welcome to "on the money." i'm becky quick. you may not be able to do anything about the weather, but knowing what is coming can make a huge difference to businesses and the economy. fed up with mac and cheese or french fries for your kids? we'll tell you how to get them to eat what they should. and cash in the stocking may not be a bad alternative, but that is not the only way >> and lessons that we can learn from our pets. "on the money" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "on the money," your money your life, your future.

now becky quick. >> we begin with the weather we can't change it or improve it, though we can complain about it but as steve liesman found thanks to big data and supercomputers meteorologists could make predictions with greater accuracy and that could have a huge impact on local economy. better weather is this week's cover story. >> reporter: in develops companies, our smartphones warn us, but people around the globe lack even basic forecasts. but with super compute going ibm launched graph, a forecasting model. it says that graph will provide accurate forecasts not for a few places, but for the entire world. this model is named after the

ancient god that ruled the super sky. it puts 12 trillion pieces of weather data every day for 26 million location around the world. the super computer is so fast, this massive model provides new forecasts every hour >> we're getting down to kind of the cellular level of the thunderstorms now where we weren't able to do that before and with that information we can now provide better support through critical decision-makers. >> it is big potential business because big companies increasingly need accurate weather data. >> any business that doesn't have a weather strategy is missing out on returns >> all is tied to your environment and the weather. to be able to predict that in advance for retailers, energy companies and transportation businesses is all we do. >> better international weather forecasts could mean more comfortable flights for passengers who are routed around

turbulence and even shorter flights. >> if we could do a more fuel efficient flight we could save money on fuel and operating on time and efficient manner improves the american bottom line. >> no matter how good the tech, a new weather model has to prove itself over time american will wait several months before relying on it and then along with the other weather data ibm will continue to upgrade the model adding realtime weather data from airplanes in the sky and even from smartphones. for "on the money," i'm steve liesman. >> how will this help you get a better forecast. sheri batchstein is from the weather company which is an ibm business and thank you for being here. >> thank you for inviting me. >> how does the new model work and why is it better than what we have. >> it is a leap forward in global weather forecasts because of the high resolution

so models today have the resolution down to six to nine miles and graph brings that down to within two miles. so that improves the accuracy. >> just in terms of where the storm is going to be, and how much snow in any one particular area. >> that is right it is great. one of the areas i'm excited about in predicting the pop-up thunderstorms that happen during the summer now we could be able to predict those much better. it also updates more frequently so every hour as opposed to every six hours so the combination of high resolution and updating more frequently gives a more precise and accurate forecast. >> what does that mean when i check the weather app on my phone. will i get better information there too. >> absolutely. anybody with a smartphone or laptop could download the weather app and the download cap and this will be infused into the forecast on those devices. this is short-term so it will help you. >> down to the minute. >> and will help with the thunderstorms and certainly with

heat in the summer and temperature. >> is it better because is it more accurate because you're dealing with supercomputers or because you're getting more data on the ground, local data? >> so it is a little bit of everything we're able with the new model to use data off of airplanes off of your smartphone if you give us permission we could get barometric pressure. >> you're going to be like waze and crowd source. >> we're going to crowd source that weather with your permission to improve the forecast iot devices and this model allows all different inputs along with satellite technology and observation and some ground data to improve that accuracy. >> i'm thinking it is great for me if i'm planning a picnic or a backyard barbecue but that pales when you think what this could mean for the less developed countries and what does this mean for them and preventing real catastrophes. >> absolutely. there is a meteorological divide in the world in united states

and europe and the technology is better and more investment around weather and due to economics in other countries you don't see that investment. this levels that playing field so now everyone could have a great forecast so a farmer in kenya could have the access to an accurate forecast just like a farmer in kansas. >> you mentioned agriculture but what other businesses are using this information. >> there is not a business that isn't impacted by weather. retail, research, energy and shipping and even down to the small business owner the landscaper, and everyone really has purpose to understand the weather whether you're just trying to keep your family safe and run your small business or for your enterprise. >> how do you make money on this as a consumer i'm not going to pay for the app. >> no our app is free for everyone and we make advertising on our app through advertising so we provide the weather data and forecast for free you just have to look at some of the ads.

on the enterprise side we can license the weather data to enterprise what is great about the model is it provides best in class weather forecast that then a company could take their own data and put together to figure out what decisions they need to make to run their business. >> sheri, thank you so much. up next for "on the money," with sugary snacks and beverages everywhere, how do you help your kids pick healthy foods. and later, what do most americans want for the holidays. the gift no one wants to talk about. right now let's look at how the stock market ended the week.

with chicken strips and french fries on every restaurant children's menu how could you get your kids to eat healthy that's behind a new book called "kid food, the challenge of feeding children in the highly processed world" and the author joined us now. >> thank you so much for having me. >> how do you define clear food. >> there is no clear definition but we know it when we see it. that subset of food that we designate suitable for kids and some of it is healthy like apple sauce but most is highly processed and highly palatable. >> a lot of sugar. >> chicken nuggets and mac and cheese and then the subset that the process food industry has sold us as kid food has an extra element of entertainment,

cartoon characters in the shape. >> which is why they want it or the toy that comes in the happy meal. >> and that is troubling because the fun add-ons draw kids toward the unhealthy food more effectively. >> so what do i do about that as a parent because, look, we fall prey to this i want this, i want this, i want this and you feel like the bad parent if you're saying no. >> right and i'm not demonizing these foods. they certainly have a place in normal diet. but i think one thing parents want to be careful about is the message they send with the foods. so the example i often give is if you've decided you want to sit down and have mac and cheese and fried chicken as your family dinner, that is fine but it is different to say dad and i are having salmon and broccoli and you won't eat that and so we're going to make you nuggets and mac and cheese. that's a very different message. >> what if you've already gone down that road and could you do a u-turn and come back. >> it is never too late.

i wanted to help parents in their home and outside of the home that push kids toward the food like the restaurant children's menu and the snacks at school and things like that. >> i guess it is harder and harder as they get older you can only control them for so many years and then they make the choices themselves. >> yeah. you start out doing the best you can with younger children and have a healthy baseline in your home and hope the lessons take hold as they get older. >> the biggest pressure for modern families are the idea of what a time crunch we're under if you have two parents working or somebody doing the car pooling to get everybody to after-school activities on some things, it takes a little more time to plan a healthy meal and plan it out. >> well, i would say this, not all processing is bad. a lot of food processing could eat us healthy and quickly canned beans are more convenient than you have to pick through dry beans for hours. >> frozen --

>> and cut up produce and there are ways to shorten the cooking process and batch cook it is not super fun to dedicate your sunday to batch cooking but if you do that, then you have meals all week so there are strategies to employ but i'm very sympathetic to that time crunch and that is how the process food industry gets its foot in our kitchen. >> is it okay to have some process food around as a treat or a snack or is that bad to say here is your treat and it is a processed snack. >> like i said, i'm not demonizing any food and having something taboo makes them want it more. and i feel in the book what is going on in our home is less of a concern for me than the systemic problems that push kids outside of home. they are just getting bombarded. i think that is where we have a problem. >> thank you appreciate your time. >> thank you for having me. up next, america's preferred present.

you could put it in your wallet or your bank account or even in your piggy bank. but nobody likes to talk about it creative ways to show them the money. and later author dave berry manages to find humor in every day life his new book he manages to define what is funny from a four-legged perspective.

looking around here i see tablets, laptops, printers, smartphones. they're all connected to the internet. they're all connected. can your network handle all those devices? sometimes. comcast business runs on the nation's largest gig-speed network. so you can get the bandwidth you need

to power all of your devices at peak performance. if all of my devices could have that kind of speed, i would be dancing! get started with secure 35-megabit internet and one voice line for just $64.90 per month. call today. comcast business. beyond fast. are you stuck on what to get someone for the holidays it may sound impersonal but money could be a good option

joining us is correspondent sharon epperson. >> good to be here. >> how popular is money on a wish list. >> as a procrastinator i was excited by the survey by mint.com that showed that 61% of people prefer getting cash or a gift card. >> you've been given the right thing all these years. >> for all of these years and coming up as well. the interesting thing is only 40% of people think they should give cash or gift cards. >> you feel guilty giving it. >> but listen to what people want give them what they want and we talk about having the money conversation could be so tough among family members and loved ones and here is a great way to get it started and given them cash or a gift card and what are they going to use it and spend it and all are great ways to start the conversation. >> what is better? a gift of straight up cash or a gift card? because i feel like i'm trying to dress it up by making it a

gift card but then maybe it is not where they want to spend it and you have to pay the $4.95 fee to make it work. >> it is hard to decide between the two but maybe you do something that is different and in a savvy way to give cash. maybe you put money into a savings account to help establish a savings account. >> i like that. >> a cd, a certificate of deposit will introduce the compound and the 529 account for a college savings plan 529 or an able account to consider and also what about making a bill payment for someone whether they are older or younger, medical bills are rising and maybe -- many people may not have the money for that unexpected expense and unexpected car expense, any type of unexpected expense could be helpful. >> taking the stress off -- >> yeah, tuition or student loan payment could be a helpful gift. >> those are all great ideas particularly if you have deep pockets. >> i know. but anything that takes the stress off like you said.

>> what about the idea of giving to a charity that this person cares about and making that donation. >> that is a great option as well and a lot of people want that they like to give a gift of money to a charity but how do you do that and how do you make sure that -- >> they find out about it. >> get credit for it and maybe you get credit for it too and get a tax break and investing for everybody so think about setting up a donor advised fund where you front load the money you're putting into the account and you're getting a tax deduction perhaps if you reach that threshold that is above the standard deduction and at the same time your money could grow in the fund and when you decide this is the charity they want and i'm not sure yet but i could let them know i've made a donation in their name to a charitable fund and then you could decide which one. >> those are great options sharon, thank you. >> my pleasure. >> sharon epperson. up next "on the money," a look at the news for the week ahead.

and author dave berry on life lessons you could learn from your dog. >> dogs have time always, always for whoever they are with. no matter what i wore, i worried someone might see

my bladder leak underwear. so, i switched. to always discreet boutique. its shape-hugging threads smooth out the back. so it fits better than depend. and no one notices. always discreet. here are the stories coming up that may impact your money this week. on monday the number of new homes that were sold for the month of november. on tuesday we will see how many durable goods, those are items intended to last three years, were sold last month

tuesday is christmas eve markets will be closing early that day and of course they will be closed on wednesday for christmas day. merry christmas, everybody then we come back on thursday and it is kwanzaa. that is the week-long celebration of african heritage. on friday it is national fruitcake day. author dave berry mas written more than 30 books but this one is a little different he realized that he and his dog lucy are the same age in dog years but lucy seems to be aging more gracefully. the result is a book that he calls "lessons from lucy, the simple joys of an old happy dog. i asked him why dogs always seem so happy. >> they just start happy and we start happy. when we're kids we are happy and do things that make us happy and we have fun. we don't try to do anything but have fun and then we get older and start getting responsibilities and we have families and careers and all of which is important but then we

start that is everything to us and stop having fun. dogs don't do any of those things they just keep having fun. and so if you could look at what they're doing, my idea was i'm going to see what it is my dog does that makes her so happy even though she and i are both old, she's still chasing the ball and it is fun for her and i'm not saying i chase the ball or drink from the toilet. i draw the line. >> thank you for that clarification. i'm not sharing my water cup with you. >> some doctor somewhere sooner or later that drinking from the toilet are why dogs are happy and california is where it will start. >> one of the things i think that we hear so often today is live in the moment blah blah blah and it is all of the b.s. but you're right, the dogs did this first and they're good at it what lesson did you take from lucy on that >> you think about it. you've probably been to a restaurant and you see a couple sitting there and two people at a restaurant together, presumably they know each other

because they are sitting at the table and they are both looking at their phones. >> i'm sorry -- >> they're not -- and why even go to a restaurant if that is what -- stay home and eat a pizza alone if that is what you are going to do. and we get distracted so easily and this is not new information that i'm imparting here. we get really distracted and we look at our phones and right there in the room with us are the people that we love that make us happy -- >> that we care about the most. >> exactly and when you go to a funeral you go oh, man i should have reached out to that person more often and instead here i am standing at his funeral, i'm going to be better and you walk out and your phone rings or buzzes or tweets or whatever. and you're back to your phone. >> why do we care about twitter. >> and dogs don't -- >> they don't have phones because they don't have thumbs and it is an advantage i'm not saying cut your thumb off. or drink from the toilet. >> get our lessons over. i have a couple of other lessons that lucy taught you was make

new friends and also have fun. do you really know how to embrace that have you figured it out from watching her >> the friends part is harder and guys as they get older, i have friends that -- really good friends that i'm not sure are still alive. i would need to call them up and say are you still alive, bob >> i don't think that is just guys i do that too. >> do you have a friend named bob? >> i do have a couple of friends named bob but i care deeply about people and i feel like i don't have time for new people because i can't make time for the old people. >> yes and not to keep -- dogs have time always, always for whoever they're with and i made a point since i started thinking about this i will make a list and this week i will call these people and talk to them even though we're both guys and all we can say is what did you think of that game but at least we're talking >> the best lesson i think is the one that you save for the end. be thankful for what you have

because it is probably more than you think. and that is where this book takes a hard turn. >> yeah. i finished this book and my daughter sophie developed an autoimmune disorder and a rare and severe disorder that left her paralyzed. she's okay i want to stress she recovered and now a happy college student. but there was just a horrible bleak time where if you are a parent you know there is nothing more important to you. you suddenly realize all of the stuff you were thinking about and caring about doesn't matter and what matters is your child and your child's health. and so when it was time to talk about this book, i asked the publisher can i write one more chapter about this last lesson where basically weird to say the lesson was gratitude a horrible thing happened but what came out of it is realizing how thankful i was that she got better and second of all how unimportant all of the things that are that i've been worrying about and do you wake up in the morning and are you okay and can you stand up and have your loved ones with you and your family

around you, if you do, you should be grateful forget about the stuff you're freaking out about all of the time, this whole country is freaking out all of the time about something. when there are so many simple things to be grateful for right in front of us and that is the lesson. >> i'm so thankful that your daughter is okay. >> you and me both. >> thank you very much i appreciate your time today and i love the book. >> thank you so much i enjoyed being on the show with you. and important lessons to remember and my thanks to dave berry. that is the show for today i'm becky quick. thank you for joining us next week, tips to start off 2020 the right way money resolutions for the new year have a great one and we'll see you next weekend

hello, everybody and welcome to "options action." i'm brian sullivan in for meliissa lee we have another show on tap tonight. what is it here is what's coming up. >> the dog of dogs >> sit, stay, good viewer. boy, do we have a treat for you. the dog of the dogs of the dow woof then -- yes if you think investors are starting to bite off more than the market can chew with the high-flying stock we have an insurance policy. an options antacid of sorts.