Here are some of my recent posts about money for credit.com.
People are Easily Manipulated by Price of Goods, Except When They're Not:
When people are told that a $10 bottle of wine costs $90, they'll report that it tastes better. When they're told a painkiller (actually a placebo) costs $2.50 per pill, they'll report less pain from electrical shocks than people who are given the same placebo but are told it costs ten cents.
Alarming Dashboard View of U.S. Debt:
Watching the U.S. national debt, credit card debt, medical debt, and various entitlement liabilities skyrocket, I envisioned Uncle Sam at the gas pump, pouring greenbacks into a tank that we'll never be able to pay for when the bill comes.
Robo-call Rip-Offs:
Patricia Poole of Mineral City, Ohio paid $695 to Mutual Consolidated Savings, which promised to "work with Poole's creditors to get her interest rates lowered or eliminated." But after she paid the money, Poole says she never heard from anyone at Mutual Consolidated Savings.
Car Dealers' Tricks — and How to Dodge Them:
An especially dirty dealer trick is called "check ransoming." This is when a dealer asks you to write a check before a deal has been made to "prove to the manager you are serious." Then the check gets mysteriously "misplaced," putting you in an uncomfortable position that the dealer will use against you to close the deal against your better judgment.
Got a Plan to Reduce Your Credit Card Debt? Keep it to Yourself!:
"Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you're less motivated to do the hard work needed," writes Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby. "Once you've told people of your intentions, it gives you a 'premature sense of completeness.'"
Cheap, Good Food:
Living on a budget sucks if you feel as though you are depriving yourself. The only way I'll be able to stick to a budget is if it's more fun than blowing the budget.
