If Trump Were Smart, He’d Raise the Minimum Wage Before 2020

Donald Trump has (once again) decided to pick a big fight with his own party by betraying conservative economic orthodoxy. Senate Republicans may be willing to abide the president’s naked corruption, contempt for the rule of law, and late night rants about Bette Midler — but across-the board tariffs on Mexican imports are another matter. As the New York Times reported earlier this week: READ MORE

Why wealthy business leaders are joining the call to end high CEO pay

Recently, Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Disney’s cofounder, has been making no secret of her disapproval of the way things are going at the company now. Specifically, at Fast Company‘s Impact Council, she called current CEO Bob Iger’s $65.6 million compensation “insane,” and criticized the fact that it totaled approximately 1,424 times more than the median salary of a Disney employee. She later backed up her sentiment to The Guardian, saying “”No one on this freaking planet is worth that kind of money.” READ MORE

This Is the Salary You Need to Afford the Average Home in Your State

Before you buy a home, it’s important to find out if you can afford the monthly mortgage payment.

To do this, some financial experts recommend your housing costs — primarily your mortgage payments — shouldn’t consume more than 30 percent of your monthly income. With this rule of thumb in mind, GOBankingRates looked at home prices and mortgage rates in every state and estimated the minimum salary needed to afford the average home. READ MORE

Rich states, poor states: How a federal minimum wage hike would widen the gap

With growing enthusiasm for lifting the federal minimum wage in Congress, it’s time to consider some data on wages and differences in the cost of living across the 50 states. The Raise the Wage Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., in January with broad support from his party, would raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour (where it has been since 2009) to $15.00 in 2024. READ MORE