Shamontiel Vaughn

AFROTECH STAFF

Shamontiel Vaughn

Shamontiel is a full-time freelancer who has worked in print and online publishing for 19 years and completed 247 interviews in varying niches. If the native Chicagoan isn't writing or editing, there's a 99% chance she's trying to get her dog to stop picking fights with squirrels, hanging out at the lakefront or testing out new vegetarian menu items.

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Articles9

$960+ Increase Is Coming For 2025 Social Security Recipients

Social Security deductions are one of those topics that don’t really come up until two things happen: 1) our loved ones reach the retirement age where they can apply for benefits, or 2) we grumble about the chunk of money taken out of our (bi)weekly paychecks. With a presidential election happening now, the topic of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has come up more often than not. Specifically, Millennials and Gen Zers are being told that only 75% of the benefits will be covered by 2035, and younger voters want to know how either candidate plans to fix this. For those who are already receiving these benefits, there’s a new discussion on the table: the 2025 Social Security COLA increase. SSI benefits for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5% next year. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase will cover benefits payable to nearly 68 million SSI beneficiaries in January 2025. Additionally, increased payments to nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients...

Aspiring Attorneys, Learn What You Need To Know About Becoming a Paralegal

There are more than 1.3 million lawyers in the United States, one-fourth of them in two states: New York (188K) and California (170K). In 2013, lawyers of color were just 11%. A decade later, that total has almost doubled to 21%. However, the biggest increase within the minority lawyer community is with Asian American lawyers, not Black ones. In 2013, Black lawyers totaled 4.8%. Ten years later, the total was 5%. But for aspiring lawyers (and attorneys ) who are interested in joining that 5% (and helping to increase the number), becoming a paralegal is one step in that direction. Deciding Between A Career As A Lawyer, Attorney Or Professional Paralegal While interested legal students will be able to make the final decision about which path they want to go into, they should have a general idea about whether they want to be an attorney, a lawyer or a paralegal. There is a common misunderstanding that you have to do all three in order to work within the legal industry. That is...

Oct 16, 2024

Warren Sapp Is Doing What He Loves After The NFL, But What's His Net Worth?

What do the third-largest Hawaiian Island and a retired defensive tackle in the NFL have in common? They’re both in support of doing what you love. Rocking a sunglasses-wearing pineapple shirt with “ Do What You Love ” across the top, Warren Sapp is a six-year ambassador for Oahu Golf Apparel . In addition to showing off his golf swing and Polo shirts, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders player has a few more things going on since retiring from football. What Is Warren Sapp’s Net Worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Warren Sapp’s net worth is estimated to currently rest somewhere around $500,000. Unfortunately, this is a considerable drop from what it used to be. In 2004, when he joined the Raiders as a free agent, he had a seven-year contract worth $36 million, with a signing bonus that was reported to be about $6 million. But after a torn rotator cuff the next year, he knew he was going to have to start planning his next move. By 2007, he retired....

After A FAMU Donation Flub, What Is Batterson Farm Corp's Net Worth?

It’s hard not to be ecstatic about a $237.75 million donation to any educational organization, especially historically black colleges and universities . Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) president Larry Robinson was gleeful and already picturing the possibilities of what the HBCU could do with those funds. The donor, who initially requested to be anonymous, agreed to distribute 14 million shares of stock of intrinsic value plus an additional $61 million over the course of 10 years. Unfortunately, that donation from what we now know as the (former) Isaac Batterson Family 7th Trust and Batterson Farms CEO Gregory Gerami didn’t hold up. With minimal information about the CEO and even less about the company, FAMU had to pause the donation. “I take full responsibility for this matter and the ensuing fallout,” Robinson told FAMU trustees, according to a Forbes report . “I wanted it to be real and ignored the warning signs along the way. There was no personal gain, but...

After The Return To The Charlotte Hornets, What Is Seth Curry's Net Worth?

Earlier this year, the Charlotte Hornets re-signed guard Seth Curry for a one-year deal. The NBA team traded P.J. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks in order to acquire Curry on Feb. 8. Seth’s take on being a Hornet: “ ON PURPOSE, FOR PURPOSE .” So what is Seth Curry’s net worth? The terms of Seth’s current contract have not been reported. However, prior reports estimate that Seth has earned a total of $33 million in the NBA and currently $16 million. In 2021-22, he reportedly earned $8.2 million with the Brooklyn Nets. In 2018-19 with the Portland Trail Blazers, he had a rumored $3 million deal. Additional NBA teams he’s been on since 2013 include the Erie BayHawks, Santa Cruz Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks. (Fans got an inside look at his Texas mansion, which he was selling for $3.6 million , during one of his trades.) What Else Is Seth Curry Up To? As is common with lots of today’s...

Sep 30, 2024

Will a Publicist Improve Your Business Bottom Line?

“There are two types of personalities when it comes to self-marketing. There are the Master Ps in business, who will market his products to absolute strangers at every single moment of his day. Then there’s the other 75% of people who have glossophobia , fear of public speaking. You may be in the latter group. You were never the artist in the ‘80s and ‘90s who would have a box of CDs or cassette tapes in your car, ready to have a mobile distribution destination in every parking lot nearby. The idea of walking up to someone with a postcard, a brochure or a clipboard is out of the question. You might be OK putting marketing material on people’s windshields, but you’d rather drink a jug of beet juice instead of encouraging people to come to your vendor booth. You know you need to sell a product. Likewise, you know the only way for someone to find out about your product is to actually search for that target demographic and share your pitch. But fear of rejection will make you avoid eye...

Sep 16, 2024

Investing for Beginners: Condo Purchases Could Be Best for First-Time Home Investors

Buying a home can be an overwhelming and expensive purchase. On Friday, August 30, 2024, the current national average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.38%. The interest rates have gotten so high that John Hope Bryant , the founder of Operation HOPE , is trying to convince people that a 40-year mortgage plan is more fair. But when first-time homeowners and first-time investors are listening to Realtors, real estate attorneys and mortgage lenders discuss percentage rates, it may not seem as clear. That is, until new homeowners see property and interest (P&Is) really affect their monthly budget. (Varying property taxes can make budgeting even more complicated.) Photo credit: ArtTower Using Chicago as an example, if you bought a home in the Windy City right now (with very good credit between 700-739) for the city’s average home value of $305K , you’d pay about $1,729 per month for P&I. If that sounds high, the average rent in Chicago is $1,836 per month for a...

Sep 13, 2024

From a Hot Girl Summer to a Grind Girl All Year Round for Megan thee Stallion

It’s not your imagination. Hot Girl Summer has turned into Grind Girl Summer for Megan “Megan Thee Stallion” Pete in the past few years. The Houston, Texas native has been on her grind and popping up everywhere, including introducing her “Hottie Sauce” in 2021 on First We Feast’s “Hot Ones” and sharing her Amazon Prime Day favorites in July of this year. Listed in Forbes “30 Under 30” in 2023, the 29-year-old reportedly made a guesstimated $13 million in 2022 from a combination of royalties, ticket sales, endorsements and merchandise. Clearly, this femcee is looking to be known for more than just music. Here are more details about her latest ventures and Megan Thee Stallion’s net worth. Popeye’s Partners With Megan Thee Stallion In 2021, the popular chicken franchise and the southern rapper created a chicken nugget and crispy chicken sandwich dipping sauce. (If you were around for the chicken war , you know about Popeye’s fried chicken sandwich already.) Even if you can’t get ahold...

Sep 13, 2024

The 'Magic Number' You Need To Hit Before Retiring Is An Option

Auntie. Unc. These nicknames came out of nowhere, and they’re not coming from your actual nephews and nieces. Birthdays are flying by, but you still feel the same age as prior years. Weird times. Photo credit: Polina Tankilevitch You may already know that starting a retirement plan early on means you’ll be ahead of the game, but it just seems like retirement is so far away. According to recent data from the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances , 45.6% of families are not investing for retirement. Whether you’re in the 54.4% who do have a retirement plan or not, the birthdays are going to continue regardless. Or, maybe you’re one of the few who decided to start trying to figure out the retirement savings “magic number” to strive for while Gen Z and Gen A have already assumed you get senior discount breakfasts and an AARP magazine subscription . Can You Survive On Social Security Benefits While Working? Instead of worrying about gray hair on your head ( or other places )...

Sep 12, 2024