By d-mars.com News Provider Whether you’re planning for a short-term goal (e.g., emergency fund, home project) or a long-term goal (e.g., retirement), planning can help you succeed. “It’s never too late to start making savings a priority. We want to help our members meet their short- and long-term goals, and there are several ways they…
By d-mars.com News Provider This year, many people are making financial wellness resolutions. From budgeting better to saving for a big-ticket item or investing more income into a 401(k), there are plenty of financial goals to choose from. However, one that you’ve likely overlooked is whole life insurance. According to the American Council of Life…
By d-mars.com News Provider Life’s unexpected challenges can make meeting monthly mortgage payments difficult. The good news? Help is available to avoid foreclosure. Indeed, Freddie Mac has completed more than 255,000 foreclosure prevention actions in 2021, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Whether you’re currently behind on payments or foresee trouble ahead, Freddie Mac…
By d-mars.com News Provider The housing market has exploded since 2020. The pandemic fueled a house-buying frenzy with remote work and leaving large urban areas to live in different parts of the country is becoming more mainstream. According to the National Association of Realtors, 31% of all home purchases since 2020 have been made by…
By Marla Lewis, President of the Houston Black Real Estate Association If you are a pet owner, when you decide to put your house on the market, you need to do some serious house cleaning and repair work before you can command a competitive price. You want buyers to be able to picture themselves in…
By d-mars.com News Provider In one sense, technology has made real estate more accessible for both buyers and sellers. And yet, while everyone can see detailed property records on their phones or computer within seconds, not everyone can be a negotiator, price setter, or resource. Homebuyers and sellers can have difficulty navigating the expanse of…
By d-mars.com News Provider Given how much has changed about the way people do business over the last few years, experts say it may be time for entrepreneurs to rethink how they store and protect company data, and collaborate with their teams. According to Brian Mallari, a marketing director in Western Digital’s hard drive business…
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Celeste Headlee paused as she contemplated how Black authors have for decades endured the banning of their books in schools, libraries, on shelves across the country, and even in prisons. In the summer of 2020 and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, a major…
By Roger Caldwell, NNPA Newswire Contributor With the election of President Biden and Vice President Harris, they have quickly delivered for the American people, while helping our country recover from a pandemic, and an economic crisis. It is very easy for the Republicans to talk about what the Biden team has done wrong, but with…
By d-mars.com News Provider A favorite for foodies known around Houston and nationally, The Breakfast Klub is one of the highest-ranked Black-owned restaurants on Yelp and has been included on Yelp’s “Ones to Watch” list, just in time for Black History Month. The Breakfast Klub celebrates its 20-year anniversary this year, and during a time…
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent It’s official, America has entered the Great Resignation. In August, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs, and the quit rate, measured by the government against total employment, rose to 2.9 percent in August. But that was August. According to the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor…
By d-mars.com News Provider McDonald’s USA and Roland S. Martin, a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., are awarding more than $100,000 in scholarships to rising juniors and seniors attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The effort, in honor of the fraternity’s 115 years of scholarship and Black excellence, is to help…
By d-mars.com News Provider While there are many ways to set your kids up for a successful future, money in the bank is one of the most powerful financial tools you can pass along. Every dollar you save or invest can help your child create a productive and stable foundation for many years to come….
By d-mars.com News Provider Like many other people, you probably have taxes on your mind right now. Figuring out if you have a tax refund coming your way can be an exciting time. But tax season doesn’t have to be all about crunching numbers and filling out forms. “If you’re in the market for a…
By d-mars.com News Provider Maybe you want to travel, read more books, learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. Whatever resolutions you set, it’s important to create life-long habits to support your goals and overall wellness. Not sure where to start? Registered dietitian Dalina Soto has three simple tips to set yourself…
COVID-19 has hit some communities very hard. That has put new attention on a long-term problem in the United States – health disparities. Health disparities are differences in health that harm disadvantaged communities. Understanding what causes these differences is key to addressing them. DNA alone does not explain the big differences in people’s health. Researchers…
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent More than 1 in 5 adults is inactive in all but four states, according to new state maps of adult physical inactivity prevalence released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For these maps, physical inactivity for adults is defined as not participating in…
By d-mars.com News Provider Do you get enough sleep each night? Do your loved ones? Or are you a “short sleeper,” someone who routinely sleeps less than seven hours per 24-hour period – something known as short sleep duration. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society both recommend that adults aged 18…
Starting a new fitness routine as part of your New Year’s resolutions? Protecting your feet is critical. “‘No pain, no gain’ may be a motto for most workouts, but ‘too much, too soon’ can lead to foot and ankle injuries, which can sabotage fitness goals,” says Jeffrey Loveland, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon…
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent With more than 34 million tobacco users in the United States, the estimated financial cost of smoking over a lifetime has reached above $2.3 million per smoker. According to a new report from the Washington, D.C.-based financial planning website WalletHub, the average out-of-pocket cost per smoker…