It wasn't until the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act in 1974 that women gained the right to open bank accounts, credit cards, and loans in their own names, without a male co-signer. On this week's 51%, we speak with Kathleen Godfrey, CEO of Godfrey Financial Associates, about how women's financial independence has evolved over the past 50-plus years, and what women can do now to secure themselves for the future. We also meet the new head of the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester, New York.

The average bonus paid to employees of the securities industry in New York City was about $247,000 last year, according to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

An unprecedented look at the birth of a sperm whale found that mother and calf were supported by other whales throughout the process.