Real estate investing is no game—until now. A new game, available on Android and iOS, allows players to invest in a selection of 50 million real properties around the world. Landlord Real Estate Tycoon is a Monopoly-style game, where users can purchase venues they visit, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building, and earn rent on those properties. Investors are limited to buying properties within 800 miles of their actual location, using geolocation technology. In addition, real-life economic conditions affect property prices. “Actual changes in tax law, inflation/deflation, local and global economic conditions, and real property price movements gathered from the world’s news feeds all have an effective on property in the game,” said Reality Games, the app’s creator, in a press release. It could be a fun way for clients—or their kids—to dip a toe in the real estate market, without actually paying a dime.
NextCapital Raises $16 Million
NextCapital, an enterprise digital advice provider, announced Thursday that it raised an additional $16 million in venture funding. AllianceBernstein, Manulife and Route 66 Ventures led the Series B round, joining Transamerica Ventures and Russell Investments as shareholders in the enterprise software company. John Patterson, the CEO of NextCapital, said the money would be used to help its partners enter the digital advice arena. In September, NextCapital pivoted its business to put an increased emphasis on the 401(k) space, which Route 66 Ventures general partner Benjamin Britt called, “a game-changer for the multi-trillion dollar retirement space.”
Model Investigated for Tax Evasion
Supermodel Bar Refaeli and her mother are under investigation from Israel's tax authority for suspected tax evasion, Fox News is reporting. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover model allegedly didn't report the free Range Rover and Lexus cars she received in exchange for photos of herself with the cars. She also didn't pay taxes on her Tel Aviv apartment, the authority stated. Both the model and her mom have been barred from traveling abroad from Israel for six months without permission.
Congress Proposes Huge Increase in Alzheimer's Research Funding
The budget spending deal announced by Congress on Tuesday evening includes a large increase in funding for Alzheimer’s research. According to the Washington Post, if approved by the president, the deal will allocate $350 million to finding a cure for the disease in 2016, an increase of over 50 percent. This drastic escalation represents an important step in our government recognizing the threat that dementia in general and Alzheimer's in particular pose to America’s rapidly aging population. However, this amount is still a drop in the bucket. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that in order to maximize the chances of discovering a cure or effective means of prevention by 2025, the National Institute of Health would need closer to $2 billion annually.
