Business Insider - Insider Today: A 401(k) for longevity

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March 2, 2024 • 4 min read

with Joi-Marie McKenzie

Hiya! If you’ve ever dreamed of giving up the grind and retiring in Italy, apparently it's as good as it sounds. One couple left their home in Texas to move into a two-story villa steps away from the Adriatic Sea, and their lifestyle appears enviable. 

Today, we’ve got more stories to help you make the most of your time and money. 

On the agenda:

But first: Let’s talk about women.

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Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

Dispatch

Women’s History Month

Every year, as March kicks off Women’s History Month, we center the conversation on women. 

I don’t need to rattle off a bunch of statistics to prove women’s value and impact. We know them. In fact, this is a topic my colleagues at Business Insider cover extensively all year long.

We highlight the difference women are making in the workforce. They’re CEOs, elevating their industries, and even those just entering the workforce are changing corporate culture. But we know there’s more work to be done and ceilings to break.

As ambitious as women are at the office, they overachieve at home, too. They still do the majority of household labor. They’re often the default caregivers, best friends, PTA leaders, book club organizers, and head chefs at family gatherings — to name a few. 

And as much as we don’t need a month to remind us of all the ways women have shown up in our lives, it’s important to take time to remind women their contributions can’t — and won’t — be ignored.

Christopher Malcolm/ Getty Images, Kemalbas/Getty Images, Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images, Simonkr/Getty Images, Abanti Chowdhury/BI

You should care about your VO2 max

You’re probably already familiar with your resting and active heart rates. But understanding and improving your VO2 Max, a measure of how much oxygen you use during exercise, could be the key to unlocking a longer life. 

A higher VO2 max can give you a better chance at a longer life. One anti-aging researcher compared the metric to a 401(k) — the earlier you start investing in it, the more dividends it can pay later on.

How to improve your VO2 max.

Also read:

Ippei Naoi/Getty Images

Tuscany is luring more and more Americans

As the cost of living and retiring in America increases, more people are exploring their options out of the country — and some are settling on Italy. 

Tuscany, with its expansive vineyards and stately villas, is relatively affordable compared to the United States. Plus, some transplants say they were drawn by its slower, more relaxed pace of life. But some locals worry about the outsized role Americans play in the area.

Why Americans are flocking to Tuscany.

First Run Features, Universal, Miramax, Warner Bros, Marc Piasecki/Getty, Tyler Le/BI

A conversation with Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan Skarsgård has a chameleonic quality to his acting. Known as the professor in "Good Will Hunting" and the psychopath in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Skarsgård isn’t afraid to undergo a complete transformation.

Most recent is his transformation to the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in "Dune: Part Two.” In light of the film’s debut, BI sat down with Skarsgård to discuss his career, his first album, and why he used to want to save the world.

Read the full interview.

Also read:

Chelsea Jia Feng/BI

Low-cost, high-end interior decor

Quiet luxury may be all the rage, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay a premium for it. Devin Shaffer, lead designer at online design firm Decorilla, shared how to upgrade your home, even on a tight budget.

Instead of shopping at brands like Neiman Marcus or Le Labo, turn to retailers like All Modern — and even Amazon — for upscale essentials like pillows and fragrances.

Level up your interior design.

Netflix, Apple TV, Tyler Le/BI

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The Insider Today team

Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor-in-chief of life, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.

Get in touch. Email us at insidertoday@insider.com

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