An interesting thing about inflation, though, that relatively few people appreciate, is that all prices -- and our wages, as well -- don't increase at the same rate. And when some expenses are growing at a much brisker rate than the overall inflation rate and our overall wage growth rate, that can cause some financial distress.Here are seven examples of expenses that have been growing more rapidly than inflation. (CNN Money)

Mark Zuckerberg was 12 years old the last time the stock market was this calm. The S&P 500 hasn't suffered a downturn of 5% or more since June 26, 2016. That's 402 calendar days -- the longest streak since May 1996, according to Bespoke Investment Group.It's yet another sign of a hot market. The Dow has climbed more than 3,600 points since President Trump's election, and this week it passed 22,000 for the first time. Wall Street has been rocked by only a few single-day sell-offs and no prolonged slumps. (CNN Money)

According to a new study of more than 230 buyers, 12% of salespeople are excellent, 23% good, 38% average, and 27% poor. The bad news is that the underperforming salespeople lack the self-awareness to know that buyers don’t value them, nor do they understand why. They don’t take the time to figure out why they lost a deal or longtime client. (Harvard Business Review)

Feeling the need to transition to a new career after age 40? You’re not alone. While you can make a career change and leave one path to go on a completely different and divergent one, a career pivot is a bit less dramatic. In a career change, you’re often starting all over from scratch, whereas a career pivot is when you leave one path to join a parallel path.(Forbes)

It may seem counter-intuitive that if you want to get ahead at work, you should make time for a life outside of it. But career coaches and business leaders alike say that having a hobby is key to being able to handle work-life stress and thinking creatively. (CNBC)

Deloitte is doing away with employee groups focused on women and minorities, a new diversity approach one scholar says must be accompanied by serious and intelligent discussions.The New York-based financial advisory firm has the right idea, because employee affinity groups marginalize people, said Christina Hoff Sommers, a gender politics and feminism scholar. (New York Business Journal)

As tech companies continue to receive heat over their lack of inclusivity of women and people of color, more studies are showing that there is a measurable benefit to focusing on diversity in the workplace. Through a mix of civic action on tax reform, altering hiring practices and recognizing religious differences, here are six examples of how to push for more inclusivity in your own workplace. (NationSwell)

One of the most common ways that companies attempt to address organizational diversity is through formal training. Yet research on the effectiveness of such programs has yielded mixed results: Some studies show that diversity training is effective, others show it’s ineffective, and still others show that it may actually lead to backlash. This has led to pessimism regarding diversity training, with some claiming it simply doesn’t work. (Harvard Business Review)

While the Trump administration has been focused on domestically made products via the recent "Made In America" campaign, many in the tech industry are actively focusing on the buzzing business scene in Hong Kong and Mainland China. (Forbes)

The NAACP, the country’s original and largest social justice organization denounces the U.S. Department of Justice’s plans to investigate and sue higher education institutions whose admission policies promote the inclusion of people of color. (NAACP.org)

At York University’s Schulich School of Business, three Toronto high-school students huddle with a mentor to review their progress in dreaming up a product from scratch.Their mentor, second-year Schulich MBA candidate Cortney Mills, peppers the students with questions about the cost, viability and consumer appeal of their on-paper idea: a WiFi router that doubles as a land-line phone and amplifies the wireless signal in a home. The exercise is part of a semester-long case competition of Summit Leaders, a non-profit set up last year by MBA students at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, to expose high-school students from low-income neighbourhoods to the world of entrepreneurship and business. The competition expanded this year to include three business schools (in Calgary, Montreal and Toronto’s Schulich) with support from McKinsey & Co. (The Globe and Mail)

The 2017 Annual Conference and Exposition, presented by NBMBAA and Prospanica is coming up quickly. Now is the time to register to secure your sessions and housing. Visit our Conference page to learn about this year’s events, speakers and exhibitors. Register Now.

Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, has released its latest technology forecast, Sabre Labs' 2017 Radar Report. The report evaluates nine key technologies with an outsized impact on the travel landscape, looking at what's happening today and what to expect for tomorrow. (PRNewswire)

In just a few years, technology has become what we live and breathe. Today, cars listen, TV screens bend and phones talk back with no one on the line. Thanks to modern networks and sophisticated devices, we can now exchange information and ideas in real-time across continents and oceans. As early pioneers of digitalization envisioned, our world is now a global village, held together by technology. Business, in particular, has been extensively influenced by technology. In fact, nearly every progressive step that commerce has made in recent times has been supported by a ground-breaking technological innovation. (Equities.com)

For owners of struggling businesses, bankruptcy can seem frightening. However, there are several options, including avoiding bankruptcy altogether, if you're dealing with mounting debt. If your business is failing, don't be too hard on yourself. After all, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 50 percent of businesses make it past their fifth year. While filing for bankruptcy can seem scary, you have several options, including possibly avoiding bankruptcy altogether. (Business.com)

Ten years ago, Brandice Henderson-Daniel went out on a whim and launched Harlem's Fashion Row.. . . Since its launch, Harlem Fashion Row (affectionately called "HFR") has become the preeminent platform for designers of color to showcase their collections in front of top fashion buyers, editors, celebrities and influencers. Pushing diversity in fashion and innovating in the dwindling retail industry, HFR recently launched an e-commerce site and podcast where consumers have direct access to learn about and purchase from black and brown designers.(Forbes)

While some people love to chatter about a looming "retail apocalypse," Goldman Sachs says not so fast. On Thursday, the firm offered up a number of reasons why physical retail can and will live on. Store-based retailers must approach the current situation — a rapidly evolving environment — with a fresher approach and a strategy that keeps the threat of digital dominance top of mind, Goldman said. (CNBC)

Households in the United States and the United Kingdom aren't putting as much money away for a rainy day and that could mean trouble. Albert Edwards, a strategist at Societe Generale, pointed out in a note Thursday that saving rates in the both countries have steeply fallen recently. In the U.S., the household savings ratio has fallen to 3.8 percent on a net basis, it's lowest since the Great Recession, and to about 7 percent on a gross basis. (CNBC)

A recent survey from Bankrate showed that more than 44 million Americans have a side hustle. The majority are Millennials -- adults aged 18 to 34. And women are side hustling more than men, according to a study from Harvard University. But women pursue extra gigs for different reasons than men do. The Bankrate survey showed that about 69% of women say they use the extra money from a side hustle to help pay for living expenses, compared to just 42% of men. (CNN Money)

Amazon is promising to hire 50,000 people in one day at job fairs across the country. The events are drawing thousands of people to Amazon fulfillment centers in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, Illinois, and seven other states. (Business Insider)

U.S. President Donald Trump grudgingly signed into law new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, a move Moscow said amounted to a full-scale trade war and an end to hopes for better ties with the Trump administration. (Fortune)

Democrats are calling for harsh new punishments on companies that outsource jobs and a crackdown on currency manipulation, embracing a more populist economic agenda as they seek to win back control of Congress in next year's midterm elections. (USA TODAY)