. >>> up next, the money guru suze orman with a money check on this very tough economy. >>> we're back. if you've been following news on the economy this week, you know it's mostly more of the same -- jobs scarce, the housing market depressed and business spending is slow. so we asked one of the leading money experts, suze orman, what about this sobering reality. >>> here's what's going on in my opinion in the united states of america. the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing. so there's a highway now into poverty, and i'm not even sure if there is a roadway out anymore. the reality for retirees is a very bleak one. their interest rates have decreased on their retirement income from 5% to possibly 1% or 2%. there is no cost-of-living increase for the past two years on social security. so they are in a situation where their expenses are increasing, their income is decreasing. nobody wants to hire them because they're older -- oh, they are stuck right now, i feel very bad for them. entrepreneurs need to be stepping up to the plate, st

here to answer your questions is cnbc's suze orman. ning, it's great to see you. >> good morning my friend. >> want to get right into it? we've got a lot of questions here. the first one comes from kerry in salt lake city. i'm breeping to have my third baby this winter and need to purchase a larger car and home. when i sell my current car i will have about $20,000 cash to put down on the new larger car. however, i'm wondering if it would be more beneficial to lease my next car, applying the $20,000 cash to equity in my next home? she's got an expanding family. what do you suggest? >> carrie, have you lost your mind? if you seriously -- anyway, if you lease a car, you're going to lease one for the rest of your life. it is the biggest waste of money out there. here's what i would tell you to do. if you're going to have to buy a new car, buy a car that's used already. but that's new for you. in terms of buying a new home, you need at least 20% down. don't worry about buying that home so quickly. real estate isn't going anywhere. interest r

suze orman, always has all the answers.he's going to share them with us coming up. >> and a piece of las vegas history that is almost extinct. what's life liken the longest-running show in las vegas? they're still kicking up plenty of fun. we're going to tell you why this show is still kicking after all these years. >> i went there. i tried on their headdress to see how much it weighed. between 10 and 18 pounds. and these heels they wear. it's an unbelievable balancing act. >> you've got to be in shape? >> that's true. apparently i wasn't. first a texas lawmaker bares his soul. city councilman joe burns choked back tears and broke down as he spo of being the victim of school bullying. as miguel almaguer reports his moving message to gay teens is the latest video to go viral. >> reporter: tuesday's ft. worth city council meeting started off like most others. >> i've never told this story to anyone before tonight. >> reporter: but counlman joe burns used the public venue to share a deeply private story. >> after numerous scid

what's the trick of suze orman? >> oh, my gosh. well, she's very energetic.'s very passionate about everything that she talks about. so i think for me, just finding that one thing in a person i'm doing an impression of and just blowing it up to make it like more of a character than the actual person. >> that is what my hairdresser has named my hairdo, the cutback, because she only cuts the back. >> i watched her for years. i love her. i obviously make her a little crazier. but i've met her, and she's -- she was actually in the audience one time when i did her, which is a little scary. >> the easiest person to pick out of the audience. >> oh, yeah. you could see her from up there, her blond hair. >> larry: andy, you had a fight with mark wahlberg, right? >> fight is a little harsh. >> larry: what did you have with him? >> i did an impression of him, and he was doing a movie of his. >> larry: how do you impersonate mark wahlberg? what sticks out about mark wahlberg? he's terrific. >> i do a lot of guys i grew up with. >> you're a donkey. i like that. you eat ap

so we asked one of the leading money experts, suze orman, what about this sobering reality. >>> here's in my opinion in the united states of america. the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing. so there's a highway now into poverty, and i'm not even sure if there is a roadway out anymore. the reality for retirees is a very bleak one. their interest rates have decreased on their retirement income from 5% to possibly 1% or 2%. there is no cost of living increase for the past two years on social security. so they are in a situation where their expenses are increasing, their income is decreasing. nobody wants to hire them because they're older -- oh, they are stuck right now, i feel very bad for them. entrepreneurs need to be stepping up to the plate, starting small businesses, creating things here. but here's the sad thing -- banks are not giving small business owners the loans that they need to create the businesses to hire the people to change what's happening in the united states. you need to live below your means, but within your nee

. >> can we point out too, suze orman is in the house talking to condoleezza rice. suze, everybody.er there. we'll get to that in a minute. >> if you were up late night, jimmy fallon was having a little fun at your expense. >> join the party. >> you should know that the ice skating rink opened up -- >> right behind us. >> yes, yesterday. jimmy decided to have fun at this one's expense. >> the rockefeller center ice skating rink opened this weekend, you guys. a nice change of pace. i like it. nice change of pace. usually when they deliver ice to nbc, it is just fokathie lee's mini bar. so it is good to see something different. >> so funny. just hysterical. wish i had a mini bar. >> got one down there. so "dancing with the stars" last night, if y watched, florence henderson put on quite the show. >> i was at yr party, so i wasn't there. >>so was i but we heard -- >> she danced the rumba. >> how would you describe the dance? let's watch. ♪ now i long for yesterday ♪ >> how old is she? she can even bend backwards that far is impressive. >> oh, my gosh. >> that's a lite upsetting on a lo

suze orman says americans may have to change their outlook on what's important. >> you're not going to see real este skyrocket anytime soon if ever again. you're not going to see all the jobs come back overnight if ever, i'm so sorry to say, so you have to look at things differently. what are the small things that would make you happy? so when you look at life that way, you just might find small is better than large. >> orman says seniors are one of the hardest hit groups. social security payments have not increased in two years and businesses are less likely to hire them. despite the recession new figures show hispanic ownership has risen in our area. >>> a look at the types of business that is are booming and why. >> reporter: despite a down economy business for keystone plus construction has never been better. last year the d.c.-based construction company made about $25 million. >> we're looking to keep growing. >> the business is hispanic owned and nearly all of its 150 employees are hispanic. >> a lot of fellow latinos come from their home countries here with backgrounds in constr

brian williams, cnbc's suze orman and laura bush are some of the speakers. why didn't they ask me? i don't get it. get all your business news on cnbc. >> and a reminder get your business and tech report before the markets open, today in the bay starts week days at 4:30 in the morning. >>> when you first went out into the work force, your parents probably told you to be polite, keep your head down, work hard. but is that what it really takes to climb the top of the corporate ladder? on today's press here, stanford business professor jeffrey suffer says hard work is not enough to corner that corner office. he says most workers, especially women, may need to be less polite in the office to get positions of power. >> if i had to give women advice and boil down all the research into one phrase, i would say you have to basically do the men do, be as tough as the men, competitive as the men, and even though people won't like you, when you do that, you have to get over that as well. >> i'm going to get over that today. catch the rest of that interview on "press here" after "meet the press"

suze orman says americans may have to change their outlook on what's iportant in life in order to makeee real estate skyrocket anytime soon if ever again. you're not going to see all the jobs come back overnight if ever, i'm so sorry to say, so you have to look at things differently. what are the small things tha would make you happy? so when you look at life that way you may just find small is better than rge. >> the problem is it's that $10 latte that makes me happy. orman says siors are one of the hardest hit groups. social security payments have not increased in two years and businesses are less likely to hire them. >>> surveillance video caught a foiled trash b bandit in action. >> not trash bag like you would pically think. cameras recorded the attempted jewelry store robby near el paso, texas. this started outside where a woman slipped a black garbage bag over her head. makes sense -- no, it doesn't make sense. she walked in armed with a 12-inch knife. the store owner chased her around the store wth a pink stun gun. a customer tackled the bandit and held her. officers arrested h