A guy that I grew up with recently tracked me down to discuss a situation with his marriage that has taken a turn for the worst. His wife of 15 years told him that she wanted to get a divorce. I could hear the pain in his voice. He was devastated. He did not understand why she would want to leave. He wondered if she’d been having an affair. He wondered what he’d done wrong. The subject of divorce blindsided him. He knew that they were having financial problems but he did not think the problems were big enough to end his marriage. The guy that I remember growing up was hardworking, opinionated, handsome, charming, engaging and funny. It was odd speaking to a guy whom I’ve always seen as strong and independent sounding broken down, beaten up and vulnerable.

In the movie, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” it is revealed that Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, had stashed $100 million in a Swiss bank account prior to going to prison. He later uses the money to restart his investment firm and reestablish his prominence on Wall Street. He had set money aside to fund a future goal and his money was working for him 24/7 even while he was in prison!

PowerBreakfast

OCT. 22—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania will host their PowerBreakfast Meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Rivers Club, One Oxford Centre, 301 Grant St., Downtown. The special guest will be Sunil Wadhwani, co-chairman of iGate Corp. He will discuss more about iGate as a corporation, their process for procurement of goods and services and their commitment to inclusion in the workplace. Reservations are required by OCT. 20. The cost is $20 for members, $30 for non-members. For more information, call 412-392-0610 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

by Cyril Josh Barker

(NNPA)—Reports indicate that several lawsuits have been filed against big banks due to the mishandling of important lending documents. The mishap has resulted in the stopping of foreclosure proceedings and reviewing past evictions in 23 states.

Banks that are being targeted in the lawsuits include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Ally Financial Inc., and GMAC Mortgage because of document verification issues, specifically, false signatures and documents. Tens of thousands of homeowners are being affected by the flaw.