plays the violin and didn't get into college because of your race? the supreme court is, again, looking at affirmative action and whether it belongs in the college admin process. love y welcome, everyone. let's start with this occasion. in 2003 in a case involving the university of michigan law school, the court upheld a prior ruling saying admissions officers can indeed consider race as part of a wholistic recrew of an applicant's file. a student says she was not accepted because she is white. at the same time, some asian american students say they don't even identify their race when they apply for college because some studies suggest they need to have higher scores than white students to get into some colleges. nicole, when it comes to college admission, should race still be considered? >> race should definitely be considered. when we look at what's happening in the public education system, it's failing a lot of brown and black students. so when we think about providing communities that don't have a chance at college an opportunity or a leg up, i think we should do it. i think it's our role and we can -- you know, we should be doing it. and when i think about this case, i don't think she should be -- we don't know why she was denied. there's a lot of factors here. but, you know, maybe she should be concerned about the other 1,000 white students who got in and not the 10% of black and latino stonts who she thinks might be taking her spot. >> here is interesting, too, when you think about what is happening in the ivies, 6% of the population is african-american, but some of these really big schools, they have twice that representation in these big ivies. and some are saying, my scores are better but we're already overrepresented so they want to keep a balanced mix. >> some of it has to do with culture. we talked a lot about the tiger man story. critical thinking, this is to some extent cultural. the person most eloquent on this that i've seen is a guy named tim wise. tim wise is not against -- they've always had the intent of creating and protecting a system of inequality. affirmative action does not seek to desire a -- but merely to shrink white advantage. it's an important issue to discuss. >> i wonder if some of these cases are the man bites dog story. you have a few instances and people get upset and say, this is a post racial country. we don't need to have these conversations any more. >> that's absurd. >> a world class education, without question, has to accommodate for all different stripes. and so you have to somehow girg out a fair way to incorporate all the stripes that exist in our multi cultural society. i remember being told 23 years ago, after college, i'm embarrassed to say, that i was not going to be considered for a job -- i won't say where -- because -- and these are the words. you will dilute our mix. because i was white. they were not ashamed to say it at all. it was okay to say that. >> i think today you could sue for something hike that. you can't choose the workplace what your racial makeup is. >> you moron, you weren't wearing a wire. >> i think it's important, we were talking about this off the air, the supreme court is likely going to overturn this. and we're nowhere near being ready for that, i don't think so. >> and we'll keep following that and talking about it as the case goes forward. another issue that has to do with kids and families and the concept of parenthood. it might be changing in this country. more women are going alone. according to new research, for women under 30, most births occur outside marriage. wow. researchers have consistently found that children born outside marriage have a higher risk of falling into poverty, falling behind in school. the list goes on and on. here is something important about this demographic. college graduates overwhelm going marry and then have kids. let me read you something from the "new york times." marriage has become a luxury good. is this potentially a new class divide? is this a choice that liberates women? is it a little bit of both? it's interesting, right? women deciding that marriage in their 30s, nicole, they don't want to do it, they want to have kids instead. >> today, we have to face that t fact that our country has changed. would he have we're less leave it to beaver and more bayon say and jay-z. >> but they're married. >> but on their own terms. they waited to get married later in life. she's a career woman. and we have to look at kim kardashian and kris humphries. hey, if we can get married, it doesn't work out, i can leave. >> i don't relate to either of those women. i can't sing, dance or become a reality star. >> i want that part edited out. that whole kris humphries thing. i cannot stand that story. >> i think the point here is that children have the social support that they need and that women, if they have children early, are allowed to continue their education. >> you see the trend. this is you. >> we don't need all the celebrity marriages. i am an example. my wife and i had two children,. we should talk about the difference between the words marriage and commitment. when we bought a home, i carried her across the threshold. we are now married. it didn't matter whether it was legal. we developly got married for insurance benefits, for the benefits of marriage. but the stigma of having children and not being married, it's gone. it's over. >> stigma. i think a lot of pem are fearing the sciences approaching them. they're freezing their eggs and they're saying, i need to do this. you need to be my fail-safe if i don't get a guy. >> or they're looking at the people in their mid 30s and see how they're freaking out. next, what jeremy lin's mother might teach you about drawing the line between academics and athletics. plus, why many mobile apps could pose a danger to your kids. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. 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[ engine revs ] the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. see your lexus dealer. then don't get nickle and dimed by high cost investments and annoying account fees. at e-trade, our free easy-to-use online tools and experienced retirement specialists can help you build a personalized plan. and with our no annual fee iras and a wide range of low cost investments, you can execute the plan you want at a low cost. so meet with us, or go to etrade.com for a great retirement plan with low cost investments. ♪ it's always tough to balance a child between academics and sports. jeremy lin's mother would threaten to pull her son from basketball if he didn't get an a. an a minus wasn't good enough. that drove him to succeed both in a.m. academics and athletics, ex selling in both while attending harvard university. he is the biggest story in pro sports this year. how should parents encourage their kids, nicole, to have both of these things? and what i think is interesting about his story in particular, people have said it turns the tiger mother on its ear. parents have unconditional love and very high expectations. >> so i have to admit, i am lin-sane. i think we all would love a injurimy lin. so for me, i had high aspirations of being a tiger mom myself and i didn't have the discipline. i really like this tiger-panda combo that i think jeremy lin's parents -- >> you can see represented. it's the american version. >> the american version where, you know, you can excel academically and you can love basketball, but we're going to make sure that if you're going to play basketball, we're going to tie it to your academics. and so i think that works. >> this from the mother of twins who she has them in mandarin immersion. many people would say you are the tiger mom. you have very high expectations for your kids. >> very high expectations. and i plan to keep them in mandarin. again, i wanted to be a tiger mom, felt like i lacked the discipline, but i feel like i'm right there. >> we have low expectations, i do, just in hopes that the kids will exceed them. >> my children can't speak mandarin. >> that is the quote of the day, stay out of prison, stay off the pole? >> i have to quote chris rock. >> there's a lot to that. i think that this tiger mom -- everybody should take a look at it. everybody should take a look at what she's doing and consider it. i don't think most of us are going to go that far. take something from it. but on the issue of some, whatever works for you. but we are a country that puts a premium, unfortunately, on self-esteem and not on education. we have the most confident, stupid people. that is comedian jim jeffries. >> do not talk about washington. >> i don't care if my kids get into an ivy league school. it would be lovely, but i want them to feel great about what they do because if they love what they do, it would be great. >> it would be expensive. start saving now. i want to talk about the federal trade commission get strict when it comes to your kids' privacy. the ftc has a new report titled global apps for kids. they're urging apps store and developer toes improve their privacy policies and wants them to provide simple disclosures to us, the parents, when data is being collected, how it's shared. they're considering whether enforcement action is needed, basically coming down and saying, you think you're downloading these apps so you can make your kids smarter and tech savvy and they're watching you. these things are made for the companies, they're not made for you and actually for our kids to be smart and tech savvy. >> yeah. i got suckered into that early, early on, a free app which your kid loves and loves so much they want you to pie the $42 next level. i had no idea that was around. but no, i have an issue with screens in general. >> you have to be careful. >> but i think you're being a little cynical in your presentation that the apps are only for to us be tracked. >> no, they're to sell us things, too. >> yeah, they are. but when i left this morning, my daughter was doing math on the app. and, you know, your daughters may be learning -- >> and i spy cam was watching her. >> and we also have a stay off the pole app. but it does beg the question whether it's an app you're downloading or a website you're visiting, they are tracking not only how we consume, but now what our kids like, as well. >> it's a new frontier. and, you know -- >> get educated on it. >> we didn't grow up with this stuff and we think we're doing the right thing and giving our kids ipads at younger ages, but you can't just tune off your parenthood. >> my daughters are only allowed to use the rotary phones. >> and you came to work on a horse and buggy. guys, it was great to see you. we'll have you back very, very soon. we'll take a look at your over feeling of recovery next on your bottom line. alth. i've got revigor. what's revigor? 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[oinking] since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪ your job, your home, your investments. on paper, you're doing okay, right? the long-term unemployed was out of the workforce for 26 weeks or more, they're still struggling. home prices are at the lowest point in more than a decade. and while the payroll tax cut is putting an extra $40 in your pocket, that's likely going to pay for rising gas prices. rick, it's a two-speed recovery, right? we're coming of the of the recovery and the recession prices and there's winners and losers and it's harder to get into this group from this one. >> absolutely. some people are back in their jobs, getting raises and promotions, investments are picking up a little bit. >> coming back to normal for those people. >> whatever they think normal is, yeah, those are pretty good. and i think we see this with regard to education. this you don't have a college education, it's anecdotally very clear, those who don't have the right education for this economy are basically going to drop out of the economy. it is crucially important these days to have the right skills. >> and at some point, the government has to be backing away from support. you can't go on with emergency measures forever when what is now becoming a chronic situation. >> that's basic math. >> what do you do to make sure you are on the right side of this two-speed recovery? constantly learning, you say. >> obviousllearning. >> depends who you are. don't lose hope. i think it's still possible for people who work hard and are smart to get ahead, to get ahead. you have to be smart and we have to think about ourselves and careers the way we think about children. we want our kids to study and work hard to compete with the best in the world, right? i think we have to think about ourselves the same way. always ask yourself what new skills can i be developing if you're in manufacturing, can you get more technology skills to help you operate the latest machinery, things like this. everybody needs to learn about social media, new technology. it's changing so fast, that is becoming a difference. >> i keep saying the best investment you can make is paying down your high interest debt. this debt is something hanging around your neck you can't get invest or pay off college if you're with all this high interest credit card debt. interesting survey of people in their tax refunds found a lot of people will be paying down debt or saving. people are playing defense but a little smarter. >> i hope those survey results turn out to be true. i think what we see in reality is people have good intentions, say i'll save the money, but we have seen an increase in credit card debt, they did that over the holiday season, people need to have discipline. things are not going back to the way they used to be where you can get away with putting everything on the credit card and the money will materialize. >> we're trying to save for college at a time putting more in the gas tank. rick newman, thanks so much, really good advice paying down debt and learning and finding out to be learning. >> every little bit helps. >> veterans coming home from iraq and afghanistan working for work. meet one big company actively hiring them next, on "the bottom line." my daughter's grabbing some yoplait. pina colada, orange creme. i can't imagine where she is... strawberry cheesecake. 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[ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ nearly two million men and women have served in iraq and afghanistan, many are now coming home and they will need to learn how to translate that battlefield experience to the office. for our coming home series we spent time with workforce opportunity services, an organization that pairs veterans with the companies who want to give them a chance and hire them. look at one company doing just that. >> reporter: jack's resume is impressive. >> anybody can see code or write memo or fax. not everybody can turn around and make a life and death decision without blinking an eye and follow through to the end. >> reporter: training attracted prudential financial, one of many big companies active lie hiring veterans and reservists. raymond weeks runs the veterans program there and he is a vet. >> employers may not understand the value these individuals can bring in terms of the attribu s attributes, focused, disciplined, terrific work ethic. their experiences are unique. i understand the challenges they face, leaving the military from a very structured hierarchy, coming in the work place which isn't as structured. >> louis coming in the workforce after five years in the marines and three tours in iraq. he has learned how to translate that experience in the job interview and at prudential. >> we had trouble calling everybody sir or ma'am, and everybody is like whoa, call me bob or steve. >> reporter: a great example how the average american office is a long way from the battlefield. >> every member with probably very few exceptions have gone to boot camp, lived together, workeding to, trained together, whether that job is in combat or finance or administration, they have to rely on each other to do the right work and get it done. >> reporter: he is 2 1/2 years in his six year enlistment with the reserves. applying persistence to finding a place in the civilian workforce and has advice for fellow service members. >> to go from being hungry for your country for hungry for no reason it's hard. we're not looking who are hand-outs just an opportunity to show you that we have what it takes to prop up your company and make you successful. because that is the way we're born and raised. >> it's not only veterans coming home trying to find a job but also getting their finances in order. june is a certified financial planner with usaa, offers financial services to military members, and serves as lieutenant colonel in the army reserve. welcome to the program. >> good morning. >> you have 20 years of service you have been deployed, tell me how a difficult it can be to translate those skills on a resume for a veteran, what is your advice? >> well, certainly, a lot of people do things in the military that are not transferable directly to a civilian career. they need to figure out how to make that happen. what i recommend is they go on military.com to the job skills translator so they can translate their military experience to skills and related things that a civilian employer would understand. >> yeah, that is good advice. we'll put that website on our own show page as well if people want to learn more. let me ask you about housing, something that is crucial for people coming home. mortgage rates are down, but people looking to get back in the economy, you say they need to make sure first they know what their job is and their job outlook, so they are not burdened by a home payment. >> well that's right. the job that they want may take them to a particular place, so my advice to them is don't buy a home right away, don't use that va guaranteed home loan right away, wait until you find that job, because that job is going to dictate where you live. because once you buy that home, it's a huge purchase and so then what do you do with it if you have to go someplace else and then you have to sell that home. so it's a very big decision. >> that goes for veterans and anybody else looking to move around the country for a new job. for service members in particular, you talk about a credit freeze, many opt to put on their reports when they are deployed. when they come back, when should and how should they apply for lines of credit? >> when they come back, i always recommend they call the credit agency and say hey, would you remove my credit freeze, i'm looking for credit, now i'm think about buying a home and doing those kind of things with my credit report right now. so t