Browsing: Business

       Let’s talk about the retirement panic that has folk hitting the Social Security button faster than folks rush to buy Beyoncé tickets. People are claiming Social Security at 62 like the system is about to disappear overnight. All this stress over “What if it runs out?” has folks locking in the smallest Social Security checks of their life, all in the name of FEAR.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — With small business optimism waning and federal support shifting away from equity initiatives, many Black entrepreneurs now face a chilling reality

       “The President’s Skinny Budget reflects funding levels for an agency that is responsibly winding down, shifting some responsibilities to the states, and thoughtfully preparing a plan to delegate other critical functions to more appropriate entities,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon in a related statement. “The federal government has invested trillions of taxpayer dollars into an education system that is not driving improved student outcomes – we must change course and reorient taxpayer dollars toward proven programs that generate results for American students.”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Enrollment grew to 1,751,109 children nationwide, an increase of more than 111,000 from the previous year. Ten states saw enrollment growth exceeding 20%

     Two offices affected were the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), designed to foster the growth of minority businesses, and the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund that provides affordable capital for pivotal urban revitalization, mortgage, small business expansion, and entrepreneurial seed capital investments.

       From April 18 to April 20, the People’s Union USA, led by activist John Schwarz, is urging consumers to avoid spending money at major corporations, only shopping at local businesses if needed, per Newsweek.

  When Dacia Petrie first started curating Black-owned businesses on Instagram, she wasn’t planning to launch a tech startup. She just wanted to make it easier for people to buy Black—without scrolling for hours or asking, “Where the Black businesses at?”

Dear Money Lady,  I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I don’t know what to do.  I have about $63,000 in credit card debt that I have been trying to pay off for over 2 years.  Some of this is school debt, but mainly it’s just debt from everyday living.  I just finished my university degree, but I hardly earn enough to pay rent and food every month.  A friend said I should declare bankruptcy, but my parents think that I should keep trying to pay it off.  I’m not a bad person, but I feel ashamed and overwhelmed.  Help!  Jen P. FL

       While news headlines continue to focus on the chaos, confusion and legal challenges caused by the new administration’s recent changes, it could be easy to miss recent congressional actions that will cost consumers more than $5 billion annually in unnecessary and excessive bank overdraft fees 

     Pound Cake and Puzzles of Color are among the small businesses whose owners are rethinking their plans as major U.S. companies weaken their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The initiatives mostly date from the end President Donald Trump’s first term and entered a new era with the dawn of his second one.