There is still time to register to attend the 2017 Annual Conference & Exposition presented by NBMBAA® & Prospanica®, which begins next week in Philadelphia, PA. The conference, which will be held Sept. 26-30, convenes our members, corporate and university partners, and some of the world’s most sought after thought leaders for a week of exploration in the areas of education, leadership, career opportunities, and networking connections that enable professional development. More than 10,000 professionals are expected to be in Philadelphia next week to gain access to opportunities that only our National Conference can offer. If you're planning to attend but have not registered, you can still receive the Member Discount by logging in, or joining the National Black MBA Association If you would like to attend the conference as a non-member, you can proceed by creating a profile. You will be sent to an external conference page to complete your conference registration and choose housing. Save now and pre-register to avoid on-site charges. We encourage you to consider membership before purchasing your Conference tickets. Members receive discounts up to $225 off passes and receive additional benefits throughout the year.

Rosanne Thomas, the founder and president of Protocol Advisors, Inc. provides her top 5 Do's for modern business etiquette. (The Business Journals)

Aside from poor cybersecurity measures, the massive data breach uncovered at Equifax revealed inherent flaws in the United States: an over-reliance on Social Security numbers credit reporting system in need of massive reform. (CNBC)

Once you're at the conference table with a hiring manager, it's often much harder to negotiate than you would expect. There are several salary negotiation mistakes you need to be aware of - and avoid. (CNBC)

September is the perfect time to start looking for a new job, coinciding with schools going back into session all across the nation. Here are 19 companies that are expected to make a significant number of hires this month. (The Muse)

While gender, race, background, expertise and education matter, experts say diversity is nothing more than a checkbox without an inclusive culture. (Entrepreneur)

In a July survey, just 2 percent of interns at EY—the accounting and consulting firm formerly called Ernst & Young—said a company's reputation for diversity and inclusion is a priority when looking for an employer. It trailed other factors like opportunities for growth and advancement (84%); flexibility (59%); and parental leave benefits (16%). (Quartz)

Standard & Poor's said Thursday it has downgraded China's rating one notch, warning that "a prolonged period of strong credit growth has increased China's economic and financial risks." The move is likely to come as an unwelcome irritant for Chinese President Xi Jinping as he tries to project strength and stability ahead of a major meeting of Communist Party leaders next month. (CNN Money)

European officials are considering more proposals aimed at increasing the amount of tax paid by American companies like Facebook and Amazon. (The New York Times)

As young professionals continue to see global business education at a faster pace, business schools worldwide are joining together to offer dual degrees that may eventually challenge the traditional MBA. (BusinessBecause)

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump named Jonathan Holified, a lawyer and former NFL player, as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (Chicago Tribune)

The head of the elite qualifications global examining board said the election of Donald Trump is the reason for the growing number of U.S. business schools seeing a decline in MBA applications from foreign students. (Financial Times)

Kean University's Women of Excellence recently joined with groups such as the National Black MBA and Travelers Insurance Company, sponsored its "Backpacks to Briefcases" seminar featuring student body and prospective businessmen and women interested in finance and insurance. (The Cougar's Byte)

Facebook said this week it will change how ads can be targeted, responding to evident it allows ads to be directed at users who used racist comments or hate speech in their profiles. (The New York Times)

Black Wealth 2020, a new movement aiming to change the course of Black wealth in America, is gaining swift support from national advocates of economic justice. (The Chronicle)

In a move that that could nudge consumer borrowing costs higher, the Fed agreed Wednesday to begin gradually shedding much of the roughly $3.5 trillion in bonds it snapped up during and after the downturn to lower long-term interest rates. (USA TODAY)

According to the 2017 State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA) report, Black home ownership rose from its near 50-year low of 41.3 percent in the third quarter of 2016 to above 42 percent in the first two quarters of 2017, based on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. (Black Enterprise)

If retiring by 40 seems impossible, it's not. In fact, it's surprisingly attainable if you have the right understanding and financial strategies. (CNN Money)

On Wednesday, Google agreed to pay HTC $1.1 billion for a team of employees of the Taiwanese phone maker, including many who have previously worked on the Google-branded Pixel phones. Separately, Google will get a non-exclusive license to HTC intellectual property. (Forbes)

Toys R Us filed bankruptcy early this week, and has acquired $3.1 billion in new financing, allowing it to operate all of its stores through the holiday season. After the holidays, store closings will begin. (USA TODAY)

Black Progressive Action Coalition, an organization that mobilized black voters on behalf of Hillary Clinton, will spend more than $1 million in Virginia to support Democrats ahead of the governor's race in November. (The Washington Post)