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Will Walmart Partnership With Financial-Management Apps Help Low-Wage Workers?

The country’s biggest employer announced last week that it’s offering a new way for its employees to budget and manage expenses.

Walmart is partnering with Silicon-valley startups Even and Payactiv to offer these financial management apps for free. These tools will connect to employees’ checking accounts and tell them what they have left to spend after bills and savings.

And let’s say an unexpected expense occurs, the employee can access their wages before payday. Will this solve some financial headaches for low-wage workers? Is it ignoring bigger issues for those who live paycheck-to-paycheck?

Joining us now to answer this is Todd Baker, a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and a consultant in the world of financial technology.

As a senior field correspondent, Christina Estes focuses on stories that impact our economy, your wallet and public policy.