(A version of this story first appeared on CNBC.com, where I am a contributor. See a collection of mys stories on CNBC) If you plan on splurging for a pricey handbag, watch, or pair of shoes this fall, prepare to be insulted. Marketing professor Morgan Ward is pretty sure about [Keep reading]
WASHINGTON D.C. — What if we treated data with the same scrutiny as people? When a consumer applies for a loan or a job, firms uses massive databases and can consider thousands of data points when they assess the integrity of that person. But what if consumers could, in equal [Keep reading]
I was on the TODAY show this morning and didn’t even know it. Neat! it was taped months ago, but better late than never. The tips and topics are all still relevant, maybe moreso in the post Home-Depot world. Would you walk into a coffee shop wearing a sign with [Keep reading]
The phone calls just won’t stop. They begin 8:31 a.m. and end at 8:29 p.m. Alicia Figluizzi has been hounded by debt collectors for months. And every interruption, every menacing call, is a call for the wrong person. Those who call are looking for a woman named “Shaunda.” The calls [Keep reading]
Credit or debit? The answer is credit. Always, whenever possible. And by credit, I mean put away that piece of plastic you can use to get money at the ATM and pull out your credit card. We’re about to find out why this is so important. Criminals are using debit [Keep reading]
If technology exists that could stop scammy robocalls before they pester and cheat Americans, why don’t phone companies use it? That’s the crux of a letter sent today by 38 state attorneys general to the Federal Communications Commission. Software with names like NoMoRobo, Call Control, and Telemarketing Guard is capable of [Keep reading]
Do you struggle to live on $60,000 per year? Or $80,000? Or even $100,000? Well, I know a lot of people who can’t understand how that’s possible. This is your chance to explain it to them. Send me your budget, and explain how it all adds up, at Bob at [Keep reading]
Home Depot shoppers, check your credit card bills. The home improvement giant confirmed Monday it was hit by credit card hackers. While information is still scarce, it’s clear the hack will have a huge footprint. Here’s the relevant part of the firm’s statement: “Last Tuesday, September 2, we disclosed that [Keep reading]
There is a long, long, history of tragedy around not believing victims of domestic violence. I could pick a million data points, but one should suffice: Here is testimony from a woman named Amy Castillo who couldn’t get a protective order against her estranged husband even after he threatened to [Keep reading]
As summer comes to a close, many Americans find themselves lamenting the vacations they didn’t take. In the latest bit of research suggesting U.S. workers work too much, the U.S. Travel Association said last week that 40 percent of Americans don’t use all their vacation days, claiming “Work Martyr” syndrome [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan