Reports of Black Friday’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, and if you doubt that, show up at a big box retailer at 3 a.m. this Friday. But it’s undeniable that the shine around shopping’s biggest day has dulled a little, and that shows up in the data. Last year, 134 [Keep reading]
After about a month of inserting instead of swiping their plastic payment cards, many American consumers have strong opinions about the launch of chip-enabled credit and debit cards. While some are frustrated that chip transactions take a little longer than theold magnetic stripe purchases, they are far more worried that [Keep reading]
Many companies have stopped offering raises and are instead offering perks in an attempt to keep workers happy. Perks are great, of course. But they aren’t always what they seem. I recently looked at a category of benefits I called “Trojan Horse Perks” for CNBC.com. I think you’ll know right [Keep reading]
When the phone rang, the message on the caller ID display was a surprise. Sometimes it said, “Flower Shop.” Or “Pizza Delivery.” Or the name or number of a family member. Or “Repossession Services.” When consumers answered the phone, the ruse continued. An operator gave the impression that flowers or [Keep reading]
The process of buying a home changed dramatically on Oct. 3. Here’s what you need to know about Know Before You Owe. What Is Know Before You Owe? That’s the name the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has given to changes in the procedure for buying a home, and specifically, in [Keep reading]
Daily fantasy sports giants FanDuel and DraftKings have temporarily banned employees from playing online fantasy sports for money. The ban comes after a controversy erupted during the past few days involving allegations of something akin to insider trading. I covered that here, with much of that story repeated below to [Keep reading]
To the surprise of (hopefully) no one, hard-charging fantasy sports non-betting sites are suddenly embroiled in controversy that includes discussion of something akin to insider trading. While there is no evidence of anything fraudulent occurring, the incident has shined a bright light on a potential lack of transparency and external [Keep reading]
It’s getting more expensive to park and access your own money, but you probably knew that. Bankrate.com’s annual survey of checking account fees came out Monday, revealing that the average cost for withdrawing money from a not-your-bank ATM has risen to $4.52, a record. Some checking account fees are up, too, [Keep reading]
I know in-flight Wi-Fi prices have increased recently, but $300 for one cross-country round trip? That’s essentially what Gogo Inc. charged me recently. And I don’t want that happening to you. If you’ve ever used Wi-Fi on an airplane, check your credit card bills. Now. The firm that dominates the U.S. [Keep reading]
I hate when Gotcha Capitalism wins, and you do too. But it happens all the time, because markets fail, and when they do bad operators win, and companies trying to be honest are penalized. That’s not a free market, that’s a free-for-all market. It’s terrible for everyone — consumers, businesses, [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan