• Millionaires around the world are moving to new countries more than ever before, Bloomberg reported.
• About 108,000 millionaires moved to new countries in 2018, compared to 95,000 in 2017, according to a study by New World Wealth.
• The top destination these ultra-wealthy people are migrating to is Australia.
• The US, Canada, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates are some of the other popular destinations for the world's super-rich.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The world's millionaires are moving to new countries at a higher rate than ever, Bloomberg reported, often for tax purposes or to escape a country's economic or political tensions.

About 108,000 millionaires migrated countries in 2018, compared to 95,000 in 2017, according to a study by New World Wealth (NWW). The global market research group ranked the flow of millionaires into 12 countries by dividing the number of new millionaires by the total number of high-net-worth individuals already living in the country.

"The wealthy today don't have a country," Reaz H. Jafri, a partner at Withers Worldwide, which helps affluent clients relocate around the world, told The New York Times in 2017. "They don't view their success as being related or dependent on a single country, but on their own business strategies. It's amazing to me how many of the very wealthy are going totally mobile."

Australia is the top destination for the ultra-wealthy these days, followed by the US, Canada, and Switzerland.

Many wealthy foreigners are likely drawn to Australia for its low crime rate, the lack of an inheritance tax like in the US, and the country's overall safety, according to the NWW report.

Most high-net-worth individuals are English-speaking, according to NWW, which explains why the top three countries are primarily English-speaking. 

Several of the other top countries, such as Singapore and the Caribbean islands, have long been known as tax havens.

Countries including China, Russia, and the UK, on the other hand, are losing millionaires. In the UK's case, these millionaires are likely fleeing the uncertainty of Brexit, Bloomberg reported.

Here are the top 12 countries millionaires are moving to.

SEE ALSO: 17 things millionaires do differently from everyone else

T12. Spain's ranking as a top business destination may be what attracts millionaires.

Number of new millionaires in 2018: 1,00o

Percent of millionaires gained: 1%

Spain was recently ranked one of the best countries in the world to do business and one of the best for developing, attracting, and retaining talent, both of which may have something to do with the influx of millionaires there.

T12. Greece has always been a popular yachting and vacation destination for the ultra-wealthy, and now they're putting down roots there.

Number of new millionaires in 2018: 1,000

Percent of millionaires gained: 2%

Greek islands like Mykonos have long been global party spots and summer vacation destinations for the uber-wealthy. With the economy in recovery after years of distress, it's not hard to see why millionaires are being drawn to Greece's picturesque islands.

T12. Portugal's safety and climate make it appealing to the world's millionaires.

Number of new millionaires in 2018: 1,000

Percent of millionaires gained: 2%

Portugal is the third-safest country in the world, according to the 2017 Global Peace Index, which may make it particularly appealing to millionaires.

And its balmy climate probably doesn't hurt either. "Portugal is becoming the Miami of Europe," Ricardo Costa, chief executive of Luximo's, an affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate, told The New York Times in 2018.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• We asked the founders of up-and-coming retail startups, all of whom are also moms, to give us their top Mother's Day gift recommendations. 
• The following products include favorites that they've been personally gifted and everyday essentials they can't live without. 
• We also have dozens more gift guides to browse so you can find the perfect Mother's Day gift this year. 

If you're having trouble thinking of a good Mother's Day gift, sometimes it helps to do the obvious and simply ask a real mom. 

We did exactly that and consulted some mothers — who also happen to be the founders and CEOs of popular retail startups — about the best Mother's Day gifts you can give this year. 

With their busy schedules balancing motherhood and running a business, they know exactly what gifts will delight and properly pamper your own mom.

Many of the robes, skin-care products, kitchen tools, and clothing accessories mentioned below are things that have been personally gifted to them, and they only want to pass on the love to a fellow mom. And, for transparency's sake, it's worth us noting that some recommendations include products from the companies they founded. 

Here are 27 thoughtful and useful Mother's Day gift ideas — as recommended by the mom founders of some of our favorite startups. 

Find more Mother's Day gift guides here: 

• 9 unexpected Mother's Day gifts that are exceptionally useful
• This popular online florist has more than 100 fresh bouquets for Mother's Day — here are the best ones
• This candle startup has a beautiful gifting and unboxing experience that's a home run for Mother's Day
• 23 tech gifts for women that she'll love to get
• 31 gifts that remind us why Nordstrom is a great place to shop for Mother's Day
• 24 thoughtful gifts for new parents celebrating their first Mother's Day as a family
• 33 unique Mother's Day gifts from Etsy that moms will love
• 50 Mother's Day gifts you can find at Target, from the practical to the unexpected
• Rent the Runway's Unlimited subscription makes a perfect Mother's Day gift — here's why

A soft, hand-woven weighted blanket

Gift the Bearaby Tree Napper, from $249

I live for my Bearaby woven weighted blanket— I use it every day. We literally have family "take-turns" with it as it is now the go-to for the most restful sleep. I keep it on the couch for the perfect TV blanket and "weekend toes-up" luxury. —Tina Sharkey, cofounder and CEO of Brandless 

A personalized ring

Gift the J.Hannah Demi Signet, from $198

I've been told I'm not the easiest person to shop for (!) but my best girlfriends somehow seem to get it right every year for my birthday. This past year, they gifted me an engraved gold signet ring with my daughter's initial, "H." It's quickly become one of my most beloved pieces of jewelry that I wear every single day. —Eunice Byun, cofounder and CEO of Material Kitchen

A lightweight robe

Gift the Parachute Cloud Cotton Robe, $99

I honestly can't get enough of our newest robe— it was a recent gift to myself! It's the perfect weight, and the perfect shade of blush. It makes me feel feminine and cozy. —Ariel Kaye, cofounder and CEO of Parachute

• The share of older workers in the US labor force is increasing rapidly, causing new discussions on how to train a 55-plus population for highly skilled jobs.
• Much of the jobs older workers take come from low-wage industries. One solution to get older workers high-paying jobs is to train them in skills these industries need.
• Still, activists say that without addressing ageism, older workers will not find high-paying work at the same rate younger workers do.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The American workforce is getting older, forcing new discussions on how to get these workers educated in skills needed for high-paying jobs.

Older workers, aged 55 and over, represent the fastest growing labor group in the US. By 2024, nearly 1 in 4 people in the labor force will be age 55 or over, according to the US Department of Labor. The increased workforce participation from older workers results from both increased lifespans, and financial constraints: nearly half of households headed by someone 55 or older has nothing saved for retirement.

Currently, 3 million older adults are looking for full-time employment, Emily Allen, senior vice president for programs at AARP, told Business Insider. Many individuals seeking full-time might be part-time, or in low-wage jobs with limited growth opportunities.

In light of the aging workforce, experts say getting an education at age 22 will not last if Americans work into their 80s. While programs to give employees new skills remain few and far between, providing older adults with continuous learning could provide them with better opportunities for jobs in the future.

Read more: Firing workers costs big companies like General Motors billions — here's why retraining them could be a better bargain

"For older workers, the thought of going back to school or continual learning wasn't in the mindset," Allen said in an interview. "It had been that very traditional mindset of school, graduate, work, retire. We had to switch mindsets on the part of older workers to say it's about continual learning."

Yet activists argue the biggest barrier to entry for older workers isn't a lack of skills: it's ageism. "The pickings are slim, the competition is fierce," Alice Fisher, founder and executive director of the Radical Age Movement, told Business Insider. "The last time I participated in a job fair specifically targeted for older adults, attendees were happy: at least someone is trying to do something about this."

"But they did not walk away with jobs."

The current state of retraining programs for older workers

Corporate reskilling programs are uncommon, but offer an effective way to retrain loyal employees for high-skilled jobs.

Since firing employees and replacing them with workers who have different skills cost companies billions in lost productivity, severance packages, and recruiting, reskilling current employees offers companies a cost effective solution to bridge the skills gap. Yet while 54% of executives in banking say the skills gap will influence workplace strategy, only 3% say they plan to increase investment in reskilling over the next three years, according to consulting firm Accenture.

Government retraining programs are also sparse. Currently, reskilling programs offered by the state government do not offer age-specific training, according to Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, director of upskilling policy at the National Skills Coalition. At the federal level, one program exists to retrain older workers, but only seniors who make below the poverty line qualify.

AARP offers a Back to Work 50+ program not only to guide older adults through job training programs at community colleges, but to help demystify the current job application process. Back to Work 50+ even helps participants navigate LinkedIn and write a résumé, Allen said. Since launching in 2013, the Back to Work program has provided job resources to 55,000 people.

While seemingly a good way to bridge the skills gap for the underemployed or unemployed, non-corporate worker upskilling programs do not always lead to better job prospects — particularly for older workers. The federal government created the Trade Adjustment Assistance program in the 1960s to provide job training programs to workers who lost jobs due to overseas competition. An assessment of the program found many older participants in the job training program earned less than they did at their old jobs.

The other issue with skills retraining is that people train in skills corporations say they need, but companies do not guarantee them work, or may change the skills they need in a year or two, said author and professor Ellen Ruppel Shell. Most of the fastest growing jobs by the year 2026 do not require education beyond high school— suggesting the most in-demand work right now does not need training.  

In her book "The Job: Work and Its Future in a Time of Radical Change," Shell studied an advanced manufacturing class geared toward retraining former automobile industry employees in their 40s. Shell found that while the employees left the program highly skilled, the jobs offered to them did not pay enough to support their families.

Shell recognizes some older employees succeed in finding second careers, but those stories tend to be "overblown."

"Certainly some people are able and willing to retrain," Shell told Business Insider. "With elderly folks, those opportunities are there. They can certainly work at a cashier at McDonald's or do other things in that nature. But those higher wage opportunities that we say are always available, there's not really a lot of evidence there."

The fight against ageism

Even for highly skilled senior workers, activists say ageism can be a barrier to entry for high-paying jobs.

Most of the growth in the older workforce comes from educated seniors. The share of senior workers with college degrees increased from 25% to 53% since 1985, according to a survey from investment management platform United Income. While the survey reported the real income of retirement-age workers increased due to more college educated adults working longer, a separate report from the Economic Policy Research found unstable or low-wage jobs make up half of growth for older workers.

Interest in low-wage jobs like "server" and "laundry attendant" increased for retirement age job seekers over the past four years on the website Jobcase, nicknamed "LinkedIn for blue-collar workers." Conversely, interest in "manager" jobs among people under 65 increased by 65% since 2015; for retirement age job seekers, interest in manager jobs declined by 30%.

An investigation by ProPublica last year found more than half of US workers are pushed out of longtime jobs before they choose to retire. Seniors who want to work yet cannot find the opportunity to do so are often broke: the share of US workers who have suffered financially damaging, employer driven job separation after 50 increased from 10% in 1998 to 30% as of 2016, ProPublica found. 

"Most older adults really have come to face that they are not going to make the same salaries," Fisher said. "People who lose their jobs in their 50s are really in big trouble. It is very hard to get another job."

Many companies pushing to hire older workers come from low-wage industries looking for low-skill labor. McDonald's, for instance, recently partnered with AARP to get older workers more job opportunities. The fastest-growing sectors for older workers pay so little, that many employees claim food stamps, according to a report from The New School.

"It's very nice that McDonald's is considering hiring older workers, but the implication that we should be grateful to have minimum wage jobs," said Ashton Applewhite, activist and author of "This Chair Rocks: The Manifesto Against Ageism."  

Allen recognizes older adults struggle to earn high salaries, and said the foundation also works with employers to help them understand the value older adults bring to companies, and build internal training programs inclusive of age diversity.  

"I think [we're] helping older workers adapt to the fact that it's not going to be a traditional job perhaps that will make you financially secure," Allen said. "Increasingly there's going to be more and more different ways in which you generate income."

 Still, activists say more needs to be done to address the way ageism keeps older workers out of high-skilled jobs: "We are not going to achieve a workforce that is age blind until we speak up and out about structural discrimination against older people," Applewhite said. "So much of it is how to fluff your résumé so you don't look so ancient. That's not helpful."

SEE ALSO: Firing workers costs big companies like General Motors billions — here's why retraining them could be a better bargain

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Slack and Flickr, says 2 beliefs have brought him the greatest success in life

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• When it comes to seating, too often you have to choose between comfort and convenience during transport or storage. With a great folding chair, you can enjoy a supportive, inviting chair anywhere and then tuck the seat away when it's time to get up.
• The Coleman Cooler Quad Chair is our top pick because it's sturdy, comfortable, and costs about twenty bucks.

To quote Winston Churchill: "Never stand up when you can sit down, and never sit down when you can lie down." Lying down is great and all, but when you're at the dinner table, around the campfire, relaxing in the backyard, or tailgating before the game, sitting is the preferable position. If you want to take a seat, of course, you'll need a chair. But what's to be done when you need extra seats for guests, if space is at a premium in your small apartment, or when you want to bring a chair along when camping or picnicking? Ah, you guessed it — the answer is the folding chair.

With a great folding chair, you and your friends or guests can enjoy the relaxing comfort of the seated position without cluttering up your home with big, bulky chairs. When not being used, a folding chair stows away in the closet, garage, or even under a bed. Many folding chairs are compact and lightweight enough to be carried to campsites, beaches, or other outdoor locations.

Other folding chairs look and feel so good that you can use them as a part of your everyday furniture — both indoors or out on the porch or patio.

In our guide, we have covered everything from semi-permanent outdoor and indoor seating to low-cost options for the extra chairs you only need a few times a year to highly portable options perfect for the outdoor enthusiast. As an avid camper and backyard-grilling enthusiast, I've researched quite a few folding chairs in my time. 

Here are the best folding chairs you can buy:

• Best overall: Coleman Cooler Quad Chair
• Best for your patio: Trex Cape Cod Classic Folding Adirondack Chair
• Best for your dining room: Linon Keira Pad Folding Chair
• Best for camping: GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker Chair
• Best for buying in bulk: Flash Furniture Hercules Series Folding Chairs

Updated on 05/07/2019 by Les Shu: Updated links, formatting, and prices.

Keep scrolling to read more details about our top picks.

SEE ALSO: The best patio furniture you can buy

The best folding chair overall

The Coleman Cooler Quad Chair packs a lot of features into one low-cost folding seat, including a cup holder, a side pocket, and even a soft-sided mini cooler.

If you went to college any time in the past couple of decades, chances are good that at some point you sat in a Coleman folding chair. The same is true if you have gone car camping, tailgating at a concert or sporting event, or spent any time anywhere that people have deployed affordable, collapsible seating.

The Coleman Cooler Quad Chair folds down small enough to tuck into any closet, to fit under a bunk bed, or to stow away in the trunk of a car. Yet it can comfortably handle the weight of even a larger adult.

While cost is certainly one of the selling points of this classic folding seat, the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair is also notable for convenience. The chair features a built-in cup holder and a mesh side pocket into which you can tuck a book, a snack, or a flashlight. It also has a soft-sided four can cooler hanging off one armrest, so you can keep chilled beverages or foodstuffs close at hand. And finally, folding then chair up or popping it out for use takes all of four seconds, give or take.

With more than 5,000 reviews posted on Amazon, the Coleman Quad Cooler Chair enjoys a solid 4.4-star rating. One customer called it "a deal," "very comfortable," and "easy to carry."

And in its review, the product testers from Outdoor Gear Lab called this folding chair "affordable and versatile" and noted that it "packs up easy."

Pros: Great low price, multiple accessory features, large seat accommodates larger users

Cons: Lacking in back support

Buy the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair on Amazon starting at $24.99

The best outdoor folding chair

The Trex Folding Adirondack Chair is so well made that it will last for decades even if left outside in all seasons and weather.

Trex composite decking was developed as a wood alternative that stands in for natural building materials yet is significantly more durable and weather resistant. When my parents added a deck to our house back in the latter half of the 1990s, I remember thinking the stuff was pretty cutting edge. Now more than two decades later and after heavy snows, driving rains, searing summers, and lots of foot traffic, that deck remains in great shape. So just imagine how well a chair made out of Trex would stand up to age and the elements.

Now stop imagining it, because your dream already came true. The Trex Cape Cod Classic Folding Adirondack Chair is made of super strong, high-density and largely recycled wood-thermoplastic composite material. The seats look like traditional wooden Adirondack chairs, yet they will not lose their looks or degrade in quality even after years of outdoor use.

When you're not using your highly durable Trex Adirondack chairs, they can be folded up and tucked aside or stowed in the garage or shed, or just tossed under the porch — no need to worry it rains or snows or hails or heats up, these chairs will be just fine.

With dozens of reviews logged, Home Depot customers have given the Trex Outdoor Furniture Folding Adirondack Chair a combined average rating of 4.6 stars. One customer said he "was so happy with [his chair] that [he] bought the outdoor table and five chairs and two rocking chairs" to match.

Pros: Built to last for years, available in several colors, comfortable and supportive

Cons: Quite expensive

Buy the Trex Outdoor Furniture Cape Cod Classic Folding Adirondack Chair from the Home Depot for $248.96

The best folding dining room chair

Until you fold one up, the Linon Keira Pad Folding Chair looks like a permanent part of your dining room or kitchen table set.

A Linon Keira Pad Folding Chair is perfect for two kinds of household. The first is the smaller residence where space is at a premium. The second is the home that occasionally entertains large groups of people and wants to do so in style.

When folded down for use, these seats look and function just like a standard dining chair. They have wooden legs and frames, faux leather seat pads and backrests, and they will match the style of both traditional and contemporary homes.

Yet unlike most standard dining chairs, these handsome seats fold up into a slender enough package to be stowed in the broom closet, on a garage shelf, or even behind a door. A Linon Keira Pad Folding Chair is comfortable and supportive enough for daily use by someone weighing up to 250 pounds and is durable enough to last for years whether sat upon daily or relegated to infrequent use during holiday gatherings or dinner parties.

The Linon Keira Pad Folding Chair has a 4.3-star average rating from Amazon reviewers. One reviewer who "needed extra chairs for the dining room table for the holidays" sums it up well by saying they "look nice, fold easily, and are comfortable."

Pros: Don't look like folding chairs, subtle style matches multiple decor schemes, soft and comfortable padding

Cons: Legs may scratch some flooring

Buy a set of two Linon Keira Pad Folding Chairs on Amazon for $103.41 (originally $129.99)

• An iPhone's voice control feature responds to vocal cues to perform tasks on your phone such as composing texts, activating Siri, and more.
• You can turn off the voice control feature on your iPhone in a few simple steps.
• The process differs slightly depending on whether you have an iPhone X or an iPhone 8 or earlier, though they're equally as simple to do.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Voice control technology has helped to make life — especially the business and other tasks we conduct on our phones — a lot easier.

From helping you compose emails and texts hands-free to calling people on your contact list or even asking Siri for directions while out and about, the feature can make getting things done on-the-go faster, simpler, and much more convenient.

However, not everyone is fond of voice control or finds it useful. Should you be in the latter group, disabling voice control on your iPhone is a simple process that can be completed in just a few clicks.

The process differs slightly depending on if you have an iPhone X model or an iPhone 8 or earlier, but both methods are easy to accomplish. Here's how to do both.  

How to turn off voice control on an iPhone 8 or earlier

1. Locate the "Settings" app icon on your iPhone's home screen and tap it.

2. Once on the "Settings" screen, scroll until you see the "General" option and tap it to reveal a list of customization options.

3. On the "General" screen, scroll until you find the "Accessibility" option and press it.

4. Choose the "Home Button" option within "Accessibility." 

5. On the "Home Button" screen, under "Press and hold to speak," you have the option to select whether pressing and holding the home button activates Siri or Voice Control or whether it does nothing at all.

6. If you wish to keep Siri active but disable Voice Control, click "Siri" so that a check mark appears beside that option. If you wish to disable both Voice Control and Siri, click "Off" and a check mark should appear beside it. You've now disabled Voice Control on your iPhone 8 or lower.

How to turn off voice control on an iPhone X or later

1. The iPhone X Voice Control feature is activated via the side button rather than the home button as on iPhone 8 models or earlier. To access the relevant menu, locate the "Settings" app icon on your iPhone's home screen and press it.

2. Next, scroll down until you find the "General" option and tap it, then tap "Accessibility."

3. On the "Accessibility" screen, scroll down to look for the "Side Button" option and tap it.

4. On the "Side Button" screen, under "Press and hold to speak," you have the option to select whether pressing and holding the home button activates Siri or Voice Control or whether it does nothing at all.

5. If you want to keep Siri active but disable Voice Control, click "Siri" so that a check mark appears beside that option. If you want to disable both Voice Control and Siri, click "Off" and a check mark should appear beside it. 

If you later decide that either Siri or Voice Control features would be useful to you, you can easily enable them again by accessing the same menu and clicking so that the check button appears next to the feature you wish to use.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to turn off the autocorrect feature on your iPhone

• How to set up Google Assistant on your iPhone or Android phone

• How to change the name of your iPhone

• How to make custom ringtones for your iPhone

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Facial recognition is almost perfectly accurate — here's why that could be a problem

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Nest's smart security products are well-made and super smart, thanks to Google Assistant integration and high-resolution video.
• Generally, Nest's security cameras are pretty reasonably priced for what they offer, but for a limited time, they're even more affordable, thanks to deals at Best Buy and Walmart.
• You save $30 on the Nest Cam Indoor and the Nest Hello smart doorbell cam or get a $50 discount on the Nest Cam IQ.
• We're not sure how long the deals will last, so it's worth acting quickly if you want a great security camera.

Looking for a way to make your home a whole lot smarter? Nest's products are a great way to do so. Nest may be best known for its Learning Thermostat, but it also makes some great smart security products, and for a limited time, a number of those smart security cameras are getting some pretty major discounts at Best Buy and Walmart.

First up is the Nest Cam IQ, which is arguably the smartest security camera out there. The camera boasts a high-resolution video with features like face recognition. It can alert you to any movement in your home — even at night — and it has Google Assistant built right into it. That essentially means that you can talk to Assistant through the camera itself. You can get the single camera for $50 off from Best Buy or Walmart.

Perhaps you don't need a security camera that's as smart as the Cam IQ, in which case, you could simply go for the Nest Cam Indoor. This camera may not have Google Assistant built into it, but it still offers a decent resolution and a slightly more subtle design. The standard Nest Cam is now $30 off at Best Buy and Walmart.

You might want good security outside your home, too, in which case, it's worth considering the Nest Hello smart doorbell. The camera has a high resolution and when someone presses the button you'll get a notification straight on your phone, after which you can talk to whoever is at the door quickly and easily. You can get the Nest Hello smart doorbell at Best Buy and Walmart for $30 off.

We don't know how long these deals will last, so if you're interested, you may want to pick one of the security cameras up now.

Buy the Nest Cam IQ at Best Buy for $249.99 (originally $299.99) [You save $50] 

Buy the Nest Cam IQ at Walmart for $249 (originally $299) [You save $50]

Buy the Nest Cam Indoor at Best Buy for $169.99 (originally $199.99) [You save $30]

Buy the Nest Cam Indoor at Walmart for $169 (originally $199) [You save $30]

Buy the Nest Hello Smart Doorbell at Best Buy for $199.99 (originally $229.99) [You save $30]

Buy the Nest Hello Smart Doorbell at Walmart for $199 (originally $229) [You save $30]

Join the conversation about this story »

As an employer, you know nothing matters more than hiring and keeping the best employees. But in the tightest labor market in years, you also know offering "competitive" pay is no longer enough — employees today want more. In fact, a recent survey found 80% of employees would choose additional benefits over a raise.

Done right, employee benefits make your company stand out, but only if they're tailored to your workforce. But it's hard to use benefits to attract talent if workers don't understand what their benefits are worth, or the benefits themselves — and many don't. With five generations in the workplace, it's more important than ever that employers curate a broader variety of benefits that meet everyone's needs. Here's how to help.

Personalize healthcare offerings

The days of one-size-fits-all health plans are over. Give your employees options like a traditional PPO and an HDHP to ensure people can select the level of insurance coverage that fits their (and their family's) needs. Also, be sure to play up the triple tax advantage of an HSA for those who elect HDHPs.

Expand into wealth and lifestyle benefits

Do you think that offering a wider variety of benefits will cost more? Think again. Many employees select voluntary benefits even if an employer contribution isn't part of the deal, because having a curated selection of benefits is a huge value-add — especially for those benefits that are hard to purchase on your own. Benefits like student loan repayment and identity theft protection can make a tangible difference in people's lives, often at no cost to you.

Open an ongoing conversation

You may think you know what benefits your employees want, but don't make assumptions. Employees probably won't announce they're behind on bills or struggling to care for an elderly parent. To make sure you're meeting their collective and individual needs, conduct regular, anonymous surveys about the benefits you offer and the benefits they want most.

To boost utilization, educate your employees

High enrollment numbers are nice, but utilization rates tell a more meaningful story. After all, benefits only work if your employees use them, and many don't — often because they don't understand the plans, or they forget. Employers must actively educate their workforces about making full use of their benefits. Try personalized communications like notifying employees of deadlines or giving example scenarios of when benefits can be used. Share "success stories" of how people within your organization used their benefits to achieve victories like paying off student loans or saving substantial cash on vision care. Lastly, be sure to deliver these messages via a communications plan that includes email, video, and in-person events like seminars so your message reaches everyone.

Aim for active enrollment

Too many employees enroll in benefits on auto-pilot. They check the same boxes year after year without stopping to think about how their lives may have changed. To prevent this, employers can require each employee makes a selection, versus defaulting to last year's benefits, and provide a checklist of questions to guide their choices — things like, "Did you have a baby this year?" or "Are you turning 55?"

Play up the cash value of benefits

When it comes to compensation, many employees are laser-focused on salary. But a significant portion of overall compensation comes from benefits — the average employer pays about three times what their employees contribute toward health benefits: The average single PPO premium costs an employee $1,544 and an employer $4,964; for family plans, it's $4,375 for an employee and employers pay the other $12,121. These are striking numbers, which is why it's important to provide a comprehensive "total compensation" statement so employees see exactly how much you invest in them.

When employees' health, financial, and lifestyle needs are met, everybody wins: Employees who are better protected are less distracted by stress in their personal lives and therefore more productive, while employers benefit from higher retention. The best way to help your employees choose and use the benefits that will make a real difference in their lives is by curating a broad set of benefits products and educating them on their choices, how plans work, and their value.

To learn more about how Benefitfocus helps businesses offer the best possible benefits plans to their workforce, visit www.benefitfocus.com.

This post was created by Benefitfocus with Insider Studios. 

Join the conversation about this story »

• The Acura TLX A-Spec PMC Edition is a limited-run, hand-built version of the excellent TLX A-Spec sedan.
• For a vehicle of which just 360 will be produced, the Acura TLX A-Spec PMC Edition is a genuine bargain.
• The PMC Edition doesn't drive any differently than the regular TLX A-Spec, but it has all the features Acura can throw into it, and it's also available in a stunning "Valencia Red Pearl" paint job.

The 2018 Acura TLX A-Spec was a sleeper hit for Business Insider's 2017 Car of the Year award. We named the compact sedan from Honda's luxury brand our runner-up and unidentified it as a viable rival for Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus, but at a tasty, feature-packed price.

More recently, Acura decided to do a special edition TLX A-Spec, building 360 examples by hand in Ohio, where the company also manufactures its NSX supercar. 

These cars get the PMC treatment — "Performance Motoring Center" — but they aren't way more expensive than the regular A-Specs. But the rare birds do have a standout lineage, and can be painted "Valencia Red Pearl," one of the more gorgeous automotive colors currently available on planet Earth. (The car goes on sale later this year, by the way.)

Acura put car number 000/360 on the floor of the New York auto show for a few weeks, and when the show wrapped, they asked us if we wanted to borrow the vehicle for a few days. We said, "Heck yes!"

The big question was, "Would car 000 be something special?"

Cut to the chase: It was — and it's still a great bargain!

Read on to find out why.

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

The 2020 Acura TLX A-Spec PMC Edition arrived in dashing "Valencia Red Pearl" paint job.

The TLX A-Sped was a Business Insider Car of the Year runner-up in 2017.

Read the review.

The Acura TLX Z-Spec PMC Edition is the only other Acura that can share a color scheme with the NSX supercar. Both vehicles are built in Ohio. American made!

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• If you're going to grill great eats, you need to cook on a clean grill and have all the tools you need at your fingertips.
• We've rounded up the best grilling tools, including everything from a grill cleaner and grill brush to grilling planks and meat thermometers.

When the weather is nice, I fire up my grill at least three times a week. And if the weather holds all day, I'll be cooking up burgers and skewers into the night. There's just no comparison to food cooked on a grill, and when you have great grilling tools and accessories at your disposal, grilling is just about the easiest kind of cooking, too.

Think about it: You're outside, so there's no reason to worry about a few drips of oil here or some dropped of food there, you have a precise control over the temperature of a gas grill, so you don't need to time things perfectly as with an oven, and you're supposed to be drinking a cold beverage while grilling, which ... well, OK, that doesn't necessarily make things easier, but it does make the process more fun.

What does make grilling easier? A great spatula that doubles as a knife. A grill brush that scours away grit and bits of food in one pass. A meat thermometer that takes readings in seconds. And of course, reliable grill cleaning supplies that keep your barbecue station looking great and working well.

Today, I've put together a list of the primary grilling tools I use to cook, clean, and maintain my six-burner gas grill. Most of these tools can also be used with a charcoal grill, and I've even included a great way to get coals burning fast, no lighter fluid required.

Here are the best grilling tools you can buy:

• Best grill cleaner: CLR's BBQ Grill Cleaner
• Best grill brush: Kona 360° Grill Brush
• Best grilling planks: Primal Grilling Cedar Planks
• Best spatula: Char-Broil Basic Grilling Spatula
• Best grill gloves: Steven Raichlen Extra Long Suede Grill Gloves
• Best grill pan: Char-Broil Porcelain Grill Topper pan
• Best charcoal starter for on the go: Pine Mountain ExtremeStart Wrapped Fire Starters
• Best charcoal starter for home use: Looftlighter Charcoal Starter
• Best charcoal: Royal Oak Ridge Briquettes 
• Best thermometers: ThermoPro TP03A and ThermoPro Wireless Remote Dual Probe
  

Updated on 05/07/2019 by Les Shu: Updated links, formatting, and prices.

Keep scrolling to read more details about our top picks.

SEE ALSO: The best grilling gloves you can buy

The best grill cleaning products

Used together with a bit of elbow grease, CLR's BBQ Grill Cleaner Spray and CLR's Stainless Steel Cleaner can leave your grill looking brand new.

It's not often that I'm genuinely surprised by the quality of a product. In my line of work and in my several hobbies, I've tested a fair amount of cleaning products from a number of brands, and while most prove adequate or even impressive, few in recent years have left me as impressed as two grill cleaning formulas made by the vaunted brand CLR (Calcium Lime Rust). 

CLR BBQ Grill Cleaner is a foamy spray formula that is safe to apply all over the grates, burners, and other interior components of your grill. It's non-toxic, non-flammable, and even biodegradable, so health and environmental concerns are essentially nil. It's also super tough on grease, grime, soot, and baked on char. With a coat of this stuff on the grates of my much-loved, not-all-that-much-cleaned gas grill, it took me about two minutes of scraping and scouring to restore the cooking surface to the pure, shiny state I remember from the first day I used the grill.

Dozens of soap and water cleanings came nowhere close to the efficacy of a single use of this stuff, and to be honest, I think the burgers I cooked on the grill an hour later even tasted better than that last round cooked up before the deep cleaning.

As the grates of my grill weren't the only surface that needed some TLC, I was glad to also have a can of CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner on hand. This stuff brought out a shine I could hardly believe the exterior of my grill could achieve after years sitting outside facing the elements, and as with the BBQ Grill Cleaner spray, the cleaning process took about two minutes. (The canister looks oddly like cooking spray, so be careful not to confuse the two.)

With more than 200 customer reviews posted on Amazon, the CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner has a 4.2-star average rating. One reviewer called it "a great cleaner" that removed even the most stubborn spots on her steel stove. Another said, "Nothing else cleans our stainless-steel refrigerator."

Pros: BBQ Grill Cleaner cuts through stubborn grease and grime, Stainless Steel Cleaner works with minimal manual effort, trusted brand name

Cons: Stainless Steel Cleaner leaves a film on nearby surfaces

Buy a Two-Pack of CLR BBQ Grill Cleaner on Amazon for $33.41

Buy a can of CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner on Amazon for $7.91

The best grill brush

The Kona 360° Grill Brush cleans in all directions to scrape away bits of food and built up soot on the top, sides, and the bottom of the grill.

Cleaning your grill is important. We've established that, right? But nowhere have I claimed that it's exactly what you'd call fun. In fact, it's kind of an annoying process sometimes, especially when you have a long grilling session to look forward to and you'd really rather get on with things.

The Kona 360° Grill Brush is perfect for people who value a clean grill but want it cleaned fast. Its design allows you to clean the top, bottom, and sides of each bar of the grill without removing the grill top and with a minimal number of passes. While most grill brushes feature a panel of bristles facing in one direction, this clever tool has bristles facing in all directions. And what's more, there are three coils of said omnidirectional bristles, so you can scrape away at a broad swath of the grill with each pass.

While lightweight and easy to wield, this grill brush is far from dainty. In fact, it's backed by a five-year warranty and is tough enough for use on all types of grills, for hot or cold cleaning. For the record, you'll get the best results using it on a heated grill and with occasional dips into a bowl of water or with water sprayed across the grill, just watch out for hot steam! And though rugged, the many fine bristles are safe for use on ceramic, porcelain, or infrared cook surfaces, too.

More than 2,500 customers gave the Kona 360° Grill Brush an average 4.7-star rating on Amazon. One customer "used many grill brushes before, [and] none of them cleaned up my old grill like this one." Another called it a "very efficient brush" that saved time during cleanings.

A review from The Z9 called the brush "ideal for cleaning all types of grills" and noted the "perfect length of the handle."

Pros: Cleans in all directions, lightweight and balanced, safe for use on all types of grills

Cons: May rust if not properly dried

Buy the Kona 360° Grill Brush on Amazon for $16.95

Read our guide for more of the best grill brush and cleaning tools you can buy

The best grilling planks

Primal Grilling Cedar planks impart a delicate, smoky flavor into your food and prevent flaky or fragile eats from falling apart.

For the finest fish fillets, you have to cook on a grill. But grilling delicate fish can be seriously annoying. All too often, the fillets fall apart and you end up losing much of the meat and all of the presentation value of your entree. The solution? Just serve PB&J sandwiches instead. Except no, actually just grill your fish on Primal Grilling Cedar Planks. Not only will these extra-thick, fully reusable grilling planks help the fish (or any other fragile foodstuff) stay in one piece, they will also impart a wonderful smoky wood flavor into the grilled food.

I've used grilling planks with everything from fish fillets to steaks to veggie kabobs to mini-sized pizzas with great success. When used properly (meaning plenty of soaking before use and careful cleaning after), a thick grilling plank like these from Primal Grilling can be used dozens of times. They will end up charred and can cause a bit of a mess, but they also come with a burlap storage bag that contains the sooty untidiness.

With feedback from nearly 700 customers, these grilling planks have a 4.8-star average rating. One customer noted the "wonderful taste" the planks give to salmon, chicken, meat, and vegetables.

Pros: Imparts wonderful smoky flavor, helps fragile foods remain intact, can be used multiple times

Cons: Messy after several uses

Buy a set of Primal Grilling Cedar Planks on Amazon for $24.99

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Most of us love the look of a summer glow, but we know that laying out in the can lead to more than just burns, and can be pretty damaging to our skin in the long term.
• That's why, when it comes to getting the look of a natural glow, I rely on the Tan Luxe The Body Illuminating Self Tan Drops ($59). A bottle is pricey, but it lasts for a really long time. 
• These liquid drops are mixed into your favorite moisturizer for a tan that's gradual, buildable, and customized to your preferences. Plus, it's an easy to use and a safer alternative to the real deal.

I still remember my first self-tanner faux pas. It was in high school, and with shorts season approaching, I was dabbling in Jergen's Natural Glow in an attempt to add some sort of color to my fair skin. Much to my chagrin, that color turned out to be orange, and it manifested itself in a big triangle on a patch of dry skin on my left leg — only to be publicly pointed out by a fitness instructor. Memories. 

I've had a lot of bad experiences with self-tanner and I'm sure many others have the same complaints — the color doesn't blend well, smells funky, and leaves unnatural streaks on the skin's surface. Then again, I've had even worse experiences with natural tanning methods (aka the sun) and I know my pale pals can agree — a summer glow is not worth the excruciating pain of a peeling sunburn. 

That's why, since I discovered these tinted bronzing drops from Tan Luxe, there's been no turning back to my old ways.

The brand makes fuss-free products that let you get a healthy, sun-kissed glow sans sunshine. Tan Luxe has a host of products that help you create a natural-looking tan, and though I haven't used them all, I can say with confidence that I love using The Body Illuminating Self Tan Drops ($59). Like many of my best purchases at Sephora, it was an impulse buy that turned into a lasting love story. 

What are The Body self-tanner drops?

Many self-tanners take a one-size-fits-all approach, but understandably, when you use a product that isn't really made for your skin tone, your skin may not look so natural. Tan Luxe offers a tailor-made approach to tanning with potent, liquid self-tan drops that you mix into your favorite moisturizer for an effortless glow that feels just right for your skin tone.

The Body self-tan drops come in two colors: light/medium and medium/dark. Although I have pretty fair skin, I bought the medium/dark (only because the lighter version was sold out), but I haven't had any issues with it being too dark. Since you control the depth of the color, I think you can get away with using either color of the drops — just go lighter on the number of drops if you're nervous about the color being too dark. 

In terms of the formulation, the drops are made with good-for-your-skin ingredients like raspberry seed oil, Vitamin E and aloe vera, and made without harmful ingredients like synthetic dyes, sulfates, and other concerning chemicals that may be lurking in your skincare products. 

How to use the drops

You can mix the drops into moisturizer and apply all over your body or go body part by body part. Either method should work fine, just be cognizant of how many drops you're using — if you're just doing one leg at a time, you probably won't need as many drops as if you were planning on doing your whole body at once.

The buildable color makes these perfect for getting a natural glow all-year round. When your skin is lighter, go lighter on the drops. When you want something dramatic, mix away! Based on the guide provided by the brand, two to three drops is recommended for a radiant glow, and up to 12 drops can be added for a fully bronzed look.

While this is intended for your body (Tan Luxe has a formulation made just for the face), in an attempt to get my money's worth I've thrown it on my face, too, and thought it looked pretty good — just make sure to use more sparsely when it comes to the face, especially if you have sensitive skin. And make sure to wash your hands when you're done — or you may be stuck with a temporary case of carrot hands.

I like to use about two drops per body part for a nice, gradual tan. I mix it in with a lot of lotion — this helps ensure your skin is moisturized and prevents streaks. In the end, I'm left with a natural-looking tan with just the slightest shimmer. 

While the idea of spending $60 on a self-tanner may sound frivolous, it's the safest way to get a sun-kissed glow and that's something I feel pretty good about. They also last a really long time. 

Get the Tan Luxe The Body Illuminating Self Tan Drops, $59, available at Sephora and Ulta

Join the conversation about this story »

Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network if you apply for a credit card, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• The points you can earn with charge and credit cards like the Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN can be used for tons of different things, from cash back to first class travel.
• In addition to points from lucrative welcome bonuses, you can earn bonus points on certain spending categories.
• Read on for the different ways you can use the points from your AmEx card — including new options just introduced this year — and check out our guide to the best American Express cards.

There are a lot of good reasons to apply for a new credit card — maybe to work on your credit history, or to take advantage of some useful perks. One of the most fun, though, is to collect a huge new member bonus. These bonuses can be incredibly high — sometimes equivalent to the amount of points you'd get from years of spending — and can be useful for anything from cash back, to trips home for the holidays, to lavish international flights in first class.

When you open an American Express card, you can often earn a large bonus, in addition to being able to rack up points quickly through your normal, everyday spending.

For example, when you open the Platinum Card, you'll earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points if you spend $5,000 in the first three months. When you open the AmEx Gold Card, you'll get 35,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months — although some people are targeted for a higher offer. The small business version of the Platinum card is even better, offering up to 75,000 points — 50,000 after you spend $10,000 in the first three months, and another 25,000 if you spend an additional $10,000 in that same period.

While the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem is more straightforward and can be easier to use, AmEx Membership Rewards still offers a tremendous amount of value — as long as you use them efficiently.

Once you have a healthy stash of AmEx points, here are the main ways you can use them — be sure to log in and look at the AmEx Membership Rewards portal for other options, like donating points to charity.

If you want to build up your supply of points with a welcome bonus, or if you want to find a card that earns bonus points on better categories for you, be sure to check out our guide to the best AmEx cards.

1. Redeem points for cash or gift cards

You can exchange Membership Rewards points for cash or gift cards, but keep in mind that this is usually a pretty terrible value compared to other redemption options. 

Different merchant gift cards have different prices and values for your points. Some offer a not-horrible 1¢ per point — meaning a $25 gift card costs 2,500 points — but the others are as low as 0.5¢ per point — so that $25 gift card would cost 5,000 points.

You can also redeem points as statement credits against specific charges — essentially, cash back used to pay your card. However, this is a similarly poor value, only offering 0.6¢ per point. You can do much better.

Read more:Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card from The Points Guy »

2. Use points to check out online at major retailers

When you check out online at a growing list of major retailers — such as Amazon and Best Buy — and enter your American Express card number, you can opt to pay in part or in full with points.

While promotions occasionally make this worthwhile — for instance, there have been deals where you could save $30 at Amazon by using a single Membership Rewards point at checkout — it's generally a poor value of 0.7¢ per point.

Read more: I got more than $2,000 worth of value from the American Express Platinum credit card in my first year — despite its $550 annual fee

3. Buy merchandise through AmEx or tickets through Ticketmaster

AmEx offers a shopping portal that has a wide range of different products, all of which can be purchased with Membership Rewards points. However, you'll only get 0.5¢ per point, so if you were set on using points for merchandise, you'd be better off going through a shopping partner like Amazon, of possibly buying a gift card.

To buy tickets through Ticketmaster using points, you simply apply points at checkout, but this offers the same 0.5¢ per point.

4. Book travel through the AmEx Travel portal

Now we get to the good stuff.

AmEx Travel is essentially a travel-booking website operated by American Express. It works similarly to other travel booking sites like Expedia or Orbitz.

Airfare is the best option here for points. When you book a flight through AmEx Travel, you'll get 1¢ per point. You may also find "Insider Fares," which generally offer a slightly better value — a lot of these fares are on Delta.

Unfortunately, if you want to book anything else through the AmEx Travel portal — like hotels, cruises, rental cars, or vacation packages — you'll only get 0.7¢ per point. This is in contrast to Chase, which offers the same price for anything through its travel portal — 1¢ per point if you have a basic card like the Chase Freedom, 1.25¢ per point if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card, or 1.5¢ if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Read more: 4 reasons anyone who cares about credit card points and miles should be using Chase Ultimate Rewards

5. Bid for upgrades on your next flight

American Express recently announced a new way to use points: bid for discounted upgrades to first class, business class, and premium economy on participating airlines.

A number of airlines offer an option to place cash bids on upgrades before your flight — if there are available seats in premium cabins, you can snag it at a potentially steep discount. Most airlines that offer this manage it through a third-party service called Plusgrade.

Under a new AmEx partnership with Plusgrade, you can use Membership Rewards points to place bids on about 20 airlines, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, Etihad, Norwegian, Qantas, SAS, Singapore Airlines, and TAP Portugal.

Each Membership Rewards point is worth $0.01 towards a bid, according to a spokesperson for AmEx, where 1,000 points is worth $10 — a solid valuation. The best value from points, however, can be had by transferring them to one of AmEx's 21 airline or hotel partners, and booking flights or hotel stays that way (see the next section for more on that).

To bid for an upgrade using your Membership Rewards points, visit americanexpress.com/upgrade and enter your reservation details. If your bid is accepted, you'll receive an e-mail.

Read more:Learn more about the American Express Gold Card from The Points Guy »

6. Transfer points to a frequent flyer partner

Just like with any transferable points program, the best potential value you can get is from transferring your points to a partner program. AmEx has around 20 frequent flyer and hotel loyalty program partners, and you can transfer points to any of them.

This is particularly valuable for flying, as opposed to hotel stays, since booking frequent flyer "award tickets" is different than buying reservations outright — you can read more about how it works here. In most cases, the cash price and the miles price of a ticket aren't linked, so it's possible to get exponentially increased value from your points by transferring them and booking an award ticket instead. That means potentially being able to fly long-haul in first or business class with points, among other things.

The only catch is that you may need to search for saver availability — which are lower-priced award tickets. This can be tricky, but there are a ton of helpful guides online. Once you have a flight in mind, if you're having trouble figuring out how best to use your points, just do a Google search for that specific trip.

Ultimately, remember to compare pricing between the AmEx Travel portal, and how many points you would need through the frequent flyer program. Because award tickets sometimes have cash taxes and fees — occasionally rising into the hundreds of dollars — it's good to compare.

It's exceedingly rare to get under 1¢ per point when you book flights by transferring to a frequent flyer program — as long as you're booking saver space — and while researching examples for this article and comparing to cash fares, I found values ranging from 1.2¢ per point to around 20¢ per point (in the case of flying first class to Japan).

Below are a few examples of flights you can book by transferring your Membership Rewards points.

I'm going to focus on flights and itineraries that are between 50,000–120,000 points — if you earn a welcome bonus from the Platinum Card and another card or two, and spend exclusively on your AmEx cards while maximizing category spending bonuses, that's a reasonable amount to earn.

Fly round-trip to Japan in first class for 120,000 points

A popular quirk in the various award charts and partnerships between airlines, one of the most amazing uses of AmEx points is for a first class ticket on Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (or ANA) between the US and Tokyo. Virgin Atlantic, which partners with both AmEx and ANA, is the key.

While it can be a bit tricky to find ANA availability, you can generally find it by using United's search tool. Then, you can call Virgin Atlantic's frequent flyer program, put a 24-hour hold on the flights, and transfer your points over before booking the flight. You can read a detailed description of the process here.

This presents an excellent value, and the chance to have an experience that would otherwise be totally unaffordable. I had the chance to take advantage of this in February — you can read more about what the first class experience was like. If I had paid cash, the ticket would have cost an absurd $20,787. By using 120,000 points and paying $256.71 in fees, I got about 17.1¢ of value for each point.

AmEx occasionally offers transfer bonuses, and did so shortly after I booked that ticket. If I had booked during the bonus I could have gotten an even better value — I would have transferred 40% fewer Membership Rewards points, but gotten the same number of Virgin Atlantic miles.

Fly round-trip to Spain for as little as 34,000 points

Spanish flag carrier Iberia's frequent flyer program is another AmEx partner. During the off-peak season, flights to Madrid on Iberia from Boston or New York are just 34,000 miles (called "Avios") round-trip. Other US destinations, including the West Coast, would be just 42,500 Avios.

If you want to have some fun and fly business class, it can be as little as 85,000 Avios for a round-trip — nearly the price of a one-way business class ticket on Virgin Atlantic!

Fly to Europe in Virgin Atlantic's upper-class starting at 75,000 points

While you could transfer points directly to Virgin Atlantic, the airline charges steep surcharges for award tickets booked using its own miles on its own planes.

One way to get around that is to book using Delta SkyMiles instead, which is a partner of both AmEx and Virgin.

Search Delta.com for flights and choose to display the price in miles once you're on the results page in order to see availability — which is fairly easy to find. Keep in mind that prices can vary significantly with Delta SkyMiles, and availability on partners can be variable. Ironically, you can often get a better value on international Delta flights — as long as it's not to Europe — by booking through Virgin Atlantic.

Take advantage of Delta's SkyMiles flash sales

Over the past few months, Delta has been offering a ton of incredibly valued flash sales when you book with Delta SkyMiles. 

Examples include domestic routes — such as Boston, MA to Austin, TX — for as low as 10,000 SkyMiles round-trip; routes to the Caribbean for 16,000 SkyMiles round-trip; round-trip flights to Europe for 24,000 SkyMiles; round-trip flights to Australia for 48,000 SkyMiles round-trip; and plenty more.

These are sales tend to go quickly, so it's best to hop on one when you see it, but they're a fantastic way to travel for cheap.

Click here to learn more about the Platinum Card from Business Insider's partner: The Points Guy.

Click here to learn more about the AmEx Gold Card from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: The best American Express cards

Join the conversation about this story »

• If you could send a short letter back in time to your younger self (at any age), what would it say and at what age would you want it delivered?
• Seven successful business leaders were asked this question, and their candid answers reveal smart career advice we can all use.
• For example, "Get serious about learning ... and don't be so arrogant," is the message that Dan Lok, a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and two-time TEDx opening speaker, would tell his younger self.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
  

Imagine if you could send a letter back in time to your 18-, 20- or 25-year-old self. What would you say? What do you wish you would have known back then?

We asked seven successful business leaders and advisors in The Oracles just that. Here are the important lessons Dan Lok, Bedros Keuilian, and others would share with their younger selves.

SEE ALSO: Pinterest's 2nd employee ever explains why becoming an early startup employee is a 'terrible' idea if you want to get rich

1. Get serious about learning

There are three things I wish I'd known in my 20s. First, get serious about learning. For the cost of a $10 book, you can get the knowledge it took others a lifetime to accrue. Become obsessed with learning about business, sales, and marketing. I didn't do that until after one of my first business partners took advantage of me. You think education is expensive? Ignorance will cost you a fortune.

Which brings me to my second point: choose your business partners carefully. You can't do a good deal with a bad partner. I would rather do an average deal with a great partner because when you work well together, you can make it great.

Finally, don't be so arrogant. Once I started becoming successful, I felt like I was invincible and lost money on several investments as a result. Stay humble and be open-minded — because you can learn something from everyone.

— Dan Lok, Chinese Canadian serial entrepreneur, global educator, and international best-selling author of "Unlock It!"; two-time TEDx opening speaker and founder of Closers.com, which connects companies to closers. Follow Dan on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

2. Find a mentor and solve bigger problems

If I could send a letter to who I was a decade and a half ago, it would say two things. First, find a mentor. Then solve bigger, more sophisticated problems so you can make more money and have a bigger impact.

Invest in more mentors right away. They may even be free, though you'll need to put in some sweat equity. For example, when I was a personal trainer, one of my clients mentored me while I trained him in the gym. I got a lot of exposure to entrepreneurial lessons I would not have access to otherwise. Get coaching, join masterminds, and pay for a mentor if you must. Go to events where you can be mentored by those who are miles ahead of you and have done what you want to achieve. Collapse time and get an outcome faster, with less frustration and less money.  

Then solve bigger and more sophisticated problems for people, because that's how you make more money and have more of an impact on others' lives.

— Bedros Keuilian, founder of Fit Body Boot Camp, author of "Man Up," and host of "Empire Podcast Show." Read how Bedros built his dream life and connect with Bedros on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

3. Learn to sell face-to-face

If I could write a letter to my 21-year-old self, this is what it would say: First, stop drinking so much. Develop sober social skills. Second, shed your introverted excuses and learn to sell in person, face-to-face. This is one of the most important skills that anyone can develop at any age. The sooner you use it, the faster you'll grow rich, find the love of your life, be a better conversationalist, and master your sober social skills.

Third, stop working for money and start working for experience. Find the most successful person who shares your morals and ethics, offer value so they agree to take you on as an apprentice, and never, ever let them down. These might be the three greatest investments you ever make in your life.

— Craig Ballantyne, owner of Early to Rise and creator of The Perfect Day FormulaandSocial Story Selling System; author of the WSJ best-seller "Unstoppable"; read how Craig overcame entrepreneurial anxiety. Follow Craig on Instagram,Facebook, andLinkedIn.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Before you pack up your gear and grab your dog for a hike, take a second to make sure your BFF is equipped with the necessary supplies to a safe time on the trails. 
• Here are 25 dog-friendly products designed to protect their paws, keep them cool and hydrated, and keep track of them so it's never anything less than happy trails for you and your pup. 
• Plus, all items on this list are Amazon Prime-eligible for free two-day shipping, so you can get them in time for this weekend's hike. 

You might have fully-stocked hiking gear with everything from hydration packs and protein bars to boots and reversible jackets, but what about specialty gear designed for your dog?

The weather is only going to get nicer from here and I bet the trails are calling you to get out and explore. But before you take your best buddy on a hike, take a second to make sure your dog is equipped with the necessary gear they'll need to have a paw-tastic, yet safe, trip. 

From safety vests and GPS pet trackers to compact food bowls and dog-friendly water bottles, here are 25 hiking necessities you'll need if you plan on hiking with your dog. Best of all, everything is Amazon Prime-eligible, so you won't keep the trails waiting too long. 

Here are 25 must-have pieces of hiking gear designed for your dog:

A pair of doggles to protect their eyes

Petleso Large Dog Goggles (3 colors, 2 styles), available on Amazon for $13.99

These dog goggles are designed to protect eyes from wind, debris, and UV rays from the sun. They're also made from a polycarbonate material that makes them shatterproof, and can adjusted via head and chin straps for the perfect fit.

An ointment to help sooth and prevent a rough, cracked snout

Natural Dog Company Snout Soother, available on Amazon for $12.95

This all-natural, vegan, fragrance-free ointment is packed with healing oils and vitamin E to help soothe rough and cracked snouts.  

A pair of booties to protect their paws

Canine Equipment Ultimate Trail Dog Boots (5 sizes), available on Amazon for $59.47 to $70 

Protect your dog's paws from rough terrain with these rubber-soled and water-resistant boots. The front and hind boots are slightly differently for front and hind legs — and so you'd remember which one is which. Plus, each bootie comes with reinforced toe protection. 

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Amazon is a no-brainer for any Mother's Day gift you can think of, so we've rounded up 21 thoughtful ideas to help you get started. 
• Every item is Prime-eligible (free two-day shipping!) and under $50, so it's never too late to find a wallet-friendly gift for the most important women in your life.
• If you don't find the perfect gift on this list, check out more Mother's Day 2019 gift ideas here.

Mother's Day is in a few days and you still don't have a gift for mom. That's where Amazon Prime comes in handy with free two-day shipping; there's no need to sweat over the time crunch or pay extra for faster shipping.

We've rounded up 21 thoughtful gifts on Amazon that any mom would be over the moon to receive — all of which are under $50 and available with Prime shipping.

There's still plenty of time to pick out a sweet — and budget-friendly — gift you'd be excited to give your mom.

Here are 21 Prime-eligible Mother's Day gifts under $50:

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' Mother's Day gift ideas, in one place

A weighted blanket to help her de-stress after a long day

AckBrands 15-Pound Weighted Blanket, available from Amazon for $44.99

Help her relax with this 15-pound weighted blanket made from 100% cotton. The soft blanket has double stitched, reinforced edges so the inner stuffing won't break through the fabric. Additionally, it's made with smaller pockets than most, so the weight is more evenly distributed across the entire blanket.

A personal coffee maker so she can keep her favorite brew all to herself

CHULUX Single Serve Coffee Maker, available from Amazon for $39.99

This single-serving unit is perfect for a Sunday morning cup of coffee. She can either use her own ground coffee in a reuseable filter or a pre-made capsule to brew in about three minutes. Not only is the device compact, but its 12-ounce water tank and drip try can be easily removed for cleaning.

A mother-daughter necklace to stay connected

EFYTAL Mother Daughter Sterling Silver Necklace, available from Amazon for $39.95

This sweet necklace will last a lifetime due to its 925 sterling silver material. It also comes gift wrapped and with a card, so you don't have to worry about anything except presenting it to your mom. 

The chain measures 19 inches, but if it is too short or long, manufacturer Efy Tal Jewelry will adjust it for free; it'll also replace the chain should it break within the first five years. 

• Google One is essentially the paid version of Google Drive storage — if you needed more space in Gmail, for example, you could get it through a paid subscription to Google One.
• Those who don't mind compressing their files won't need to upgrade, since Google doesn't have a storage cap unless you opt to save the original file size for your media.
• Monthly costs range from as little as $1.99 to as much as $299.99, depending on the amount of storage space you need.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Introduced in May 2018, Google One is the type of product that may have escaped your attention — that is, unless you're on the cusp of going over your Google Drive storage limit, or have already done so.

For those who are curious, or are simply in need of more storage space, here's a breakdown of what Google One is, what it comes with, how much it costs, and how to sign up for it:

What is Google One?

Google One is a paid subscription service that can be tacked onto a Google account. It allows users to expand their storage beyond the usual 15 free GB, which includes: Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. (But keep in mind that this limit only applies to those who opt out of compressing their files to fit the "high quality" size standards — otherwise you already have free unlimited storage, which means you won't need to upgrade at all.)

Other perks of Google One

Those who get Google One have access to Google experts, who can help with any Google-related questions, like how their products work. Signing up for Google One also gives you the option to add up to five family members to your expanded storage plan (without any additional cost, and without sacrificing privacy), which is ideal for those looking to split costs while taking advantage of their plan's perks.

On that note, Google says those who sign up will also, "Enjoy extra benefits from other Google products, like Google Play credits, special hotel pricing, and more." It also notes that, where available, subscribers can get up to 40% off select hotels — provided they book while signed into their Google account. And those with certain qualifying Metro by T-Mobile plans are eligible for automatic backups for media taken on an Android device.

What Google One costs

There are several pricing levels, depending on your storage needs. Those can be paid monthly, or annually (which provides subscribers with a small discount compared to the monthly billing option). Here's how those costs shake out: 

• $1.99 per month: 100 GB
• $2.99 per month: 200 GB
• $9.99 per month: 2 TB
• $99.99 per month: 10 TB
• $199.99 per month: 20 TB
• $299.99 per month: 30 TB 

Those who opt to take advantage of the family plan can either set up a family payment (which would mean a single person would be responsible for any payments made through the group account; they could also set up purchase approvals and get notifications when purchases are made), or they could set up separate payments.

How to sign up for Google One

Those interested in signing up for the service should go to one.google.com, or download the Google One app (which is available to those with Android 5.0 and up).

To become part of an existing family group, the "family manager" will need to send you an invitation to join, either via text or email. To qualify for that, you'll need to have a Google account, live in the same country as the family manager, and not have switched families (or be a member of another Google family group) within the last 12 months.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• How to use Google Analytics: A beginner's guide to Google's service for website-traffic analytics

• 'What is Google Express?': A guide to Google's online shopping service

• 'How does Google Photos work?': Everything you need to know about Google's photo storage app

• 'What is Google Chromecast?': How to use Google's smart device for TVs and monitors

SEE ALSO: How to turn Google SafeSearch on or off

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Disney Plus is set to have more than 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows. Here's a look at which ones you'll find.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

We rounded up the eight best sales and deals happening online today, with savings on KitchenAid stand mixers, the Kindle Paperwhite, and Honest Company baby and beauty products. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out Business Insider Coupons.

1. Save $300 on a KitchenAid stand mixer on Best Buy

KitchenAid stand mixers aren't just for bakers. With attachments like the pasta press (not included), you can transform a mixer into a variety of other useful kitchen tools, too. Today, only you can save $300 on this five-quart, 10-speed mixer at Best Buy. For more deals and savings at Best Buy, visit Business Insider Coupons here. 

KitchenAid Professional 500 Series Stand Mixer, $199.99 (Originally $499.99) [You save $300]

2. Save 40% on Honest baby and beauty products on Amazon

Honest Company has built a reputation for making honest products that are safe for babies and have a low impact on the environment. As an Amazon Deal of the Day, you can save 40% on the brand's baby and beauty products. Whether you're looking for body wash, shampoo, diapers, and wipes for your baby, or lip balm, eye shadow, and mascara for yourself or your partner, you'll find it here.

Shop the Honest Company sale on Amazon now. 

3. Save $40 on the Kindle Paperwhite E-reader on Amazon

The Amazon Kindle is a must-have for avid readers. When buying one, we suggest going for Paperwhite version over the original because it features a higher screen resolution, a built-in adjustable light for night or day reading, and a waterproof design. Originally priced at $129.99, you can save $40 on Amazon's best-selling E-reader today. 

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader, $89.99 (Originally $129.99) [You save $40]

4. Save 20% sitewide at Brooklinen

As the maker of the best luxury sheets, the best sateen sheets, and the best duvet cover we've tested, Brooklinen is easily one of Insider Picks' favorite brands. The startup has been celebrating its fifth anniversary for the past week with a sale — and today is the last day to save. Right now, you can save 20% sitewide on orders of $150 or more by using the promo code "BDAY20" at checkout. Whether you were an early adopter and want to refresh some of your favorite items, or a new customer looking to see what all the buzz is about, this is a great chance to save.

Shop the Brooklinen sale now.

5. Save up to 50% on chambray and denim, plus an extra 15% off at J.Crew

As the second deal in J.Crew's week of surprise daily discounts, you can save 50% on chambray and denim, plus an extra 15% off full-price styles by using the promo code "TUESDAY" at checkout. If you're looking to save, you'll want to start shopping now, as the sale is only valid for today. To potentially save even more at J.Crew, visit Business Insider Coupons here.

Shop the J.Crew sale now. 

6. Save up to 25% on your order at Foot Locker

To start off the month of May, Foot Locker is having a big buy-more-save-more sale on sneakers and sportswear apparel. Right now, you can save 15% when you spend $75 with the promo code "MAYDAY15," 20% when you spend $100 with "MAYDAY20," and 25% when you spend $200 with "MAYDAY25" at checkout.  For more deals and savings at Foot Locker, visit Business Insider Coupons here. 

Shop the Foot Locker sale now. 

7. Save up to 25% on Timex watches

Whether you're a casual watch-wearer or a die-hard collector, Timex's affordable watches are classic and dependable — and they're on sale now. For a limited time, you can save 15% on orders of $49 or more and 25% on orders of $99 or more by using the promo code "TREATYOURSELF" at checkout. 

Shop the Timex sale now. 

8. Save $150 on green and vegan mattresses at Avocado Mattress

Avocado Mattress does its part in protecting the environment year-round by making organic and vegan mattresses. It may seem silly, until you realize just how much material goes into making a mattress, and consider where it all ends up when you're ready to throw it out. If you're looking to make a more eco-friendly mattress purchase, this is the way to go. And until May 13, you can save $150 on an Avocado mattresses by using the promo code "NATURE150" at checkout. Verified military personnel can save an additional $50. If you prefer two free pillows (valued at $198) rather than the $150 discount, you can use the promo code "2FREEPILLOWS" at checkout.

Shop the Avocado Mattress sale.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This video shows the moment Sarah Sanders lied to a room full of reporters about FBI agents telling her they were happy Trump fired Comey

• The Met Gala 2019 theme was "Camp: Notes on Fashion."
• It reportedly costs $30,000 for a ticket to attend the Met Gala.
• However, that's just the beginning of all the costs associated with the $3.5 million event.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The first Monday in May hosts the party of the year in the fashion world.

Dubbed the Oscars of the East, the Met Gala themed "Camp: Notes on Fashion," took place on May 6, celebrating the Metropolitan Museum of Art's newest exhibition at the Costume Institute.

With 200 pieces on display, featuring high-end designers from Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld to John Galliano and Virgil Abloh, the exhibition focuses on exaggerated fashion. "Camp fashion can be humorous, ironic, or simply extreme in its nature," wrote Lauren Alexis Fisher for Harper's Bazaar.

Helmed by Vogue's Anna Wintour (and co-chaired this year by Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Gucci's Alessandro Michele, and Serena Williams), the Met Gala is known for its best-dressed and worst-dressed celebrities, socialites, and businesspeople who walk the red carpet in their interpretation of the theme.

Anyone who is anyone is there, at least according to Wintour's handpicked and closely scrutinized guest list. 

This year's guests' outfits didn't disappoint, from Billy Porter's 24-karat gold headpiece to Lady Gaga's four outfit changes.

The cost to make an appearance during fashion's biggest night out is a steep one, and the cost to make the event happen is even bigger. For a reported $30,000 per ticket, those who passed Wintour's approval can attend the roughly $3.5 million event.

And that's just the beginning of all the money that goes into — and comes out of — what André Leon Talley refers to as "the Super Bowl of fashion."

Take an inside look at the money behind the Met Gala.

SEE ALSO: Here's what all the celebrities wore to the 2018 Met Gala

SEE ALSO: Anna Wintour says her dream Met Gala guests would be Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, and that the only rule of the fashion event is that attendees not take selfies

It reportedly cost $3.5 million to produce the Met Gala in 2016.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Tickets for the Met Gala reportedly cost $30,000 — that's enough to put a family of four over the poverty line. Some sources say tickets can even cost up to $50,000.

Source:Fortune, Page Six

Tables go for $275,000 to $500,000. They cost even more if they're paid for by sponsors. Yahoo sponsored the Met Gala 2015 and reportedly paid $3 million for two tables.

Source: Fortune, Page Six

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO's "Game of Thrones" season eight, episode four, "The Last of the Starks."
• People can't stop talking about an anachronistic coffee cup that turned up in a new "Game of Thrones" feast scene.
• HBO said that the coffee was from the set's own craft services but that didn't stop everyone referring to it as a "Starbucks cup."
• Stacy Jones, the CEO of the marketing agency Hollywood Branded, told INSIDER that the blunder is worth "tens of millions" of dollars to Starbucks in free publicity.
• Jones said that HBO doesn't do product placement because its customers are subscribing to an ad-free experience.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Starbucks did not pay for one of its iconic coffee cups to be surreptitiously left in a scene of "Game of Thrones."

On Monday, HBO confirmed to INSIDER that the rogue coffee spotted in a scene of the eighth season's fourth episode, "The Last of the Starks," was from the set's craft services, which serves drinks and food to the cast and crew.

The television network also joked that the latte that appeared on the episode was a mistake: "Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea."

Read more:Fans spotted a coffee cup sitting on a table during a new 'Game of Thrones' feast scene

However, the cardboard takeaway cup has become so synonymous with the Seattle-based coffee chain that everyone just (wrongly) assumed that it was theirs.

The scale of the fantasy series and the virality of the anachronistic cup are such that experts say Starbucks has earned millions in free publicity.

Stacy Jones, the CEO of the marketing agency Hollywood Branded, which specializes in product placement, told INSIDER that Starbucks would've had to pay $250,000 to $1 million for one of its containers to be gratuitously left in front of the Mother of Dragons.

"If we were looking at this in the grand scheme of things and we were comparing 'Game of Thrones' to the other largest-watched content out there ... you're looking at the $250,000 to $1 million range for product placement where that product was positioned with a very central character," Jones said.

However, she stipulated that HBO "doesn't take dollars" from advertisers in its content because its customers are paying for an ad-free experience: "They [HBO] believe their audience should not pay for their content as well as have brands feature that are paying to be in their content."

Despite the fact that Starbucks couldn't have even paid HBO for the cup placement if they wanted to, Jones said the publicity value for the coffee company was enormous.

"The total audience that's talking about this — we're surpassing 100 million people probably and it's all over the world," Jones said.

"The entire world right now is talking about Starbucks and 'Game of Thrones,' which is crazy! That doesn't happen for a brand," she added.

On Monday, Apex Marketing Group Inc. told MarketWatch that the anachronistic cup could be worth in the region of $11.6 million, but Jones said this figure has likely "tripled, quadrupled, or grown by five times since then."

"The publicity value is going into the tens of millions," she said, adding: "It doesn't matter, at all" that the coffee isn't actually from Starbucks.

Jones said that it was a testament to the coffee chain's branding that everyone just assumes any coffee cup — "even if it's dark and blurry" — is going to be from Starbucks.

HBO didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

A Twitter spokeswoman told MarketWatch that Starbucks tweets were running at 10 times their average hourly tweets on Monday morning.

"There have been more than 310,000 tweets today, and I'd say on an average normal day there are usually less than 100,000 tweets," she said.

When contacted by Business Insider, Starbucks referred us to its earlier statement, which read: "TBH we're surprised she didn't order a Dragon Drink."

The pink beverage Starbucks was referring to is a "tropical-inspired pick-me-up [that] is crafted with a refreshing combination of sweet mango and dragon fruit flavors," according to the company's website.

"Thrones" executive producer Bernie Caulfield apologized for the blooper on WNYC on Monday, jokingly adding: "Westeros was the first place to actually, you know, have Starbucks."

Meanwhile, production designer Hauke Richter told Variety that "things can get forgotten on set," and that the anachronistic coffee was getting "blown out of proportion [because] it has not happened with 'Thrones' so far."

For more background moments like this you might have missed, read our breakdown of 12 details from Sunday's "Game of Thrones."

SEE ALSO: Emilia Clarke told her 'Game of Thrones' costar Iain Glen to get on a flight when his wife had a brain hemorrhage while they were shooting the Battle for Winterfell

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This video shows the moment Sarah Sanders lied to a room full of reporters about FBI agents telling her they were happy Trump fired Comey

• Though bartending used to be considered a "seedy" profession because of its association to alcohol, the job holds more prestige today.
• Here's a look at how bartending has changed in the last 150 years, including during Prohibition era and World War II.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, critics said her previous job, a bartender, did not prepare her enough to serve in politics.

Ocasio-Cortez disagreed. The politician said working at a bar allowed her to talk to thousands of people she wouldn't have met otherwise. The harassment and entitlement she experienced from her patrons prepared her for navigating the same dynamics in government, she argued.

Read more:THEN AND NOW: Here's how being a nurse has changed in the last 50 years

"I'm proud to be a bartender — ain't nothing wrong with that," she told a crowd at the NAN Conference in New York City. "There is nothing wrong with being a working person in the United States of America, and there is everything dignified about it."

While AOC may have shined new light to the bartending profession, the industry has experienced significant changes throughout American history. What was once considered a seedy profession due to its association with alcohol, the job now requires professional training and opens doors for men and women nationwide. 

Here's a look at how being a bartender has changed in the last 150 years.

SEE ALSO: THEN AND NOW: Here's how being a nurse has changed in the last 50 years

In the late 19th and early 20th century, bars went from being seedy spots hidden in alleyways to popular gathering spots. Bartenders began dressing up to work and following set recipes.

Source: Alcohol Professor

Jerry Thomas published the country’s first cocktail book, "The Bon Vivant’s Companion," in 1862.

Thomas worked in the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, and nicknamed himself the "the Jupiter Olympus of the bar."

Source: The New York Times

Black bartenders, prohibited from going into white saloons, founded the exclusive “Colored Mixologists Club" in 1898.

Black bartending in white saloons remained uncommon. In 1893, a black waiter was promoted to bartender at the Atlas Hotel in Cincinnati. The decision caused fury among the bar's white clientele, who boycotted the hotel. Louis Deck, the black waiter, was eventually fired and the hotel shut down.

Source: Bitter Southerner

• "Hey, Google, turn off the alarm!" is one of the most common — and, annoying — Assistant commands out there. 
• On Tuesday at Google's annual developer's conference, I/O, the company announced an Assistant update that lets users turn off alarms and timers by simply saying, "Stop." 
• The update will be available in English on Assistant starting Tuesday. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Setting an alarm or timer using Google Assistant can be convenient, but turning it off can be a headache. "Hey, Google, turn off the alarm!" is one of the most common — and, annoying — Assistant commands out there. 

On Tuesday at Google's annual developer's conference, I/O, the company announced an Assistant update that lets users turn off alarms and timers by simply saying, "Stop!" 

The update will be available in English on Assistant starting Tuesday. 

The shortcut is made possible because of the Assistant's Constant Conversation feature, that keeps the microphone enabled for a few seconds after a command is given. With the "Stop" update, the microphone appears to be enabled after the alarm sounds. 

Read more:Google is adding a new feature to Google Home that fixes my biggest problem with the device

The update was just one of Tuesday's announcements that center around this year's I/O mantra of "building a more helpful Google." 

SEE ALSO: LIVE: Watch Google's biggest conference of the year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Mark Zuckerberg outline Facebook's new 6-principle approach to privacy