bbalfreywrit340

  Nearly one in ten Americans lack access to a standard checking account, and nearly one in five rely on predatory payday lenders to make ends meet (The Atlantic). America’s poor lacks fair access to the rich banking infrastructure that the rest of the country leans on. This notion of financial inclusion is a popular talking point for addressing world issues, but is less talked about domestically. The lack of banking access in developing nations has long been a passion project for startups, aid organizations, and financiers looking to give back...But within the confines of an already developed banking system, the millions of Americans suffering from lack of access have been harder to see, and to reach. (The Atlantic). Payday loans pray on the poor. The average interest rate on an average payday loan is 391 percent (St. Louis Fed). Compare this to the average credit card interest rate, at around 17 percent, and the average personal loan, which is about 10 percent, and it is easy to ...

  I think my biggest contribution that I’d like to make to the world is honesty and transparency. Increasingly I notice that saving face and projecting an image are central driving forces in our society. LinkedIn, Instagram, traditional media mediums, and even our interpersonal relationships - they all are dominated by the reputation-driven Influencer , who is judged almost entirely on how much influence they have on their followers. Influence is status. Influencer actions are driven by image. When their actions are successful, or more importantly give the image of success , their influence increases. On the contrary, when they do something that tarnishes their image, their influence decreases. People then simply stop following or listening to the influencer. Unfortunately, this means that the influencer has to project the best image of themselves to their followers almost all the time. Admitting failure is handing in the towel. As an influencer, admitting imperfection is admitting...