Article Review: DATA: NEARLY 80% OF BLACK ENTREPRENEURS BELIEVE THEY RUN THRIVING BUSINESSES, YET GAINING ACCESS TO CAPITAL STILL A HURDLE. Ntsetselelo Dlamini, ESG Intern, Skidmore College.

Data: Nearly 80 of Black Entrepreneurs Believe They Run Thriving Businesses, Yet Gaining Access to Capital Still a Hurdle - https://www.blackenterprise.com/data-nearly-80-of-black-entrepreneurs-believe-they-run-thriving-businesses-yet-gaining-access-to-capital-still-a-hurdle/

The article highlights the fact that, despite the resilience of black entrepreneurs in dealing with record inflation, a pandemic and overall economic uncertainty, the issue of access to capital remains a significant hurdle. Almost 50% of black business owners report they have issues accessing finance.

Be that as it may, the provision of information about sources of finance is a step in the right direction. The article notes that Bank of America and Seneca Women compiled a database on sources of capital specifically for black entrepreneurs (Ed note: also see the Minority and Women-owned Company Small Business Financing Guide and Workbook).

Knowing what lenders are looking for is helpful, regardless of the source of capital. This includes factors such as the overall capacity of the business and effectively communicating business models.

New approaches are also necessary to complement these efforts. Having the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency directly making loans to minority business owners would help improve access to capital.

Maternal Health Financing Facility for Black Women: A Solution to an Urgent Problem

Maternal mortality is a significant issue in the United States, with Black women disproportionately affected. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts. However, the issue is not new, and despite the increasing amount of data available, the disparities have remained unaddressed for far too long. Creative Investment Research (CIR) is among the organizations that believe there is a solution to the problem. Through our proposed impact investing vehicle , the Maternal Health Financing Facility for Black Women (MHFFBW), we aim to tackle the mortality gap and support Black women during childbirth, which will, in turn, benefit their communities. The Facility, based on legally binding financing agreements containing terms and conditions that direct resources to individuals and institutions capable of addressing supply-side conditions at the heart...

Projected Impact of Gun Laws on Corporate Profits in Texas

More Fortune 500 companies are located in Texas than in any other state. Texas successfully used low taxes and minimal regulations as bait to recruit companies like Tesla and Oracle. The state promoted these “advantages” in ads highlighting their “free-market” environment and criticizing the "tax and spend policies of liberal leadership" in Democrat-run states. Four million people migrated to Texas over the past ten years. Our economic models predict a reversal, however. State of Texas corporations on the Fortune 1000 list generate $2.2 trillion in revenue, $158 billion in profit. They have a market value of $3.8 trillion and employ 2.5 million people nationwide. We continue to believe this increased corporate presence in Texas imposes a tax on the nation as a whole. Texas allows anyone 21 or older to carry handguns without training or licenses, and maintains lower gun purchase age limits. Beyond the recent abortion bill, which allows people to sue those who "aid and abe...

SUMMARY: THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is a law passed by the 117th United States Congress in August 2022. It "includes a first-time provision that would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices of certain prescription drugs in Medicare and Medicaid. Savings would be generated by requiring drug manufacturers to pay a rebate for drugs whose prices increase faster than inflation under Medicare, and would create several reforms in the Medicare drug program, also known as Part D, including a cap on out-of-pocket drug spending for seniors beginning in 2025. It also extends by three years the expanded and enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit ahead of planned premium increases set to take effect in 2023." We estimate the impact on the African American community to be significant, on the order of 8% of the total. (For a detailed analysis, email info@creativeinvest.com). The law's climate provisions consist of "subsidies for energy that...

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