In this week’s address, President Barack Obama discusses the steps he’s taking to improve the country’s economy, which include a plan to reform the nation’s credit card industry.

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Credit Card Reform

Simmons “credit card” attracts $2 billion in deposits. Hip-hop mogul Russel Simmons’ credit-building Visa RushCard has hit the $2 billion deposit mark just when more Americans than ever need a boost on their credit reports. The prepaid Visa Card is similar to a debit card, but it allows people with jacked-up credit to enjoy the luxury of a credit card while repairing their histories. “I’m personally very happy that RushCard is benefiting and empowering people exactly as it was intended,” Simmons said in a statement. The card allows members to track their transactions online while including debt-reducing strategies and restriction to prevent over-drafting or overuse. “In America today, no one should be left out or kept out of having access to the American dream and financial services which a bank account or credit card provides to others. The fact that we have already helped our members manage $2 billion in transactions proves that RushCard is instrumental in providing access to those services that hundreds of thousands of people may not otherwise have.”

The musical greats are lining up for Obama. President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration committee is promising a diverse lineup of musical luminaries for his blowout Jan. 20 shindig in the nation’s capital. Among those slated to perform are Aretha Franklin, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill, organizers said Wednesday. The U.S. Marine band will open the ceremony, which will be held on the west side of the U.S. Capitol, the building where Congress convenes. The Marines will be followed by performances by children’s choirs from San Francisco, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who heads the inaugural ceremonies committee. Obama’s inauguration “will be an event of historic proportion,” Feinstein said in a statement. “It is appropriate that the program will include some of the world’s most gifted artists from a wide range of backgrounds and genres.”