Money Mondays: What You Should Know About The Panama Papers

Other uses include money laundering – many of these offshore structures are used to launder money from illicit activities such as arms sales, drug sales, or other money made illegally – or hiding money obtained through corruption.

Tom: What will come of this leak?

Mellody: That really remains to be seen, Tom. We have already seen one democratic leader resign over this, and the pressure is building on many politicians in the UK and in Ukraine. And we have yet to see any Americans named in this leak, which is certain to change. Now, we are beginning to see calls for an international conference to push through policy changes that will close loopholes and bring greater transparency to the international banking system. The scale of the leak suggests that this story will play out over weeks, months and years, so stay tuned tom.

Tom: We certainly will. Thanks for joining us, Mellody.

Mellody: You are welcome, Tom.

Mellody is president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves individual investors and retirement plans through its no-load mutual funds and separate accounts. Additionally, she is a regular financial contributor and analyst for CBS news and CBS.com.

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