People who can navigate the more complicated math problems of the money world end up saving hundreds, if not thousands, in fees, interest and taxes. So the big question is: Is being afraid of money costing you?

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Being a teenager is a time when many people take foolish risks and act stupid. In the world I came from, that was OK. Because I was white and privileged, I had time and space to grapple with my problems and the chance to fulfill my promise. Michael Brown, black and male, never will.

Even though you're divorced, it's still possible to collect Social Security benefits on your ex-spouse's work record. The basic qualifications are pretty straightforward, but read on for a few permutations.

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At the core of all of this is an ignominious reality at odds with one of the nation's most (publicly) cherished ideals, and one of our Constitution's most sacred laws: the Fourteenth Amendment right to "equal protection of the laws."

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I have learned a lot of really important things from my white friends. But I have also learned a lot of irrelevant things from my white friends. And although the learning appears to be irrelevant, this insider knowledge has come in quite handy, particularly in social situations.

In the 40 years since I was the first woman of color to appear on the cover of American Vogue, things in the fashion realm have gone through a world of change. And yet at the same time -- unfortunately -- many things have remained the same.

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The Rice and Pistorius incidents are giving us yet another opportunity to discuss the problem of violence against women in society in general and violence against women in sports specifically and yet we continue to participate in the same ritual that ensures that these horrific incidents won't be isolated, but will remain the status quo.

What 9/11 did to us as a nation is solidify tensions of Brown/Black bodies carrying terror. From the security line to workplace to college campuses, brown bodies are policed and monitored. But this is how we are. This is the America we foster and develop.

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A headline is not a eulogy. A headline's purpose should be to help us to determine what's important in a news event. And while I realize the constant assault of our newsfeeds leads to higher-stake headlines, what's important is that a teenager -- not an "honor student" -- has been killed.

Often times when there are debates about sexism in the Black community, male counterparts ask, "What privileges do Black men have?" In case you're still wondering, this is what Black male privilege looks like.

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What changes have come about since our #EndMassIncarceration petition? Well, there's been about 20 developments and victories in the way of criminal justice reform (not including changes at the state/local level), at least 6 of which that are having or will have measurable impact.

For millions of poor kids in the U.S. today, the reality of summer is very different from that middle-class ideal. For them, the words "back to school" suggest the start of something good, not the end.

It's next to impossible to get through the home-buying experience completely unscathed. Maybe you accidentally buy a house with mold in the basement (like I did) or you snag a condo across the street from what will soon be a multi-year redevelopment project.

Whether you're a first-time buyer or you've been around the block a few times, there are certain home buying mistakes that trip people up time and time again.

His latest project is a labor of love for him -- it's a documentary called Keep On Keepin' On that pays tribute to his mentor, trumpet legend Clark Terry as the 93-year-old struggles with failing health while still teaching another generation of musicians.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Maggie while she prepared to make her return to the runway and open one of the most highly anticipated shows of the season -- Michael Kors.

In 1991, Boyz in the Hood grossed almost 60 million. That was an era in which mainstream Hollywood studios seemed at least somewhat interested in movies about real things, and not just in sequels about comic book characters.

This move could result in the release of thousands of low-level federal inmates caught up in the drug war. For a president who, hitherto, had the most conservative pardon record in recent history (e.g. in Obama's first term, he pardoned 1 in 50 applicants, while Ronald Reagan pardoned 1 in 3), such a shift is noteworthy.