Today’s Money Mondays segment focuses on interest rates. The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee will meet this week, and most of the people that follow it believe that the Committee will raise interest rates. This is something we have been expecting for some time, but it looks more certain now with unemployment falling […]

Tomorrow voters will choose the next president, but the election could see progress on the minimum wage front, too. Mellody: I am. As you know, the last few years have seen an increased focus on the minimum hourly wage in places around the country. From the “fight for 15” campaign among fast food and other service […]

There is good news this morning: fewer people are being excluded from the banking system, correct? According to a survey from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the FDIC, which insures Americans’ bank accounts up to $100,000, more Americans are gaining access to a checking or savings account, a sign that the improving economy is […]

Yet another story that raises concerns about privacy and security. What do we need to know about the Yahoo breach? Mellody: We have obviously seen an increase in breaches lately, as fraudsters and hackers continue to find ways into companies’ systems. But this latest breach at Yahoo is a really extraordinary for a few reasons. […]

There is good news about wages out of the Census Bureau this past week. Mellody: On Tuesday, we learned that after a slow and steady recovery in the wake of the great recession, 2015 was a breakout year for American wages. Last year, median household income grew to $56,500, up 5.2 percent from the previous year. That […]

There is recent news about the Affordable Care Act that another private insurance company is pulling out of some exchanges. Can you start by telling us a little about that? Mellody: Aetna announced this week that it was withdrawing from the Obamacare exchanges in 11 of the 15 states it had been doing business – […]

What do Black Americans need to know about the racial wealth gap? Last week was a glass half-full segment, with a stellar jobs report. I want to talk about a new report from the Corporation For Enterprise Development (CFED) and the Institute For Policy Studies. The report examined the growing racial wealth divide for Black and […]

There is good news as it relates to the job market. How can listeners can take advantage of it? Mellody: In the last Money Monday segment, we covered the strong housing sector, which is a key component of the U.S. economy. On Friday, we received some great news from the Labor Department. According to the […]

Lifestyle

You’ve probably heard time and again not to lend money to family members or close friends. The horror stories are plenty: at best, people say you shouldn’t expect to be paid back, at worst, it can destroy an otherwise positive relationship. This is the general wisdom, so of course, many of us avoid it altogether. But […]

News One Exclusives

America's Wealth Coach Deborah Owens stopped by NewsOne Now to discuss how Britain's exit will impact Blacks and the U.S. economy and your pocket.

What do we need to know about the shocking development of Britain leaving the European Union? Mellody: This is a historic event and it will have broad economic and political consequences in the UK, Europe and here in the United States. First, a little background on the subject. To deal with political pressures ahead of […]

How are race and spending habits linked? We have heard a lot in recent years about economic inequality, but most, if not all, of the discussion has focused on income inequality. However, a new study out of Duke University, and highlighted in the Atlantic, points to another way economic inequality persists between white and Black […]