Goldman Sachs 'Boys Club' Condemned in Discrimination Lawsuit

Morning Money Memo:

The big investment bank Goldman Sachs has been slapped with a gender-discrimination lawsuit and accused of fostering a "boys club atmosphere." Visits to strip clubs and a work environment that was generally hostile to women are among the claims being made by two former Goldman employees who want a judge to approve their lawsuit for class-action status. The two women first filed a claim against Goldman in 2010. "This constellation of evidence reflects widespread concerns among women about gender bias and a 'boys club' atmosphere; the sexualization of women and an uncorrected culture of sexual harassment and assault," the complaint says. Cristina Chen-Oster, a former Goldman vice president, and former associate Shanna Orlich allege that the company routinely paid women less than men. Goldman Sachs denies the allegations. "This is a normal and anticipated procedural step for any proposed class-action lawsuit and does not change the case's lack of merit," the company said in a statement.

The Federal Trade Commission has accused the wireless carrier T-Mobile of adding hundreds of millions of dollars of bogus charges to customers' accounts without their consent. The cellphone carrier reportedly billed consumers for subscriptions to premium text services such as $10-per-month horoscopes that were never authorized by the account holder. "T-Mobile knew about these fraudulent charges and failed to stop them," FTC consumer protection chief Jessica Rich says. The FCC is doing its own investigation into the company's billing practices. In a statement T-Mobile says the accusations are without merit.

Most young workers may not be worried about saving for retirement because it's decades away. But personal finance experts say starting early can give savers a big head start. "Even small amounts with a long horizon make a huge, huge difference," says Julie Jason, chief investment officer at the retirement planning firm Jackson Grant. If you start putting away a small amount each week in your 20s, it's much better than waiting until your 30s or 40s, she says. "The younger you are and the earlier you start to invest the more you can take advantage of compounding," she adds, adding that the gains from compound interest rates "are just incredible as to how much more you can have over a long period of time."

Is Vegas coming back from the recession? Two major resorts will be completely overhauled and rebranded. Caesars Entertainment says it's investing $223 million to overhaul The Quad, an aging 2,256-room hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. In a separate announcement, timeshare company Westgate Resorts said it had purchased the LVH, a hard-hit property that was formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton.

Wall Street is starting the day on a high note after Tuesday's record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Index climbed within 2 points of 17,000 for the first time. The S&P 500 gained 7 tenths of 1 percent Tuesday. Futures rose this morning and Asian stocks closed mostly higher. Analysts say the latest trigger for stock gains came from strong manufacturing surveys in the United States, Canada and China.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesnow