CNBC Make It

If you notice introverted children keeping to themselves, concentrating overly deeply or staying quiet in public settings, don’t panic. Some of the traits that can make parents think something’s wrong with their child may actually be “hidden superpowers” that make for successful adults, says bestselling author Susan Cain.

There are a lot of misconceptions about living in Alaska, and Trevor Barrett has heard them all. People ask him: Do you live in an igloo? Do you have electricity? What was the first time you saw grass? What’s it like to never see the sun? (That one “is a little bit accurate in winter,” he says.) “Most of them are complete misconceptions,” Trevor tells CNBC Make It. “Alaska does have some very strong winters, but it also has very pleasant summers. And it’s one of the biggest reasons people fall in love with Alaska.” Find more on what it’s like living on $52,000 in rural Alaska: https://cnb.cx/47VZ0Dx

Learn more, spend less. CNBC Make It is offering a special Black Friday offer on all of its online courses. Use the code THANKS24 for 55% off: https://cnb.cx/3CG9fkZ

WNBA star Cameron Brink had to learn how to negotiate her worth sooner than most 22-year-olds. Brink, who became New Balance’s first female basketball ambassador while still at Stanford University, entered the professional basketball world earlier this year with an NIL valuation exceeding $200,000, according to Sports Illustrated. The second-overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft — behind only Caitlin Clark — earned $76,535 her rookie season and will be paid $78,066 by the Los Angeles Sparks next year. Despite suffering a torn ACL in June that sidelined her rookie season, Brink’s momentum off the court hasn’t slowed. She’s signed partnerships with prominent brands like Icy Hot, Urban Decay, Skims and SoFi. Brink credits her growth in negotiation skills to observing seasoned professionals. She shares the most important step she takes to prepare for any negotiation: ??

People are living longer and the world’s aging population is growing at an unprecedented rate — and it's raising the risk of a larger cohort of people living with dementia. Although there is no cure for the condition, according to the WHO, psychologists and researchers are working to prevent its onset. While age is still the strongest known risk factor for dementia, researchers have found a set of 12 “potentially modifiable risk factors." Here's what they are, and how you can avoid them. ??

Although inflation in the U.S. has been on a steady decline from its June 2022 peak, Americans say rising costs are the greatest threat to their ability to live comfortably in retirement, according to an October survey from Allianz Life. A little over 40% of respondents identify “everyday costs increasing” as the No. 1 risk to their retirement income, according to Allianz Life, which surveyed 1,000 people over the age of 25 who earn over $25,000. Take a look at the top three factors Americans say pose the greatest threats to their retirement savings — and see 2 ways to prepare. ??

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella never expected to lead one of the world’s largest, most powerful tech companies — he was just excited to work there, period. Nadella joined Microsoft as a young engineer in 1992 and, after a 22-year climb up the corporate ladder, became the company’s third CEO in 2014. Becoming CEO was “not even a thought” in his long-term career plan, Nadella said. Instead of being forward-minded, Nadella says he was focused on excelling in the role he had at the time. One of the most important lessons he learned in his decades at Microsoft — and his “best career advice” — is simple.

Everyone makes mistakes at work, but while some are minor and forgotten the next day, others can turn into costly career regrets. A majority, 66%, of workers say they have work-related regrets, according to a report from Resume Now. Here's what they are. ???

In her early thirties, Tanya Dalton was building her first company, working 12 to 14-hour days and raising two young kids. While struggling to manage her busy life in all of the typical ways — impossibly long to-do lists and an overflowing calendar — she soon realized something was off. It was clear something needed to change after she became instantly heated at her husband for spending an extra five minutes in the car in their driveway after work, listening to a program on the radio. “I was inside ready for him to come take over for the kids so I could get more stuff done,” Dalton recalls. Rather than resenting her husband for taking a few minutes for himself, she realized she was angry at the fact that she couldn’t afford herself that same alone time within the chaos of her daily life: “I wouldn’t give myself five minutes to laugh at the radio.” Since then, Dalton says she has been at work “tearing down and breaking down the old systems” of her workflow. Now, six years later, Dalton works until 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

A family of four needs to make more than $275,000 to live comfortably in some of the most expensive U.S. cities, a SmartAsset analysis reveals. “Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget for a family of two adults and two kids. This budget assumes that 50% of the monthly income can pay for necessities like housing and utility costs, 30% can cover discretionary spending and 20% can be set aside for savings or investments. SmartAsset extrapolated the income needed for a 50/30/20 budget based on the cost of necessities, using data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Here’s a look how much income a family of four needs to live comfortably in the 20 most expensive U.S. cities.