When was the last time you tried to give a company $100 and it refused to take it? That happened to me this week as I bargained with Sirius XM Radio over continuing my membership to the satellite radio service. I said I would renew for a year, but only [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan popularized the term “Gotcha Capitalism” with publication of his New York Times best-selling book of the same name. Gotchas — such as hidden fees — are annoying on a daily basis to consumers. But Sullivan argues they have also changed the way our economy works. Gotchas are the [Keep reading]
Saying “no” is every consumers’ most important skill. Don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to practice nearly everywhere you go. One great place to practice: at Jiffy Lube, the ubiquitous oil change franchise. In fact, I’d recommend standing in front of a mirror and drilling yourself in saying a quiet [Keep reading]
American consumers owe less and are paying their bills on time more, the New York Federal Reserve said in a report released Wednesday. The results certainly sound cheery, but debt data is notoriously subject to interpretation. What’s true for you is also true for the country: Some debt is good, [Keep reading]
I’ve been a journalist since 1990 focused on trying to make the world a little more fair. If it makes you angry, I’ve probably written about it, either on my Red Tape Chronicles blog for NBC News or in one of my four books. I’m an independent journalist and author now. You can [Keep reading]
Pew reported May 29 that married women now earn more than their husbands in one-quarter of all households. This is an easy talker as a gender story, but the deeper truth about dual-income households is easy to miss. Take a brief moment to celebrate that which should never have been [Keep reading]
I wrote yesterday about a surprising new trend — those plastic cards at checkout counters that look like credit cards but used to be hidden fee Trojan horses are actually a much better deal these days. There’s more competition now, because big banks like Chase are selling pre-paid debit cards, [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan