according to Eric Lee, an energy strategist at the bank."[T]here are a number of scenarios where this could impact a couple million barrels a day of Iran's oil production and exports, and in that case, we could be looking at something more akin to what happened to Russia-Ukraine in 2022," Lee said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJqqSpqwgTE">interview</a> with Yahoo Finance on Wednesday, pointing to the oil-price spike shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To be sure, the forecast for $120 a barrel marks a stark divergence from Citi's base case, which is for crude prices to stick around $74 a barrel before drifting lower to $60 a barrel later next year. Israel has also said that it would strike at military targets, rather than nuclear or oil facilities, in retaliation against Iran for its missile attack on October 1. Citi's base case implies an 18% decline in oil prices, largely due to the possibility that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other major oil producers could step in if there are supply disruptions, Lee said.Lee estimated that OPEC+ could have around 6 million barrels a day of extra production capacity. Oil demand, meanwhile, has also faced some "issues," he said, pointing to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/china-ev-oil-demand-natural-gas-tesla-electric-vehicles-goldman-2024-8">China's weakening economy</a>."This is a very tricky situation, a very binary market, if you will, and that's why again we're being tentative on the upside," he said of the bank's forecasts.Other oil forecasters have predicted prices could soar on the back of Middle East escalations, though some say the risks of a supply disruption in Iran are small. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/saudi-arabia-opec-oil-production-cuts-crude-prices-middle-east-2024-10?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Oil prices could fall as much as 33%</a>, Saudi Arabia's oil minister said in a recent conference call, adding that he believed OPEC+ producers were pumping too much oil.

Oil prices could soar 62% by early 2025 if the geopolitical situation deteriorates, Citi strategist says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Black men are working at a considerably lower rate than white, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino men.</li><li>Incarceration, discrimination, and a lack of work experience have made it harder for some men to find jobs.</li></ul>If you want to describe Black men's progress in the labor force, there are arguably two narratives you can choose from.On the one hand, Black men ages 25 to 54 are working at the highest rate in over two decades: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-white-employment-population-ratio-unemployment-rate-racial-inequality-jobs-2023-4">Nearly 81% as of July, </a>the highest since June 1999.However, there's also a more pessimistic narrative.First, though it's narrowed in the past decade-plus, significant gaps remain between the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-workers-lost-jobs-pandemic-still-look-work-recovery-uneven-2022-3">employment rates</a> of Black men and white, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino men between ages 25 and 54. As of July, each of those three groups had working rates above 87%.Second, the true picture of Black male employment could be worse than the BLS's data suggests, Harry Holzer, a labor economist at Georgetown University and former chief economist at the US Department of Labor, told Business Insider. That's because a significant number of Black men aren't being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-are-employment-rates-so-low-among-black-men/">accounted for</a> in employment surveys.When the BLS calculates employment rates, it only looks at Americans <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm#:~:text=Employment%2Dpopulation%20ratio,-The%20employment%2Dpopulation&amp;text=In%20other%20words%2C%20it%20is,Civilian%20Noninstitutional%20Population)%20x%20100">aged</a> 16 and older who aren't in institutions like prisons or active duty in the military. That means that the tens of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsp">thousands</a> of Black men who are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/study-finds-huge-racial-disparity-in-americas-prisons-2016-6">incarcerated</a> aren't being included in these calculations, effectively boosting the Black male employment rate. As of 2017, Black people accounted for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/04/30/shrinking-gap-between-number-of-blacks-and-whites-in-prison/">12%</a> of the US population but 33% of the prison population, according to a Pew Research analysis.Additionally, Holzer said it's likely that some Black men who aren't incarcerated or in the military aren't getting picked up in these household surveys, perhaps because they're "not officially part of any household, though they might cohabit with family or significant others for periods of time."As of July, the BLS estimated a there were 16.2 million US Black men in the noninstitutional population, compared to 18.8 million Black women. Other cohorts tend to have a significantly lower gender disparity, Holzer said.The bottom line: If the survey data had a more complete picture of Black men, Holzer said the Black male employment rate would likely be "considerably worse.""Having these men be missing makes the numbers look even better than they really are," he said of the Black male employment rate, adding, "We have every reason to believe that if we were counting them, the employment rate would be lower."The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-men-working-less-recessions-employment-productivity-2024-4">story of working men</a> in the US is a complicated one. Collectively, men between the ages of 25 and 54 are working at a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-men-working-less-recessions-employment-productivity-2024-4">significantly lower rate</a> than they did in the 1950s — but at nearly the highest rate in the last 15 years. When zooming in on Black men, there's another complicated story. While the share of working Black men is higher than it was a decade ago, there are still many of them who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-history-month-charts-black-americans-progress-inequality-2021-2">can't find jobs</a> or have given up looking — and the employment gap between other groups persists.Meanwhile, Black women are <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.dol.gov/2021/08/03/5-facts-about-black-women-in-the-labor-force">more likely</a> to be working than white, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino women, which suggests Black men could face a unique set of challenges in the labor market, Valerie Wilson, a labor economist and the director of the Economic Policy Institute's program on race, ethnicity, and the economy, told Business Insider.Holzer and Wilson shared why the employment gap between Black men and other groups persists, what's driven progress in recent years, and what else can be done in the years to come.<h2 id="828caa01-f6c0-4138-abd4-264997cfa5f1">Education differences and discrimination can work against Black men</h2>Education is one factor that can help explain the lower employment rate of Black men, Wilson said.Generally, people with higher levels of education are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm">less likely</a> to be unemployed, and Black men have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment/cps-historical-time-series.html">lower</a> high school and college graduation rates than white and Asian men.However, Wilson said that education doesn't tell the whole story. For example, Black Americans have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/african-americans-face-systematic-obstacles-getting-good-jobs/">higher</a> unemployment rates than white Americans even when they have the same level of education."Part of the reason why these racial disparities are so persistent is because there is discrimination in the labor market, and the disparity doesn't get erased by accounting for factors such as education or experience," she said.This discrimination can come early in the hiring process. A <a target="_blank" href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BFI_WP_2024-40.pdf">working paper</a> published in April by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Chicago found that companies were up to 24% more likely to call back applicants with a "distinctively white name" than those with a "distinctively Black name."Jared, a Black man in his 30s who was laid off from his data scientist job over a year ago, told BI he's struggled to find work in his industry. He thinks there are several reasons his search has been challenging, but he believes discrimination has played a role."Between finance and tech, most of my interviewers are Asian or white," he said, adding, "I do feel like there are a lot of prejudices working against me but there's nothing I can do to change the way the world works." Jared's identity is known to BI, but a pseudonym was used due to his concerns about professional repercussions.Even when Black and white men are raised in homes with the same income and number of parents, Black men go on to earn significantly less on average, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://opportunityinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/race_paper.pdf">study</a> by Harvard and Stanford researchers published in 2018. The study's authors <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/19/upshot/race-class-white-and-black-men.html">didn't find</a> a meaningful earnings gap between Black and white women raised in similar households, which they said suggested Black men face a different set of challenges than Black women when it comes to entering the workforce.<h2 id="d440f4c4-540e-4048-b58e-210f2c41c7ed">Incarceration and a lack of workforce connections can create additional obstacles to employment</h2>High incarceration rates among Black men aren't just a factor that makes their employment rate look rosier than the reality. Having a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/formerly-incarcerated-people-employment-recruiting-2022-1">criminal record</a> can make it considerably harder for Black men to find jobs once they return to society, Wilson said.An <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2022/02/08/employment/#:~:text=The%20struggle%20to%20find%20a%20good%20job&amp;text=The%20average%20working%20person%20is,%2C%20construction%2C%20and%20food%20service.">analysis</a> published in 2022 by the Prison Policy Initiative, a think tank, found that nearly two-thirds of roughly 50,000 Americans released from federal prison in 2010 weren't employed four years later. The analysis didn't focus specifically on Black Americans, but among the formerly incarcerated who found employment, Black and Native American men had the lowest earnings.In addition to discrimination, the impacts of incarceration, and lower levels of education, Holzer pointed to a few other factors working against some Black men.A lack of work experience early in life can make it difficult for some Black men to land jobs down the road, he said. Additionally, some young Black men don't have enough role models and connections in the workforce."I think there's a lot of young Black men coming up who don't know that many older Black men who are working in good jobs in their families and in their neighborhoods," Holzer said.Additionally, Holzer said various factors, including health issues, disabilities, and not being married or having custody of children, could lead to Black men having less capability or motivation to work — these factors <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-men-working-less-recessions-employment-productivity-2024-4">also impact</a> white, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino men.<h2 id="2224d789-28b0-473d-b275-3aa3d5af699b">A strong job market and workforce development programs could drive progress</h2>There are several things that might help get more Black men into the workforce.Both Holzer and Wilson said the tight labor market of recent years — which included <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jolts-july-job-openings-labor-market-worker-shortage-hiring-data-2021-8">record levels</a> of job openings — was arguably the top reason the Black employment rate improved."A lot of employers just couldn't find the people whom they were used to finding," Holzer said. "When that happens, employers all of a sudden are more open to hiring from groups whom historically they've shunned. And I think a lot of Black men are in that category."While the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-report-labor-market-hiring-layoffs-quits-recession-sahm-rule-2024-8">job market has slowed</a> over the past year, Wilson said the Federal Reserve's decisions regarding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-timeline-federal-reserve-inflation-powell-economists-forecast-2024-7">interest rates</a> will play an important role in ensuring a slowdown doesn't turn into something worse — making the job market tougher for all Americans.To boost Black male employment, Holzer and Wilson said policymakers and communities could focus more on helping people with criminal records find work, particularly people with less serious, nonviolent offenses. In recent years, high levels of job openings have made some businesses more open to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-people-with-criminal-records-amid-labor-shortage-indeed-analysis-2022-6">hiring candidates</a> with criminal records.Expanding the number of workforce development programs — particularly in industries that have demand for workers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-shortage-schools-nurses-daycare-costs-inflation-rate-retail-workers-2023-10">healthcare</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-high-paying-fast-growing-jobs-careers">IT</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-ai-chip-semiconductors-tsmc-intel-jobs-arizona-2024-2">advanced manufacturing</a> — could also spur progress."If you can deliver both work experience along with skill building, as you do with apprenticeships or internships, then it's like killing two birds with one stone," Holzer said.Ultimately, Holzer said it's important to find ways to show Black men that if they stay the course, there's a real path to them landing a stable, well-paying job."I believe these young men, if they saw better opportunities for themselves, they would work harder at building those skills and at getting those early jobs if it didn't look like a dead end of low-wage jobs forever."Are you a man who's not looking for work or has struggled to find a job? Are you willing to share your story? If so, reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jzinkula@businessinsider.com">jzinkula@businessinsider.com</a>.

Why Black men's job situation is worse than it looks 

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="22766930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="camille-fahrnbauer" source="keywords">Camille Fahrnbauer</keyword> went from <keyword id="22766927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-nursing" source="keywords">travel nursing</keyword> in the US to <keyword id="19916454" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="New-Zealand" source="keywords">New Zealand</keyword> for a fresh start.</li><li>She found the <keyword id="20657462" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-culture" source="keywords">work culture</keyword> in New Zealand to be more supportive and less exhausting.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Camille Fahrnbauer, a 26-year-old travel nurse from Georgia currently working in New Zealand. It's been edited for length and clarity. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-become-travel-nurse-salaries-avoid-burnout-contract-gig-work-2024-1">Travel nursing</a> in the US was debilitating. I needed multiple days to recover from the exhaustion of a single shift. So when my husband left me unexpectedly and my life flipped upside down, I took a <keyword id="22766926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nursing-job" source="keywords">nursing job</keyword> in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-family-six-milwaukee-new-zealand-better-life-2023-12">New Zealand</a>. I was shocked at how different the work culture was. We're adequately staffed, I'm given multiple breaks, and I finally have the energy to care for my patients. My <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-millennials-would-take-pay-cut-better-work-life-balance-2024-2">work-life balance</a> is restored and I feel like me again. Still, I won't be staying. <h2>For a fresh start, I signed a year-long nursing contract in New Zealand</h2>I'd been travel nursing across the West Coast for three years when I started feeling a pull to nurse abroad. I knew I wouldn't be 26 forever and wanted to travel while I could, but the complex process of relocating with my husband and his job was enough of a barrier to keep me put. Then my husband filed for a divorce without warning, my dog died, and I crushed my ankle in a freak hiking accident, all within a month. I knew I needed a fresh start. I spent the next six weeks resting my ankle and scouring the internet for international nursing programs. I was limited to English-speaking countries and remembered a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-travel-tips-for-road-trips-international-vacations-2024-1">fantastic family vacation</a> to New Zealand several years back. I figured it'd be the perfect place to return to. I found a year-long nursing contract in Auckland with great reviews and started the weeks-long documentation process. I found a flat on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-sell-on-facebook-marketplace">Facebook Marketplace</a> that had an open room. It was a huge risk, as I'd be living with five random roommates, but the price was too good to pass up. Once I finished the application process, I booked a one-way ticket to Auckland. To my surprise after I arrived, the flat I rented was perfectly functional, my roommates were stellar, and I felt settled. I bought a used truck online and started working shortly after. I've been here about three months, and my nursing lifestyle is already completely different. <h2>My 12-hour shifts are no longer unbearable</h2>In the US, we were just about as short-staffed as we were short on equipment, so every day was absolute chaos. I'd be lucky to escape for a five-minute snack or bathroom break during my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overworked-years-until-child-realized-work-doesnt-care-2024-7">12-hour shift</a> in the ICU. It was an unwritten rule that you didn't take breaks. I was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burnout-work-boss-left-office-on-stretcher-2024-4">overworked</a>, exhausted, and functioning on auto-pilot. I didn't have the capacity to give my full attention to two to four patients at once. There was also a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overworked-years-until-child-realized-work-doesnt-care-2024-7">distinct hierarchy</a>. I'd call doctors by their earned titles and knew better than to bother them with my concerns. Everyone was working tirelessly, so we handled most problems on our own. Meanwhile, at my hospital in New Zealand, the doctors insist on being called by their first names. Everyone treats each other as equals, which makes me feel safe to ask questions and voice my concerns. I can't speak for all of New Zealand, but at my particular hospital, we're allotted three uninterrupted breaks in each 12-hour shift. We give a stand-by nurse a comprehensive patient report and rest easy knowing that our patient is being cared for while we're on break. Our break room is stocked with tea, bread, and cheese, plus comfortable couches to lounge on. My breaks are rejuvenating and prepare me to return to my shift with focus and precision. <h2>I have a life outside of work, but the pay is lower and I miss my family</h2>At the end of a shift in the States, I'd drive home in silence. It felt like I needed three days of doing nothing to feel like myself again. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/two-jobs-same-time-secret-damage-mental-physical-health-2021-9">I hardly had enough physical and mental energy</a> to get out of bed until it was time to clock back in. A good night's rest is all I need to recover from a shift in New Zealand. The next morning, I'm up early to hike, surf, or take a day trip to explore. I feel like I finally have my life back. <h2>Though I'm happier and healthier than ever, the pay isn't great</h2>I make between one-half to two-thirds of what I did in the US. The <keyword id="20123169" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-situation" source="keywords">financial situation</keyword> is manageable because I'm single, living with several flatmates, and not looking to make any substantial purchases. I'm still able to explore and travel without <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/budgeting-hacks-from-friend-save-more-2024-7">budgeting</a> too much. But living on this salary would be difficult in the long term. I also miss my family and friends and know that I'd be unhappy if I couldn't return to my loved ones. After my contract ends in April 2025, I plan on nursing abroad for a few more years to explore the world and gain experience. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-first-time-visitors-dubai-from-locals-live-there-2024">Dubai</a> is at the top of my list because it's reported to have a great <keyword id="19901232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-life-balance" source="keywords">work-life balance</keyword> and solid pay. Ultimately, I'm going back to the States where my family lives. I know it'll be hard to return after being so spoiled, so I plan on returning to school to narrow my focus and open up opportunities for higher-paying work. I'm willing to sacrifice workplace conditions if it means I can achieve the security of a <keyword id="22766928" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-nursing" source="keywords">US nursing</keyword> paycheck and be with my loved ones. Editor's note: This story was updated to specify that the source is guaranteed three uninterrupted work breaks during her shifts in New Zealand, not three 30-minute breaks. If you have moved abroad for work and would like to share your story, please email <keyword id="22766929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tess-martinelli" source="keywords">Tess Martinelli</keyword> at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:tmartinelli@businessinsider.com">tmartinelli@businessinsider.com</a>

I took a job in New Zealand after my life turned upside down. I love it here, but the pay isn't sustainable.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nouriel Roubini says stagflation risk will rise if Donald Trump wins the election.</li><li>The famed "Dr. Doom" economist made the remarks at the Greenwich Economic Forum on Wednesday.</li></ul>The US economy might confront a fate more challenging than a recession if Donald Trump retakes the White House, famed economist Nouriel Roubini said."The combination of trade, currency, monetary, fiscal, immigration and foreign policy of Trump poses much higher risks of stagflationary outcomes than if Kamala Harris is elected," he said at the Greenwich Economic Forum on Wednesday, first reported by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-09/-dr-doom-nouriel-roubini-warns-of-trump-win-spurring-stagflation-shock">Bloomberg</a>.The famously bearish forecaster is referring to the one scenario central banks hope to avoid at whatever cost. Stagflation occurs when inflation keeps rising but growth slows.There are no painless solutions for an economy that tumbles into this situation.Typically, central banks lower interest rates to revive weaker activity, but this option goes away if prices keep rising. Rates must stay high to reduce inflation, leaving authorities between a rock and a hard place.When stagflation last hit the US in the 1970s, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stagflation-recession-us-economy-outlook-gdp-dimon-inflation-rate-cuts-2024-4">deep recession was required to finally break out</a> of the crisis.According to Roubini, Trump's proposals would fuel these two key ingredients: lower growth and higher inflation.For instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-plan-inflation-policy-impact-trade-war-china-rates-2024-5">scores of economists</a> have criticized the former president's pledge to introduce a 10% universal tariff on all US imports. Not only are duties past down to consumers, but these taxes cause producers to pull out their products. When this happens, supply falls and prices rise.Trump's idea to replace the US income tax with tariffs was similarly called out by former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who called it the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-income-tax-proposal-stagflation-yellen-summers-trade-war-2024-6">mother of all stagflations</a>."When it comes to currency policy, Barclays highlighted that Trump's plans to devalue the US dollar <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/trump-tariff-trade-barrier-proposals-us-dollar-devaluation-currency-dominance-2024-7">would likewise spark higher inflation</a>.Roubini also expressed concern about Trump's stringent immigration policies. If elected, the Republican candidate has vowed to enforce mass deportations, which threatens one of the economy's major engines of growth, Roubini said.Others have made the same point. In July, JPMorgan's chief global strategist David Kelly called Trump's tariff and immigration policy mix an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stagflation-recession-trump-policy-tariff-immigration-deportation-economy-outlook-jpmorgan-2024-7">"elixir for stagflation."</a> Separately, the Peterson Institute think tank warned that removing migrant workers would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deportation-immigration-plan-impact-recession-risk-inflation-stagflation-labor-2024-6">trigger a labor supply crunch</a> and a manufacturing-based recession.Roubini said tensions in the Middle East make the threat of stagflation under Trump worse. As conflict escalates between Israel and Iran, rising oil prices increase price pressure. By one estimate, a worst-case scenario in the region could push international crude up to<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-price-outlook-israel-iran-geopolitics-middle-east-war-crude-2024-10?_gl=1*1dmubht*_ga*MTMxNDIwNDI1Ni4xNjc1Njg3OTU4*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcyODQ5NTIxOC43MDguMS4xNzI4NDk5OTY5LjYwLjAuMA.."> $200 a barrel</a>.He recommended that investors buy gold, short-term duration bonds, and Treasury inflation-protected securities to hedge against any upcoming risk.To be sure, not all of Roubini's forecasts have panned out. After correctly predicting the 2008 housing crash, his pessimistic outlooks have earned him the moniker of "Dr. Doom."According to Bloomberg, he similarly warned of a stagflationary debt crisis in 2022, citing that it would be worse than the 1970s era.

A Trump victory raises the risk of a US economic situation worse than recession, 'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> has been feuding with a Brazilian justice for months over <keyword id="20363452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="content-moderation" source="keywords">content moderation</keyword> on <keyword id="19959117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="X" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="X" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="X">X</keyword>.</li><li>The disagreement has resulted in over $3 million in fines on X and restrictions on <keyword id="20034452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Starlink" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Starlink" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Starlink">Starlink</keyword>.</li></ul><keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> hasn't shied away from fights since he bought Twitter and renamed it X <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/did-elon-musk-buy-twitter-acquisition-details">in 2022.</a> Musk's approach to content moderation — which he insists is due to his advocacy for free speech — has been challenged in countries like Australia, Nigeria, Turkey, and India. But now it's led him into a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-fightingwars-alot-of-fronts-2024-8#:~:text=Elon%20Musk's%20conflicts%20include,is%20also%20juggling%20four%20companies.">high-stakes conflict</a> with Brazilian Supreme Court <keyword id="21241885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Justice-Alexandre-de-Moraes" source="keywords">Justice Alexandre de Moraes</keyword>. <keyword id="19935367" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brazil" source="keywords">Brazil</keyword>'s judiciary branch has dueled tech companies like Whatsapp and Telegram in the past. But the disagreement over moderation on X has blown up, leading to threats of arresting X employees and restrictions on other companies owned by Musk. As of Tuesday, Musk's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-starlink-satellites-internet">satellite provider Starlink</a> agreed to follow court orders to block access to X in Brazil, which serves as the platform's fifth largest population of users. It's not clear what will happen next, but professor at FGV Law School in Rio de Janeiro Luca Belli told Business Insider he thinks the situation will be solved in a few days once investors start calling Musk. "I think at some point it will be a little bit difficult to explain that his commitment to absolute freedom of expression is losing millions to investors," Musk said. Here's a timeline of the international feud: <h2>Brazilian officials crack down on social media censorship</h2>Moraes started to tighten restrictions on free speech a few years ago, when he opened an investigation into "fake news" during former President Jair Bolsonaro's term. X initially <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1776729732970594483">agreed</a> to remove over 100 accounts flagged for hate speech, misinformation, and attacks on democracy while vowing to "challenge the orders legally when possible." Musk remained vocal about disagreeing with Justice De Moraes's stance, frequently publicizing his concerns about the leader and calling the justice a dictator, and <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1776989005848207503">calling</a> for him to "resign or be impeached." <h2>X ignores Moraes' orders</h2>While X first agreed to adhere to the orders, Musk announced in April that he was reversing the restrictions, saying in a post on X that "principles matter more than profit." De Moreas responded that Musk would be investigated for obstruction of justice after refusing to remove the accounts. He also said Musk would face a fine of about $20,000 every time an account was reactivated on X, <a target="_blank" class="" href=" https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240408-brazil-supreme-court-judge-orders-probe-on-elon-musk-for-censorship">according</a> to a report from French publication AFP. <h2>Justice de Moreas ups the stakes</h2>Musk closed X offices in Brazil on August 17 after de Moreas threatened to arrest an X legal representative, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1824819053061669244">according</a> to a statement from X's Global Affairs team. X was then banned from Brazil on August 31 after failing to follow orders to name a legal representative for X. Moraes said the ban would remain in effect until over $3 million in fines were paid and a legal representative was named. De Moraes also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vpn-demand-surges-brazil-x-banned-legal-threats-fines-2024-9" target="_blank">threatened a nearly $9,000 daily fine</a> on any person in the country who attempted to access X with a VPN, which Musk had <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1777089879295631409" target="_blank">recommended</a> for users. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-starlink-sanctions-amid-feud-elon-musk-x-2024-9">Starlink's bank accounts were also frozen in the country</a> on August 29 to help cover X's fines since the companies were linked by Musk's ownership, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-starlink-x-block-compliance-musk-supreme-court-moraes-d09dfe4c6fbfacf303968fe44bcd0ab1">according to an Associated Press report</a>. The company provides satellite internet to over 200,000 customers in Brazil. "This order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied — unconstitutionally —against X," Starlink <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Starlink/status/1829253626839380424">said</a> in a post on X, adding that it planned to take legal action. Musk <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1829307275309093121">noted</a> in a post on X that SpaceX and X are separate companies with different shareholders and the move "improperly punishes other shareholders and the people of Brazil." <h2>Starlink agrees to enforce the X ban</h2>After initially refusing to block X until its accounts were frozen, Starlink <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Starlink/status/1831053118265843722">changed</a> course on Tuesday and said it would comply with the order to block X access in the country. "Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil," Starlink <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Starlink/status/1831053118265843722">said</a> in a post on X. But Starlink vowed to "pursue all legal avenues" to fight the order. Starlink's parent company SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment from BI. Correction: September 20, 2024 — This story has been updated with new information about the fine levied against X in Brazil. It also corrected the last name of the judge. His last name is de Moraes, not Moreas.

How Elon Musk and X got into a messy situation in one of its biggest markets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lady Gaga addressed the rumor that she was a man in "What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates."</li><li>At the start of her career in the 2010s Gaga was asked in multiple interviews if she was secretly a man.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lady-gaga-michael-polansky-relatonship-timeline">Lady Gaga</a> said she never shut down the yearslong rumor that she was secretly a man so a child in a similar situation wouldn't feel shame. In the new Netflix docuseries "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-daughter-cut-out-by-friends-after-conspiracy-theories-2024-9">What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates</a>," Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, the pair spoke about how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-lady-gaga-pregnancy-rumors-tiktok-comment-2024-6">misinformation </a>has affected their lives.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-facts-about-lady-gaga">Gaga</a> rose to fame during the emergence of social media, when misinformation began to spread more easily.During the discussion, Gaga brought up the period in the early 2010s when she was repeatedly asked in interviews if she was a man or intersex after a rumor spread that she had a penis.The rumor began after a picture of Gaga at the 2009 Glastonbury music festival went viral, in which she appeared to have a bulge in her underwear. The singer often responded sarcastically or said her fans did not care about her gender. Gaga, who has been a vocal supporter of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lady-gagas-stonewall-speech-touched-on-bisexual-exclusion-2019-6">LGBTQ+ community</a> throughout her career, told Gates: "I didn't answer the question was because I didn't feel like a victim with that lie, but I thought, what about a kid that's being accused of that that would think a public figure like me would feel shame?"I've been in situations where fixing a rumor was not in the best interest of the well-being of other people."Gaga added that she tried to use the misinformation to be "thought-provoking and disruptive."She began leaning into the rumor during her performances.In 2010, Gaga dressed up like a man and came up with a cigar-smoking rockstar alter ego called Jo Calderone for a cover shoot for Vogue Hommes Japan. A year later, she wore the drag king look again during the "Yoü and I" music video from her 2011 album "Born This Way." She also dressed up as Jo Calderone while hosting the 2011 VMAs.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/lady-gaga-jo-calderone-mtv-vmas-brilliant-creepy/story?id=14405227">Jo Calderone</a> persona received mixed responses from outlets at the time, but more recently, some reporters have praised the performance as one of the most memorable moments of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.papermag.com/jo-calderone-born-this-way#rebelltitem17">Gaga's career.</a>

Lady Gaga said she didn't shut down rumors that she was a man to avoid a child in the same situation feeling shame

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Shannon Detrick has spent over $10,000 for friends' weddings and bachelorette parties since 2022.</li><li>She emphasizes the importance of cost transparency and financial awareness in wedding planning.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shannon Detrick, a 29-year-old based outside Sacramento, California who works in the wedding industry. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Since 2022, I've been part of four weddings and bachelorette parties, spending $10,804 altogether. It's crazy to say that out loud — $10,000. That's almost half the cost of my own wedding. And that doesn't even include the four weddings for which we've been guests but not part of the wedding party.But it's been really fun and well worth it to go on these awesome trips with my friends and have moments that really connect us. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing I'm doing with my friends to honor them.<h2 id="984fcd25-32e8-4746-940e-e3ef312b8ca7">I've spent over $10,000 on weddings I was part of</h2>For the first wedding, I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-average-bachelorette-party-costs-supplies-experiences-travel-2023-3">spent $965 on the bachelorette party</a> in Palm Springs and $916 on the wedding.The second bachelorette party was in Miami and I spent $1,425. That wedding was within driving distance, and my husband and I spent $522 on it.For the next wedding, I helped plan the bachelorette party in New Orleans. It cost $1,536 overall. My friend lives in Denver, so I had to fly my husband and me out for the wedding, and we spent $1,782.The most recent wedding was definitely the one I spent the most on. My friend's wedding was in Maine, but most of the bridesmaids live in California, so she wanted to have her bachelorette party in California so that we could all drive there. That was nice because it took out the cost of flights.Her sister and I were the maids of honor and we planned the bachelorette party in Sonoma, which is a very expensive area. It was also her 30th birthday, so we chose to be more extravagant about some things. It was exciting — it was the first time we experienced a trip like that, and likely the last time too.Overall, I spent $1,676. Here's the breakdown:<ul><li>The house we stayed in was $519 per person for three nights. We split the bride's portion among us.</li><li>Because I only live a few hours away, I only had to pay $45 for a tank of gas for transportation.</li><li>I spent around $300 on things like decor, customized sweatshirts, and custom itineraries.</li><li>The cabana and spa services for our spa day were gifted, but the tips were split between the maids of honor. I contributed $100.</li><li>All of the meals, drinks, and wine tastings for three days came out to $712 a person, with each of us splitting the bride's costs as well.</li></ul>The wedding was in Maine. My husband wasn't able to attend due to schedule conflicts, and I spent $1,982 alone.<ul><li>Hair and makeup cost $290.</li><li>My dress was gifted so it was free, but alterations cost $200.</li><li>The rehearsal dinner was black-tie, so I rented my dress from my monthly Rent the Runway subscription. I pay $155 a month for 10 items, so the cost of my rehearsal dinner dress was around $15.</li><li>My portion of the cabin rental was $672 for three nights.</li><li>My airfare to get to Maine was $760.</li><li>The bride and groom covered most of the food costs that weekend, so I only spent $45.</li></ul>All in all, the cost was worth it and I'd do it again.<div type="image" title="Shannon Detrick wears a green dress as she laughs with two of her friends" height="1536" width="2736" msid="114168789" hostid="261" sizebytes="247540"></div><h2 id="478ca437-60c0-404d-9a7a-873492259b75">My husband and I tried to keep costs low for our wedding</h2>I was the first of my friends to get married, back in 2020, right before the pandemic. We wanted to have fun and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-had-an-expensive-wedding-regret-it-2019-7">not spend a ton of money</a>. It cost around $25,000 to $30,000, which was on the lower end for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-least-expensive-states-to-get-married">California weddings</a>. We mostly paid for it ourselves, with our families pitching in around $10,000 total.I don't believe in the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality and refuse to go into debt for anything like this, so right after we got engaged, I started mapping out roughly how much we needed to save.We tried to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bridesmaids-rising-wedding-costs-gen-z-millennials-2024-8">keep costs low for everyone</a>. I had six bridesmaids and understood that everybody had different financial backgrounds. I kept it very open-ended when it came to my bachelorette party, which took place in a small winery town near me. I said, "If you want to come, come. If not, that's totally fine."At the wedding, most of the members of our wedding party stayed for free in the big house on the wedding venue's property. I let everyone choose their own bridesmaid dresses, just asking that they be burgundy. I think most people spent around a hundred dollars on their dresses. Hair and makeup cost around $150 total per person. I informed everyone of the pricing in advance and told them it wasn't mandatory. We also covered food and beverages.<h2 id="c96f837e-6097-4b3e-ae0b-4c0833d5c6e3">It's essential to set expectations and have cost transparency</h2>Being asked to be part of a friend's wedding party is emotional; obviously, you want to say yes. But it's important to understand that it comes with a financial obligation.All my friends have been really good about being upfront about costs and not putting expectations on each other. I don't know if maybe my wedding set the tone for everyone being really conscious of how much they're asking, but it felt like everything was pretty well reciprocated when I attended their celebrations. At one of my friend's weddings, she let us stay at her Airbnb for free since her accommodation at our wedding was also free. I didn't expect that, but it was awesome to have that reciprocated.It's the couple's responsibility to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/money-conversations-friends-dont-avoid-2022-4">super transparent about costs</a> if possible; everyone has different ideas about what's expensive. Be really open to everyone's personal limitations — what you may view as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could put your friend or family member in an uncomfortable financial situation.It's really important to focus on your priority — to be surrounded by the people you love — rather than on materialistic things. If a friend pressures you or says, "If you don't attend this, we're not friends," then they're <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-americans-dont-talk-about-money-with-friends-2021-6">not a good friend</a>. <h2 id="faebfd63-5f01-4f20-a485-509262eb0fbc">The cost of things can be hard to figure out</h2>It's hard to know how much being part of a wedding party will cost because many times, the couple hasn't even <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financial-therapist-helped-me-budget-for-month-wedding-cost-2024-7">done their own preliminary budgeting</a> when selecting their wedding party.I have a unique perspective because from 2021 to 2023, I worked in marketing for a bachelorette company. The company helped people plan group travel, so I was very immersed in that world and knew about all of the popular destinations, the costs, and all of that. After that, I moved to an online wedding planning company and worked as the director of social there for about a year, and now I'm a full-time contractor still working with clients in the wedding industry.So I haven't been surprised by the cost of things. I'm usually the person that people turn to to ask if a price is normal and what they should expect for these things. There's no "normal." It's up to you as a group to figure out what you're comfortable spending and be really transparent from the beginning.That's why I post videos on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shanndetrick?lang=en">TikTok</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/shanndetrick/?hl=en">Instagram</a> about how much I've spent on weddings; it's not because I have regrets or to make my friends feel bad in any way. It's to help make people aware of the costs and hopefully make smart decisions from there. It's a lot easier to understand what you're signing up for if you know from the beginning.There's also the issue of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turning-weddings-into-vacations-less-money-wasted">budgeting time off to attend friends' weddings</a> — it starts to add up. A friend's bachelorette trip was in March 2022 and while I technically had unlimited PTO at the bachelorette party company I was working for, I felt stressed about taking time off — which is ironic, because I was going on a bachelorette party and experiencing the things we were selling.At one of the next weddings I'm in, a bridesmaid works hourly and was like, "For every event, I have to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/using-vacation-days-for-friends-wedding-2019-8">take off time</a> and I'm missing out on the money." So she's not just taking the time off, she's also missing the compensation that comes with that time off. That can be really, really challenging.<h2 id="fe9bdd79-db96-4312-836b-0b666af0dbc4">I have no resentment about how much I spend because I plan for it</h2>I'm in two more weddings and three bachelorette parties next year. I already <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/banking/how-to-budget">have my budget</a> for next year's weddings outlined.Fortunately, my husband and I can afford to take on these expenses. I've never gone into debt for any of this. Of course, the money could have hypothetically gone toward other things, but it's a choice I've made. I don't like to live in the past and worry about all of the other things I could've spent the money on.When I say yes, I know what I'm saying yes to, and I don't feel any resentment. I always say to my friends, "You get one and then I'm not doing this again." It's fun and exciting to be part of their wedding events; I wouldn't miss it. It's totally worth it.If you'd like to share your story about the financial aspect of attending or planning weddings, email Jane Zhang at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:janezhang@businessinsider.com">janezhang@businessinsider.com</a>.

I've spent over $10K on friends' weddings in 2.5 years. Anyone who puts you in a hard financial situation isn't a good friend.

As the world grapples with uncertainty, given the scale of global conflicts, economies under duress etc, individuals are increasingly focused on protecting their future and wealth. <keyword id="21386505" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="special-situation-investing" source="Orion">Special Situation Investing</keyword> emerges as a strategic approach to capitalise on unique opportunities during these complex times. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is special situation investing?" comment="subhead" text="What is special situation investing?">What is special situation investing?</cmsannotation> Special situation investing refers to an <keyword id="115202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-strategy" source="Orion">investment strategy</keyword> that aims to profit from specific events or situations affecting a company’s stock price. These events could include mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, bankruptcies, spin-offs, or other significant developments. Mutual funds following this theme invest in fundamentally strong companies facing temporary setbacks, anticipating their recovery as the challenges get addressed over time. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Transforming challenges into opportunities" comment="subhead" text="Transforming challenges into opportunities">Transforming challenges into opportunities</cmsannotation> Various scenarios, stemming from temporary crises within companies, sectors, economies, or governmental actions, alongside regulatory policies, global events, or uncertainties, can all serve as potential opportunities for special situation investing. Skilled fund managers adept at analysing these situations can understand such investment windows, identify undervalued assets and decipher the ramifications of these events. These rare opportunities are characterised by a limited window of time during which they offer attractive valuations. Special situation fund falls under the thematic category. While categorised as a thematic fund, a special situation fund is not limited to specific sectors or themes but has the flexibility to invest across all sectors and market capitalisations. Such funds endeavour to profit from temporary drops in prices, often having a brief window of opportunity. This investment approach is based on a bottom-up stock picking style, as its core strategy revolves around identifying companies experiencing special situations. Unlike other mutual funds, it actively seeks out unique events, positioning themselves to benefit from potential market mispricing. The saying "when you seek opportunities, you find opportunities, and when you seek hurdles, you find hurdles' ' encapsulates the proactive approach of special situation funds in identifying and leveraging unique investment opportunities. Fund managers using this strategy conduct thorough analysis to identify opportunities where the market has not fully priced in the potential outcome of a special situation. As a result, the risk involved is higher and so are the returns, if they make the right call. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Who should consider investing?" comment="subhead" text="Who should consider investing?">Who should consider investing?</cmsannotation> Investors with a long term horizon and patience can consider investing in special situation funds. Patience is of essence as sometimes the turnaround aspect may require a longer time to play out. Given the nature of the offering, investors may opt for a systematic investment plan (SIP) with a long-term perspective for consistent and disciplined investing. Investors may consider including these funds in a satellite portfolio to diversify risk and boost their returns. In conclusion, a special situation fund can be a good addition to the equity portion of your portfolio but as with any other investment one should approach this with a long term perspective. Disclaimer: The article is authored by Arun M Alangar, Managing Partner at Fortune Investment Centre. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India. Do your own research (DYOR) before deciding to invest in any financial asset class. This article is published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on insiderstudios@businessinsider.in.

You Searched For "The situation" and got 9 results

I'm a dad and an EMT. I use the same 4 steps in stressful situations at home as I do on the job.

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I took a job in New Zealand after my life turned upside down. I love it here, but the pay isn't sustainable.

Tess Martinelli

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