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THE RED TAPE CHRONICLES

Technology has hidden side effects -- we reveal them here

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Gotchas / Consumer

Yes, you can buy a new laptop on credit. But you probably shouldn’t

August 25, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

A new computer, for as low as $24 a month! That might sound like a steal, but — as with any type of financing — make sure you do the math, and research your options. It may be tempting to buy a new PC in August, particularly with back-to-school sales. Even if [Keep reading]

How To Buy Anything

Eight cheaper ways to book hotels: The latest installment of the ‘How to Buy Anything’ series

August 24, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

(A note to loyal readers. Perhaps you’ve noticed that I’ve been away for a while — two weeks, to be exact. Well, I’ve proudly managed to take my own advice from The Restless Project and took a break. Thanks for your patience!) For years now, getting a good price on [Keep reading]

Poverty Project

Requiem for the starter home — where are young families supposed to live?

August 6, 2015 Bob Sullivan 2

I had a depressing conversation recently with someone who does big housing construction deals for a big bank. There’s only two types of deals that work, he said. 1) Building pricey, premium granite countertop homes for well-off folks or 2) Building affordable housing with government subsidies. Roughly speaking: construction for [Keep reading]

The Restless Project

Knee-jerk reactions against higher wages are poisoning the important debate we need to have

August 5, 2015 Bob Sullivan 6

Two recent stories about America’s underpaid workers and the effort to give them a break remind me just how much more we need to talk about class warfare, and propaganda, and economics…but most of all, what’s going on at dinner tables around the country.  (That’s the point of The Restless Project.) [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

A bad credit score can raise your driver’s insurance rates higher than a DUI, study finds

August 4, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0

Is your less-than-perfect credit score costing you a bundle on auto insurance? A new study suggests this hidden fee might be costing drivers hundreds of dollars each year. So if you are wanting to get cheap 125cc insurance for your motorbike, then you should make sure that you have a [Keep reading]

Privacy

Most consumers are worried their cars might be hacked; many say they’d pay for car ‘anti-virus’ protection

August 3, 2015 Bob Sullivan 1

Consumers are becoming more and more aware that hacking isn’t just a gadget nuisance any more. Computer security problems, like viruses, increasingly come with real-world consequences — like the potential to screw with an airplane’s flight system, or more recently, a car. Wired’s Andy Greenberg last month revealed to the [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

The real reason for skyrocketing college tuition: vanishing lower-cost options

August 3, 2015 Bob Sullivan 2

Sara Goldrick-Rab is among the loudest critics of America’s structures designed to fund college education. She’s a professor of Educational Policy Studies and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working for a state school that is squarely in the cross-hairs of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s plans to cut funding and [Keep reading]

Cynja

The Cynja, Vol. 10: Meet Grant Wiley – creating something out of nothing makes him feel cool

July 31, 2015 Bob Sullivan 0
Gotchas / Consumer

The nation’s top 10 consumer gripes, and new ‘gotchas’ to worry about

July 31, 2015 Bob Sullivan 2

Health care billing issues, IRS impostor scams and student loan consolidators were among the biggest consumer headaches last year, joining more familiar complaints about identity theft, home repair and debt collection. The definitive survey of consumer gripes, which includes data from 37 agencies in 21 states, was released Wednesday by [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Apple Rewards credit card: How much will those free points cost? I can’t tell you

July 30, 2015 Bob Sullivan 1

Want a fancy new Macbook but don’t have the cash for it right now?  Don’t worry, Apple offers two ways to finance the purchase — PayPal Credit or Barclaycard Visa (with points!). As you might imagine, I don’t think buying a computer on new credit isn’t the greatest idea. If [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

Bob Sullivan

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