Summary: <p>A few of the country's biggest brands are making some strange moves. </p> <p>Goldman Sachs, a bank accustomed to multi-billion dollar dealings with wealthy customers, will make smaller loans to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/business/dealbook/goldman-to-move-into-online-consumer-lending.html?_r=0">less wealthy consumers</a> and small businesses via an <a href="http://qz.com/397557/even-goldman-sachs-wants-to-jump-on-the-online-lending-bandwagon/">online service</a>. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-31/amex-ceo-says-firm-has-learned-the-dangers-of-1990s-era-elitism">American Express</a> — the brand <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/07/30/new-amex-black-card-perk-courtroom-banter/">(in)famous</a> for its ultra-exclusive "black card," available only to those who charge more than $250,000 a year — is teaming up with Walmart to offer a pre-paid debit card, a product traditionally sold to low-income customers who don't have bank accounts. Banking brands of the rich and famous seem to be making grabs for the middle class.</p> <p>Meanwhile, kale breakfast bowls popped up on the McDonalds menu earlier this year. Then, the hamburglar got a hipster-esque <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/05/09/mcdonalds-brand-problems/">makeover</a>. This looks like a piecemeal response to a <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/04/22/mcdonalds-earnings-slide-could-be-function-of-economics">post-recession slump</a> in the industry. Fast food brands that survived the financial crisis relatively unscathed have been struggling. Just this week, KFC fought a campaign against its Chinese competitors, who accused the chain on social media of raising <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/riskandcompliance/2015/06/15/crisis-of-the-week-kfc-fights-8-legged-chicken-rumors/">eight-legged chickens</a> to maximize drumstick production.</p> <p><em>Money Talking's </em>guest host <a href="http://www.npr.org/people/350888943/stacey-vanek-smith">Stacey Vanek Smith</a> of NPR's <a href="http://npr.org/money">Planet Money</a> invites <a href="http://qz.com/author/sbanjoqz/">Shelly Banjo</a> of Quartz and <a href="http://www.politico.com/reporters/BenWhite.html">Ben White</a> of Politico to make sense of these moves — and asks the critical money question of the week: Which <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/alexander-hamilton-to-share-image-on-10-bill-with-a-woman-1434591472">woman should be on the U.S. $10 bill</a>? </p>
