“Damned if you do, dial-up if you don’t.” That was the quote at the beginning of the Gotcha Capitalism Internet chapter in 2008. Ha! Below is an excerpt from the Internet fees chapter of the new edition of Gotcha, published this week. How does your Internet access — and your [Keep reading]
I wasn’t going to start this until next week, but this story is so important I’m jumping the gun. Today I begin 30 days of Gotchas, to show just how widespread and menacing this problem is. The series corresponds to the launch of the new edition of my book Gotcha [Keep reading]
How do you compare with an average credit consumer? Experian’s annual “State of Credit” report has a lot of interesting data to digest. Watch to video above for a discussion, or read on. You might already know that credit accounts, credit cards, and credit limits are already up — way [Keep reading]
January is a natural time to take stock of your financial life, and to dream big dreams about 2018. Could this be the year you make the leap to homeownership? Or, will you make a big change and trade in your mortgage payment for a landlord? In the complex calculus [Keep reading]
As you stroll by the packed windows of January-effect health clubs, consider this: the first month of the year is a time of good intentions that pave the way to…well, despair, anyway. I’d be willing to bet more than half of those health-seeking treadmill joggers in the window will get [Keep reading]
International travelers returning to the U.S. on New Year’s Day faced massive frustration nationwide as the computer systems operated by Customs and Border Protection failed. Long lines and delays were report from New York To Denver to Miami. The New Year’s Day disruption is oddly similar to one that occurred [Keep reading]
Well 2017, it’s been nice to know you. What a year it’s been for consumers, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Looking back at my most clicked-on stories, it’s obvious which headline captured the most attention: The Equifax hack, and all its fallout. At a time like this, [Keep reading]
People rushing to pay their 2018 taxes early to avoid adverse changes in the just-passed Republican tax plan should hit the brakes. It’s very possible that at least some of those early payments will have been made in vain, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the IRS. The payments [Keep reading]
You’ve probably heard that residents in “rich,” high-tax coastal states like New York and California are getting badly screwed by the Republican tax bill that’s about to pass. What you haven’t heard is that plenty of people in decidedly not-rich places like Ohio, Arkansas, Nebraska, and even West Virginia will [Keep reading]
Buy or rent? It’s an eternal question made even harder lately by a) the crazy increases in real estate prices and b) the crazy increases in rents. Sometimes, it feels like you can’t win. But you can lose if you put blinders on and are unwilling to consider both possibilities. [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan