What are we seeing right now in the housing market and why? Mellody: The housing market continues to be incredibly hot. Home prices continue to break records in numerous markets, such as Seattle and Denver, and talk of bidding wars has returned to many water coolers. This has caused many to wonder if we are […]
What’s going on in the stock market this week? Last week, we saw the Dow break through the previous ceiling that was set in may of 2015, closing at 18,516 on Friday. And remember, this happened in the seventh year of this bull market, the second longest bull market in history! What pushed the markets […]
What is multigenerational living and how does it impact us financially? When we hear the term multigenerational living, all it means is more than one generation of adults in a family living under one roof. Now, as everyone gets ready to celebrate the Fourth with friends and family, some of our listeners might think to […]
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 […]
How are new home loan trends are impacting communities of color? It is a very important trend and one that we need to keep our eyes on. In the wake of the housing bubble, regulators moved to rein in subprime lending, the type of lending that led to the housing crisis. As a result, we […]
What do consumers need to know now about credit card debt, correct? That’s right. Credit card debt is almost always a bad thing, but in the wake of the great recession Americans really worked hard to pay down their credit cards, reducing the amount of debt that we collectively carried by nearly $200 billion. However, […]
Today’s Money Mondays topic is crowdfunding. Why? Mellody: As of last week, new rules rolled out by the Securities and Exchange commission will permit anyone, not just the well-heeled, to risk their own money investing in small companies in exchange for a stake in the business. Essentially, it allows anyone to act as a venture […]
Tom: You are here this morning to talk about the growth of freelancing, correct? Mellody: I am, Tom. One of the huge stories that has emerged in the wake of the great recession is the so-called gig economy. Fueled by our ability to connect through technology and the changing labor market, this marketplace of jobs […]
Tom: This morning we have a bit of a serious topic: estate planning. Mellody: Obviously, no one likes to think about their own mortality, but I don’t see this as a dark topic. Rather than taking the negative view of this, you should consider all of the positive outcomes of that task, such as ensuring […]
Mellody is President of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves individual investors and retirement plans through its no-load mutual funds and separate accounts. Additionally, she is a regular financial contributor and analyst for CBS News and CBS.com. Skip: This morning we are talking about tax refunds. Melody: That’s right. Every year around […]
Tom: You have a great topic for us today: Paying for college. Mellody: It is that time of year, Tom. College acceptance letters have gone out, and parents and graduates are starting to take a hard look at schools, and an even harder look at their ability to pay for college. And it deserves […]