Home › Consumerism Commentary

Consumerism Commentary

This informative group blog was honored by Kiplinger as a “must-read” blog and named as one of Yahoo!’s “Ten Money Blogs Everyone Should Read.”

Profile of Consumerism Commentary

Latest Posts from Consumerism Commentary (page 3)

LastDollar March 2013 Net Worth

Published Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - 10:31 by Consumerism Commentary

This month is Insurance Month in the series Naked With Cash. Each month, seven Consumerism Commentary readers anonymously share their financial reports to gain insight about their progress towards their goals. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. LastDollar is thirty-three years old, an entrepreneur and single mom with two children with learning differences in private school. […]

Financial Role Models vs. Money Classes

Published Monday, April 22, 2013 - 11:35 by Consumerism Commentary

Non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses promote financial literacy education as the solution to a society of citizens unskilled with managing their own money. If only we could have mandatory money management classes in high school and earlier, advocates claim, the United States would be a nation of savers, free of most debt other than mortgages, with an emergency fund in every garage. […]

Anne and Matt March 2013 Net Worth

Published Friday, April 19, 2013 - 11:37 by Consumerism Commentary

This month is Insurance Month in the series Naked With Cash. Each month, seven Consumerism Commentary readers anonymously share their financial reports to gain insight about their progress towards their goals. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Anne and Matt are twenty-seven years old, living in the Midwest, with two children. […]

What To Do If You’ve Donated to a Fraudulent Charity

Published Thursday, April 18, 2013 - 12:40 by Consumerism Commentary

It happened after September 11, Katrina, Sandy, the Boston Marathon, and other disasters, man-made and natural, around the world. After serious tragedies, when a compassionate public is at its most vulnerable, unscrupulous individuals find taking advantage the world’s generosity comes easy. […]

5 Responsible Uses for Your Tax Refund

Published Tuesday, April 16, 2013 - 12:00 by Consumerism Commentary

For most citizens of the United States, tax season is over. There’s no longer a need to run around gathering documents. You’ll stop seeing television commercials for TurboTax and H&R Block in which each insinuates the other is a deficient company. […]

Keep Your Old Credit Cards Open

Published Monday, April 15, 2013 - 12:44 by Consumerism Commentary

There may come a time when you have no need to keep your credit score as high as possible. Perhaps you have no need for debt now and in the future. It’s not common, but there are a few methods of arriving at that point. You’ve fashioned a life for yourself off the grid. You are completely self-sufficient. […]

Pay Off a Mortgage Early, Affording a Smartphone, and JCPenney’s Gimmick

Published Sunday, April 14, 2013 - 14:47 by Consumerism Commentary

A few times a month, Lance from Money Life and More will stop by to share some of the best articles from across a variety of publications, including other blogs and mainstream media. I am excited to be starting a new series here on Consumerism Commentary! The goal of my new series is to share articles I’ve read over the last week or two that I feel deserved a second look. […]

Are Financial Planners Hurting Investors Approaching Retirement?

Published Friday, April 12, 2013 - 11:03 by Consumerism Commentary

If you’ve watched the financial industry over the course of the last decade, you’ve probably noticed some important contradictions. It’s a good indication that taking generalized investment advice and applying it to your own situation is not a smart idea. Anyone who retired at the height of the recession is going to understand exactly what I’m referring to. […]

Prepaid Debit Cards Are Riskier Than Checking Accounts

Published Monday, April 8, 2013 - 13:49 by Consumerism Commentary

Thanks to heavy marketing campaigns, including endorsements and partnerships with everyone from Russell Simmons to Kim Kardashian to Suze Orman (it’s hip! it’s popular! it’s financially smart!), use of prepaid debit cards has surged. Prepaid debit cards were once a fringe financial product. […]

Psychological Barriers: Admitting There’s a Problem

Published Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 08:00 by Consumerism Commentary

It’s difficult to get into this topic without sounding too much like a motivational speaker. I am strongly averse to most motivational training. Here’s my problem: Motivational training, in the corporate world, encourages teamwork — good — but often at the expense of personal identity and independent thinking — bad. […]