future

8 Great Jobs for the Next 10 Years

Annie Mueller — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:00:05 +0000

The working world is in upheaval, with technology changing the way we do pretty much everything. Some careers that used to be sure things aren't so sure anymore. How do you know which jobs are worth pursuing, and which aren't? We checked in with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to get the lowdown on fields that are projected to grow over the next decade.

1. Financial adviser

With life expectancy on the rise, more people are expected to be needing financial planning advice. The BLS gives this profession a solid projected growth rate of 30 percent between 2014 and 2024, which it notes is "much faster than average." The median salary for a personal financial adviser was just over $90,000 as of 2016.

For this career, you'll need a bachelor's degree, but no advanced degrees are required. Becoming a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) is also helpful. Many financial advisers work for insurance or financial brokerage firms; others are self-employed.

2. Physical therapist

The demand for physical therapists is growing, too: There's an impressive 34 percent growth rate predicted over the 2014–2024 period, with more than 70,000 new physical therapist positions being added to the workforce. To become a physical therapist, you'll need to get a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. A DPT degree is a post-baccalaureate degree that usually takes three years to complete. Worth the time? Probably. The median salary for physical therapists, as of 2016, was about $85,400.

3. Registered nurse

Becoming a registered nurse continues to be a great career choice for the next 10 years, and probably beyond. More than 439,000 registered nurse jobs are expected to be added to the workforce by 2024. The median salary was just under $70,000 as of 2016. Approximately 60 percent of RNs work in hospitals, according to the BLS, with the remaining 40 percent working in clinics, doctors' offices, home health care roles, and other care facilities. To become a registered nurse, you'll need a degree in nursing. A four-year bachelor's degree is probably the best choice, as an associate degree may limit your career options and salary.

4. Physical or occupational therapy assistant

Assistants to therapists earn a lower wage than the therapists themselves, but it's still a good salary. The average annual pay for a physical therapy assistant was just over $56,000 as of 2016, while occupational therapy assistants brought in an average $59,000.

Occupational therapy is focused on helping people improve their ability to handle daily life tasks, such as cooking, or even eating. Physical therapy focuses on helping patients recover from illness or injury and regain physical ability. To be a therapist's assistant, you'll need an associate degree and perhaps a license, but that's all. Both jobs have a projected growth rate of about 40 percent between 2014 and 2024.

5. Computer systems analyst

If computer systems, information technology, and business are your thing, this is a great career choice. Systems analysts work with business managers to understand business needs and come up with information systems solutions. You'll need a bachelor's degree in information technology to get a job in this field, which has a 21 percent projected growth rate. A master's degree may open up more job opportunities and a higher entry-level salary. The median pay as of 2016 was more than $87,000 a year.

6. Industrial machinery mechanic

The projected growth rate for this career in the 10 years up to 2024 is a bit lower than others on this list at only 16 percent, but that's still much faster than average. You don't need any college education for this job; a high school diploma or equivalent is enough, and, of course, some mechanical capability is needed. Beyond that, you'll need appropriate training for the specialization you choose; an apprenticeship or on-the-job training are two common options. The median salary for this career was just under $50,000 as of 2016.

7. Computer support specialist

The outlook for computer support specialists shows a 12 percent growth rate, with more than 88,000 jobs expected to be added by 2024. With a median annual salary of over $62,000 as of 2016, it's a great career choice. You need some computer prowess, of course, and the ability to patiently guide people through solving their computer problems. That's probably the most challenging part! A college degree isn't always necessary, though an associate degree, or at least some computer-related courses, will help. Positions with a larger company may require a bachelor's degree, but many other support positions provide on-the-job training.

8. App developer

If you're good with code and have the business savvy to see a hole in the app market, this could be a great career choice for you. Even if you're not so great at the business side, this could still be a good career if you get a job with any number of app development companies. Mobile technology is only continuing to grow, and this job is growing along with it at a rate of over 22 percent, according to Kiplinger. The median annual salary is one of the highest on this list, coming in at over $96,000. You'll typically need a bachelor's degree in computer science to get started in this field.

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This article is from Annie Mueller of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

10 Reasons to Cut Millennials Some Slack About Their Money

Tim Lemke — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:00:08 +0000

Millennials are getting beat up these days for their money habits. According to observers, people between the ages of 18 and 34 are financially irresponsible — one CEO even suggested they are spending too much money on pricey avocados when they should be saving for a home.

But these reports are unfair. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that from a financial standpoint, millennials may be facing unique challenges that older generations simply didn't deal with. (See also: 7 Ways Millennials Are Better With Money Than You Are)

Should we take it easy on millennials when it comes to their money habits? Perhaps, and here's why.

1. College is really expensive

We encourage young people to attend college, but according to Student Loan Hero, the average member of the class of 2016 graduated with more than $37,000 in student loan debt. Borrowers between the age of 20 and 30 spend an average of more than $350 a month to pay off these loans.

This student debt is largely the result of rising college costs: Public school costs have risen 9 percent over the last four years, and private universities have risen 13 percent. A student attending a four-year private school now pays an average of $45,000 each year. While it's true that young adults should be aware of the cost of college when deciding if and where to attend, it's also clear that many are now handcuffed by their student loan burdens. (See also: 7 Unique Ways Millennials Are Dealing With Student Loan Debt)

2. Wages haven't gone up

One of the biggest problems with the current economy is that it's been a long time since wages have gone up in real terms. In fact, there's evidence that wage growth has basically been stagnant since the 1970s, and any wage growth at all has been concentrated to the top earners.

Anyone without a college degree has seen their wages decline, on average, in the last decade. It's easy to accuse millennials of making bad financial choices, but there's very little evidence they are rolling in the dough to begin with.

3. Housing is really costly

In many parts of the country — especially those with good job opportunities for millennials — it's nearly impossible to find an affordable house or apartment. A recent survey of 24,000 renters by ApartmentList.com found that millennials would have to wait more than a decade to save enough for a 20 percent down payment on a home in many markets. In some cities, including San Francisco and Austin, the wait is as much as 19 years.

There are simply not enough affordable, entry-level homes available for millennials to buy, and with interest rates rising, the problem is only going to get worse.

4. Saving for retirement is mostly on them

If you're a baby boomer or even a GenXer, you might have worked for a company that offered generous pensions to its employees. For much of the 20th century, workers could find decent jobs at big companies and know they'd be getting a monthly check even after retirement.

Nowadays, it's up to the individual to save for retirement, using a 401(k) plan (if they have access to one) or individual retirement accounts (IRAs). No doubt, you can generate a lot of wealth this way over time, but most of the savings will have to come from the worker, not the employer. And for many young people, setting money aside for retirement is an afterthought if they are also facing student loan debt and other expenses. (See also: 4 Things Millennials Should Do Today to Prepare for Retirement)

5. They've lived through several market crashes

For millennials, the stock market and economy have done quite well during their time on Earth, but there were several big events that may have left them wary about investing.

The stock market endured three straight years of bad losses from 2000 to 2002, due to the dot com bubble bursting and the terrorist attacks of September 11. The markets tumbled dramatically again in 2008 after the financial crisis. These events may have taken place during a millennials' formative years, and the headlines may have clouded their belief in the power of investing. (See also: 7 Reasons Millennials Should Stop Being Afraid of the Stock Market)

6. Many don't use credit cards at all

We often assume that millennials have a ton of credit cards. But according to one survey, millennials have fewer cards than most Americans. BankRate.com reported last year that only one-third of people under the age of 30 have a credit card. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Millennials)

7. Everybody is marketing to them

It's easy to say that millennials should be more frugal, but that's easier said than done when America's marketing dollars are bombarding that exact generation. Ask any advertiser what their coveted demographic is, and they'll likely tell you they deliberately target people between the ages of 18 and 34.

On one hand, we want young people to be responsible with their money. On the other, we know that consumer spending by that same group is often a big driver of the American economy.

8. They are more generous than you think

It may be frustrating to see millennials with poor personal finance skills. But while they may not necessarily be smart with money, they are not as selfish as you might believe.

Millennials basically invented the concept of crowdfunding, which has led to sites such as GoFundMe and others that have supported nonprofits. One survey from 2014 noted that 84 percent of millennials donated to a charity that year, and that they are more likely to give on their own accord rather than from a top-down, corporate-driven approach.

9. They grew up in a fairly prosperous era

People who grew up during the Great Depression learned the hard way about living frugally and making every penny stretch. Those who grew up during World War II remember making severe sacrifices. Even baby boomers remember the gas shortages and economic stagnancy of the 1970s.

By contrast, millennials have grown up in a time of relative prosperity. Millennials have never been forced to learn how to save and invest as a matter of survival. Is it their fault that they grew up in relative comfort compared to older generations?

10. Luxury items are practically necessities

Older people like to accuse younger generations of spending money needlessly, but think of the expenses they have that did not exist even 20 years ago. Cellphones? Tough to get by without one these days. High-speed internet service? Yeah, that's almost as important as electricity. Millennials have considerable expenses each month that were once considered luxury items, but are now considered vital.

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This article is from Tim Lemke of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Surprising Ways a 3D Printer Can Save You Money

Brittany Lyte — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 10:00:12 +0000

It would seem that we're headed full speed ahead toward a world where 3D printing is a part of everyday life — a world in which we print a replacement coffee mug when ours breaks rather than buy a new one. It's been hailed as the next revolution in manufacturing, and Amazon, Home Depot, and Staples are just a few of the major brands that are getting in on it, making plans to build their own 3D printers for consumers. The world of 3D printing is novel, but it is also highly utilitarian.

Depending on the complexity of the job at hand, a 3D printer costs anywhere from a few hundred to more than a hundred thousand dollars. A hobbyist 3D printer — the kind you might use to create a small figurine toy — is far less expensive than a printer capable of, say, building a house. Of course, there are many money-saving things that one can print in an attempt to cancel out the expense of the printer itself. Read on for our roundup of some of the ways a 3D printer can save you money. (See also: 3 Great Home Gadgets That Can Save You Real Money)

1. You Can Sidestep the High Cost of Orthodontics

A 24-year-old college student in New Jersey wanted a straighter smile. But he was strapped for cash. And, since name brand options for clear braces, such as those made by Invisalign, can cost up to $8,000, he decided to use a 3D printer to create his own. Believe it or not, it worked. And it cost him less than $60.

2. You Can 3D Print Cheap Prosthetics

The family of a young boy born without fingers in Oregon could not afford a high-tech prosthetic hand. Not to mention the fact that such prosthetics are hard to find for children — and they cost many thousands of dollars. And so, the boy could not properly grip a baseball bat or play a game of catch. That is, of course, until he was given a 3D printed prosthetic hand. The materials for such a contraption can cost as little as $20 to $50, and some experts say they work just as well, if not better, than the traditional, much costlier prosthetics.

3. You Can 3D Print a Gorgeous Custom Guitar

A personalized electric guitar — the kind that the guitarist in your favorite band might play on tour — can cost several thousand dollars. Plus, it takes a long time to build. This is a dilemma that any professional or semiprofessional guitarist knows all too well. High-performing professional instruments are just plain expensive.

Introducing the beautifully detailed, custom 3D printed guitar by Customuse. At roughly $2,500 a pop, these instruments are not exactly cheap. But they are heaps cheaper and far, far faster to assemble than many other guitars made the traditional way. With 3D printing, creating 10,000 completely unique electric guitars costs about the same as it would to make 10,000 identical guitars in traditional fashion. If you're out for a top notch musical instrument, 3D printing just might be your best, most cost effective bet.

4. You Can Create Everyday Household Items as Needed

With a 3D printer on hand, you can make your own iPhone cases, razors, paper towel dispensers, garlic presses, and other everyday household items as needed, thereby reaping a potentially big savings over time. According to one study, the total cost of printing 20 household products is about $20, or about one dollar apiece. In comparison, online retail costs range from of $300 to $1,900; averaging between $15 and about $100 per product. Why purchase a new set of shower curtain rings if you can make them yourself for cheap?

5. You Can Sidestep the High Cost of a Printer

You're off the hook. That's right, it's now possible to reap the cost-saving benefits of 3D printing without having to make the initial investment in the printer itself. Here's how: The Denver Public Library and the DC Public Library in the nation's capital have several 3D printers available for public use. Bonus: The DC Public Library also offers free classes that teach the basics of 3D printing. At the DC library, printing costs $.05 per gram of the object's weight, plus a $1 charge.

The library estimates that most prints range in price from $1 to $5.

And while they aren't sophisticated enough to print a car or a house, the library's 3D printers are well equipped to build small to medium-sized household objects as well as trinkets and toys. In addition to libraries, some universities, Maker clubs, and UPS Store locations have public use 3D printers. There's also 3DHubs.com, which can connect you to 3D printing services near you.

Have you made anything on a 3D printer?

This article is from Brittany Lyte of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Robots Will Take Over These 5 Jobs Soon — Is One of Them Yours?

Damian Davila — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:00:09 +0000

Machine laborers are on the rise with a record 14,135 robots ordered from North American robotics companies in the first half of 2014, an increase of 30% in units over the same period in 2013. Why hire robots instead of people? They don't get bored, they make fewer mistakes, and they are cheaper.

In fact, experts predict that several industries will be fully outsourced to robots by 2045. Here are five of the jobs that are likely to disappear in a near future due to robots.

1. Sewing Machine Operator

Take a look at your favorite dress shirt. Somebody had to sew it all together, insert the buttons, and apply all the tiny details. This industry is very close to disappearing in the United States. In fact, since 1997, the industry's employment outlook has been bleak.

In 2012, the numbers of sewing machine operators declined by 42,100 jobs, or 26%. Even a major company, such as American Apparel, was looking only for two sewing machine operators in August 2014. These jobs are less attractive to potential employees because a search on Indeed on August 2014 shows that about 57% of them pay about $20,000 per year.

Don't think a robot could do it better? Watch this robot fold a towel. Companies are enticed to buy robots in this and other industries due to applicable stimulus tax credits. Some recently outsourced jobs are coming back to America, but to done by American robots!

2. Mail Processor

Does your job consist of sorting DVDs and games for Netflix or GameFly? Hopefully not.

At its highest point, Netflix operated 58 distribution centers in the country. That number was down to 39 in 2013. During that same time period, the number of RedBox kiosks has increased to about 35,900 locations in the U.S. This means that close to 68% of the U.S. population is within a 5-minute drive of a Redbox kiosk, which is a tiny mail sorter robot.

But what is more alarming to manual mail processors is the fact that two of the biggest employers of mail processors are replacing humans with robots.

First, the Postal Service is constantly struggling to meet its mandatory annual prepayment of $5.5 billion in health care benefits for future retirees. Most suggested solutions involve either:

Reducing the number of delivery days from six to five, which in turn reduces the number of people using USPS, so fewer clerks, mail sorters, and processors would be needed.
Moving stand-alone post offices into smaller retail spaces, which builds a strong case for centralization and automation of the process.

And the third solution? Robots, such as Baxter, available for about $22,000. In the future it may make sense to replace human mail sorters and processors with robotic ones. After all, hiring new USPS employees also increases pension costs.

Already Amazon uses orange robots from Kiva to dramatically cut costs in its fulfillment and shipping centers. In 2014, the company announced that it has deployed 10,000 robots. A warehouse equipped with Kiva robots can handle up to four times as many orders as a similar one without the orange little helpers. Sorry human, you do not compute.

3. Mail Delivery Carrier

The postal carrier can't catch a break.

Even USPS's 7,559 letter carriers (known as "the Fleet of Feet") have no job security in the future. With Amazon testing its Amazon Prime Air delivery service (a.k.a. "delivery by drone"), we may be not too far away from a future in which we may not need a person to physically deliver a letter or package.

And Amazon is not alone in this. Google X, a division of Google that works on "moonshot" projects, is currently working on Project Wing, which is also aimed at unmanned drone delivery.

Imagine this: You order a product online, Baxter puts together your shipment, Kiva fetches the package, and Betty the Drone delivers your order to your doorstep.

4. Pharmacist Clerk

Since 2011, the UCSF Medical Center has operated a robotic pharmacy. This automated service has prepared and delivered over 350,000 doses of medication without a single error. The assistant director of pharmaceutical services for the UCSF Medical Center claims that the robotic pharmacists not only increase the safety of dispensing medications to patients, but also allow nurses to focus more on patient care.

As UCSF continues to push the envelope in autonomous prescription delivery, it is just a matter of time until private corporations test drive this service to cut down on costs.

5. Cab Driver

As of 2011, Google's fleet of self-driving cars had logged over 190,000 miles. There have been tests in closed courses with humans on board of Google's cars and even on open roads on Hollywood Boulevard and in Santa Monica.

While there are many obstacles to widespread acceptance of the self-driving vehicle, the main one is legal. There is no clear legal framework on how to handle events such as accidents and property damage involving robotic cars. Currently, driverless cars are allowed for public road testing in California, Michigan, Florida, and Nevada.

Still, demand for driverless cars may force things to speed up. Running errands with a robotic driver just looks too cool. Ford expects autonomous vehicles on the market by 2025. Daimler, BMW, General Motors, and Renault are much more bullish and forecast that year to be as early as 2020.

What other jobs do you think won't exist soon due to robots? Please welcome our robotic overlords in comments!

This article is from Damian Davila of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: Budgeting for the Present and Future

Ashley Jacobs — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 10:00:03 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some stellar articles on budgeting for the present and future, buying life insurance, and financial considerations before you become your own boss.

Best Money Tips: Financially Prepare for Your Family's Future

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:48:42 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on financially preparing for your family's future, making a better to do list, and buying or leasing a car.

What Easter Island Can Teach Us About Money

Tara Struyk — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:24:25 +0000

“A fool and his money are soon parted.” That was a favorite quote of my late grandfather, who, by all accounts, was not a terribly genial man (although he loved timeless, biting quotes). We probably all know at least a few people who struggle to manage their money. In fact, most of us fall into this trap ourselves at some point in our lives, left scratching our heads and wondering just what the heck happened to that paycheck. But I’m not convinced this tendency toward overspending can be written off as easily as my grandfather’s quip implies. After all, the majority of U.S. households carry some debt; on average, it’s about 115% of disposable income. Even the government is in over its head. So what exactly is going on here? Are we all just foolish with our money? (See also: The Many Reasons to Make Do With Less)

The Spectre of Prosperity

I recently read the book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. It tells the story of the Polynesian people who colonized Easter Island, one of the most remote bits of habitable land on the planet. And while you might think that these people are about as far from the complications of modern finance as you can imagine, I found myself thinking about how people often behave when it comes to their financial lives — and how they manage to raze a perfectly fruitful financial life, time and time again.

According to Diamond, when Polynesians first landed on Easter Island in about 700 A.D., it was a lush paradise; by the time European settlers arrived in 1722, it was a wasteland. The islanders had cut down each and every tree on the island to fuel their fires, build their cities, and erect the giant stone statues that still stand there today. It’s a story that’s often used to point out humans’ tendency to build their lives on the present, without any thought about the future. It all boils down to the human tendency to procrastinate, to defer, to say “I’ll deal with it later.” Whether we’re talking about politicians, subprime homebuyers, or credit card junkies, the result is the same — a spectre of prosperity that’s haunted by its long-term consequences.

To me, the Easter Island people are a lot like those who cling to huge homes they can barely afford to pay for, or those who spend like there’s no tomorrow and are unable to retire. Why do we do this? It seems that for both the people of Easter Island and many people today, there’s at least one thing that’s a lot stronger than self-preservation — pride.

Building an Illusion

When I think about Easter Island and how each every tree was felled one by one, I wonder who was charged with cutting down that very last tree. It's easy to wonder what they were thinking. After all, they must have known they were cutting down the future of their society in pursuit of a life that just wasn’t sustainable. In the end, their society went from a thriving island of thousands to just hundreds of islanders with little food to sustain them and no wood to build homes or fishing boats. Their beautiful stone statues were the trappings of wealth, and these statues grew larger and larger over time. But just like going into debt to build a beautiful house and live a certain life, what many people — past and present — work so hard to build is an illusion, and one with disastrous consequences.

What Are You Building?

If you visit Easter Island now, you’ll still see its famous statues — hundreds of them, some standing more than 30 feet tall. The largest of all stand abandoned, unfinished. Presumably, the resources to quarry the stone and transport it across the island had run out, as had much of the food required to sustain the workers.

The consequences of building a life on money that is not your own are much less dramatic than the situation on Easter Island. But think of those statues looking out over the barren landscape of Easter Island and the vast ocean that surrounds it. At one time, they were emblems of prosperity and power. Now they are a sad curiosity, and the society they represented long gone. What they say about that society, however, hasn’t changed. So ask yourself this — are you erecting a monument to the present or building a life for the future? The problem with the Easter Islanders is that they chose not to change course. Will you?

This article is from Tara Struyk of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Not stupid--hopeless

Philip Brewer — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:26:03 +0000

You can't avoid hearing about them these days--people making stupid financial choices. I heard a while back from a woman with huge debts wanting arguments for convincing her husband to cash in his retirement savings so she could buy yet more consumer crap. Some of these people are stupid--or at least ignorant about financial matters. But I think many of these cases are something else. Some of these people are not stupid. They are, rather, hopeless.

After all, hope for a better future is the driving force behind most good financial decisions. Saving and investing are always forward-looking actions. Even something as simple as buying the large box of laundry detergent when the unit cost is less only helps you in the future, when you don't have to go to the store and buy yet another box of the stuff.

Wise Bread is full of articles on how to make the better choices: Choices about debt, choices about spending, choices about earning, choices about investing.

It's easy to look at people who, in the face of all the good information nevertheless make stupid choices--and figure that they must be stupid people.

But making smart decisions about the future only makes sense if you have one.

Now, there will be people out there who figure that it doesn't matter--that stupid is as stupid does and don't see why should we care why others make stupid decisions. I see at least two reasons why we should care.

First, you need to understand the difference if you want to help. No amount of education or good advice will help someone who's hopeless. What the hopeless person needs is to see a clear path to a better future.

Second, though, it's worth understanding the difference between stupidity and hopelessness simply as a matter of seeing the world as it really is; of knowing what's true.

There are plenty of people out there who can't even imagine a life where their finances aren't out of control. It's easy to sneer at people who make obviously self-destructive financial choices, but I think it's wrong-headed. What they need is not scorn, nor advice, nor even a handout. What they need is hope. I wish I knew how to give it to them.

This article is from Philip Brewer of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

“I see dumb people” – Learn to cold-read like a so-called “psychic.”

Paul Michael — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:51:34 +0000

I don’t believe in psychics, palm readers, telekinesis or mediums. Not because I’m a huge skeptic but because I’ve been researching them for years and have found NO evidence that their skills are real. And what’s more, I’m seriously angry that these frauds prey on people who are mourning, and very open to suggestion, just to make money. It’s sick. Now, I’ll show you some of the fruits of my labor and how you, yes you, can cold read just like a psychic. Maybe this will help prove once and for all that it’s all bunk.

By the way, I’d like to point out that I don’t think people who go to psychics are dumb. Far from it, I’m trying to protect them. The title of my article is more aimed at how psychics see their stooges. Hope that all makes sense. Ok? Good, let’s continue.

When I first saw a psychic at work I was in my early teens. I saw a documentary on Uri Geller (a favorable one) and was blown away. What a guy, what power, what an amazing man. “How does he do that dad?” is said. “Must be magic” my dad replied, in a sarcastic tone I never picked up on at the time.

Then I grew up and saw another Geller documentary, this time featuring James Randi. He systematically shattered every single “power” that Uri had demonstrated. And of course, there’s the infamous Johnny Carson clip (below) in which James Randi simply made sure Uri Geller could not gain access to any prop before the show. Sure enough, he just wasn’t feeling strong that night. He sucked. He was powerless. Coincidence? I think not.

The James Randi Educational Foundation offers $1 million to anyone who can prove psychic, paranormal or supernatural powers. Thousands of people have applied for it; no one has ever come close to collecting the money. Why? Because the tests are done under strictly supervised conditions, where these people with magical powers have no access to props, stooges or hidden devices. James Randi also has a secret object placed in a vault, which he changes out every two weeks. Not one psychic or mental projectionist has ever been able to see it. How strange, when they can see other things so clearly. Could it be that their powers are weaker when under duress? Or that they have no powers at all?

Mr. James Randi, founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation.

I have heard people say, “well, why should these psychics have to prove anything to anyone?” But think about that for a second. They are offering a service, aren’t they? Just like your local plumber, or to use a better analogy, your average psychotherapist. They couldn’t root around in your head without proof that they know whet they’re doing. But psychics can confidently claim your dead relative has a message for you with absolutely no proof whatsoever, and then take your hard earned cash for the “service.” I call it not only unfair but also more closely related to a crime. In fact, carnivals and sideshows have often been the breeding ground for these super-beings, until TV legitimized them and gave them fame into the bargain. Well, my strong stomach can only take so much.

I could write a book on the phony methods and scams used by psychics, but lets just keep it to the most well known and easy to master – cold reading.

Note: There is a more foolproof method called “hot reading” which has been utilized by the likes of magicians and phony faith healers like Peter Popoff. Here, a stooge surreptitiously gains real information about the “mark” and passes it to the faith healer or magician, who then recounts it to the astonishment of the crowd. Palm readers can go through wallets and purses. Some will even dig through your garbage before your appointment. But this is a difficult method for most people as it requires more people and more preparation.

You can, however, garner very successful results from cold reading. Anyone with a modicum of common sense and a good eye for detail can cold read. And I know you can do it to. I’m revealing these techniques not so that you can go out and use them on other people (unless you do it as a party trick for no money) but to show you how easy it is to do. There really is no such thing as a psychic, I assure you. And if you say I’m lying, don’t tell me…apply to the James Randi Foundation and claim the $1 million. Something tells me that won’t be happening though.

Cold reading – the art of being vague
Have you ever wondered why dead relatives are so vague? Why is it that psychics don’t get information that’s solid, but more “sketchy?” Well, the answer is simply that they’re not really getting messages from the dead. They’re cold reading. It’s a simple technique that magicians have used for centuries and it’s very effective, especially when you’re in the presence of people who genuinely want to believe what you’re saying. As Wise Bread readers, I suspect most of you were wise enough to have figured this out already, but here are the details, step by step.

1: People WANT to believe you – tell them what they WANT to hear.
This one is a basic premise but one that’s based on the human condition. We don’t want to hear negative things about ourselves. If someone says to you “you’re a very honest person, but it takes people a while to really get to know you” then you’re almost certainly going to agree, because it’s not negative in any way. Turn that around and say the opposite – “you’re deceptive and people can read you like an open book” is awful. No one wants to hear that, it makes him or her sound shallow and evil. Other vague information, often referred to as the Forer effect, uses statements that apply to almost anyone.

“You have a box of old, unsorted photos at home.”
“As a young child, you had an accident near water.”
“You’re having some emotion problems with a friend or relative.”

In the psychic realm, the same applies. People who go to see a psychic usually want to heal the pain left by a deceased loved one. If that’s the case, no one wants to hear that grandma was a crabby old bag that hated everyone, even if it was true. No, best to stay generically positive and let you make it apply to your loved one.

Example of vague, positive readings:

“Your mom was dearly loved by everyone, although she often had a difficult time of expressing her true feelings.”

“I sense a lot of frustration from this person, he was clearly meant for bigger and better things than he was doing.” – this applies to anyone, even the President.

“This man dreamed of things before they happened and often had a strong sense of Déjà vu.”

2: Use the SHOTGUN technique.
Sylvia Browne (more on her later), James Van Praagh and John Edwards are some of the many psychics that have been accused of using this technique. It basically involves throwing enough questions and suggestions out at the audience that some of it is bound to stick. You’ve often seen this parodied in comedy sketches.

PSYCHIC: “I’m getting the name John. Is there someone with a connection to John in the audience? Maybe Johnny? Jonathon? Perhaps he worked with a John, or spent a lot of time in the John? Did he go to a supermarket with a cashier named John? Or Jenny? Or Jimmy? Or Timmy? Or Sammy? Samantha?”

AUDIENCE MEMBER: “My mom’s cat’s name was Samantha!”

PSYCHIC: “Ah yes, she’s coming through clear.”

Okay, so I took it a little more to the level of parody than it usually works, but seriously it’s not that far fetched. When you watch shows by Edwards or Van Preach, you’re seeing edited content. You don’t get to see all of the countless “misses” that the psychics make. They can often throw hundreds of questions out before hitting a target. And it’s just another series of shotgun questions from there. Basically, they’re playing guessing games and your reactions and body language provide the answers for them. You should see the contracts people have to sign before going to these shows, too. They’re huge, and are basically non-disclosure agreements. What happens in the show, stays in the show. Just like David Blaine and his “flying powers”, this stuff looks way more convincing on TV. But unlike Blain, Penn & Teller and even Copperfield, there is no admission of magic or trickery on the part of the psychics. Nope, they are the real deal. Trust them!

Anyway, here are a few nice shotgun methods to get you started…

“I see a father-figure with chest pains.” (A nice way to combine the very vague with a very common illness).

“I see a woman who was very important to you, but you often disagreed.”

“I’m getting the powerful memories of cancer.” (1 in 3 people get cancer, what are the odds?)

Like I said at the start, these are not intended to arm you with anything other than knowledge. Next time you see someone pulling these comments out of thin air, you at least know where they’re getting them from.

3: The rainbow ruse
This one covers all the bases. It’s so transparent it’s very easy to see through later, but at the time it gets you. Basically, the psychic gives you both sides of a personality trait in the same sentence. Usually, a very positive statement but with the addition of a negative Here’s a typical example…

“ You have a bright, cheery disposition but there have been times when you have been a little down, upset and closed off.” (duh!)

Try this with anything, on anyone, and it works. Just remember, tell people what they want to hear. No one wants to be a misery-guts with occasionally moments of happiness, even if they are!

4: Gimmicks are a psychic’s best friends.
Tarot cards, bones, crystal balls, palm reading and tealeaves give the psychic a nice crutch to hold onto. If they can think of nothing to say, they can be studying the messages in their prop of choice. The props also come with some terrific psychic baggage, people do believe in their mystical powers. And regardless of what kind of palm you have, it relates to your life as much as the lines in your car parking space. Look up palm reading, learn the techniques, and then say the exact opposite things to your test subject. You will still be accurate. Try it.

5: Include the “magic” of current polls & surveys and study people well.
I’m sorry to say that quite often, judging a book by its cover works very well. If you’re a young lesbian woman with tattoos and a penchant for outlandish clothing, it’s doubtful you’re a Republican. You may well be, but it’s doubtful. Psychics will use these visual clues to guess your background, voting preferences, likes and dislikes. And they’re very good at it. Someone like Derren Brown can guess your phone’s ring tone just by looking at you. But he’s no psychic, as he himself tells you at the start of each show.

6: Flattery gets you everywhere; stay positive.
People don’t want negative reviews of themselves or their relatives. If your granny was an old bag, you don’t want to hear it. Luckily, you never will. Psychics are great at giving you the happy news, they rarely sprinkle in the bad stuff. Although one who does is Sylvia Browne, who has told troubled relatives all sorts of horrible things that turned out not to be true. Watch these clips and see if you can figure out why she’s still around, or why Montel would ever have her back on his show.

7: Use the co-operation clause.
This is a great way to put the blame for incorrect statements back on you. Simply tell your test subject in advance that you may not interpret or convey the messages you get as intended. Thus, your subject needs to make sure that he/she concentrates to make that interpretation work. End result – if you say you’re seeing an old man called John, and her father was an old man called Robert, it’s her fault for not getting the translation! Huh? The psychic always puts the onus on you to grab onto the generalities they spew out and make them your own. Don’t fall for it.

8: Listen.
Always go back to part 1 when you’re in doubt. People want to believe you, and will tell you things, subconsciously, to make part 1 come true. For instance, they’ll often tell you that they want to talk to their dead mom and just want to know she’s ok (gee, I wonder if that will happen?) Many psychics will spend half of their time listening to what you have to say, then use that information against you. When it comes down to it, you’re actually doing your own reading. The psychic is simply validating what you say. Clever? Yes? Paranormal? No way.

9: Be confident, and give it some drama.
Psychics could teach used car salesmen a thing or too about believability. They use great facial gestures, expand upon their points and make it seem like they genuinely are talking to the dead. There’s nothing wrong with being hammy. I believe it was Adolf Hitler who said “the bigger the lie, the more the people will believe it.” Well, these are some pretty big stinkers you’ll be telling, so add a little acting to the role. Remember, they want to believe you so ham it up.

10: See rule one.
If there’s one thing you can learn about cold reading, it’s rule one. They are hanging on your every word, they want to believe you, like you want to laugh at a favorite comedian who’s telling a poor joke.

That’s it. Long article I know. And I also know I will get a ton of abuse from people on this one. To anyone who is a psychic or medium, I’m sorry. Not because I apologize, I’m just really sorry you’ve taken that ridiculous avenue in life. Stop deluding people and get a real job.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Look where you want to go

Andrea Karim — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:04:56 +0000

Yesterday, as I teetered precariously on my motorcycle at the top of a steep hill, riding home from the repair shop and thus marking my first time on a motorcycle that wasn't in a flat, closed course, I was repeating one of the standard Motorcycling Mantras: Look where you wanna go. Look where you wanna go. Look where you wanna go.

I was also repeating the Greenhorn Mantra: I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die.

The funny thing about motorcycling is that you can find all kinds of life metaphors in the sport. Take the "look where you wanna go" thing.

The actual meaning behind this stems from the fact that, when steering a motorcycle, you will end up driving towards whatever you are looking at. When I took my safety course, and was riding around the track with a bunch of other terrified newbies, our instructors kept shrieking "Look where you wanna go!". Of course, we weren't looking where we wanted to go. We were looking at the cones that we were supposed to be weaving between. I was personally hitting every single cone.

"Look up! Look up!" our poor instructors bellowed from the sidelines. It was to no avail. We were all bumping over cones left and right. It was almost hypnotic. I could see a cone up ahead of me, and my eyes would fixate on it. Don't hit the cone. Don't hit the cone. Bump. I'd see another cone up ahead. Don't hit the cone. Don't hit the cone. Bump. It was ridiculous. Sure, I thought, the better an idea I have of where the cone is, the better I can avoid hitting it. But over and over, around and around, I was running into cone after cone.

After a disastrous initial run around the course, the instructors had us pull over. "Did you notice what happened when you looked at the cones?" We all stared at our toes, mumbling "We hit the cones."

"You don't NEED to look at the cones. Once you have established that there is an obstacle, you have to look at the exact spot that you want to go, to avoid that obstacle. If you look at the obstacle, you'll hit the obstacle. LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO."

Getting back on our tiny little motorcycles, we were all repeating the look where you wanna go mantra to ourselves. And what a difference it made! The thing is, on a motorcycle, you have a pretty good idea of what is going on around you. You're not sheltered the way you are in a car. The wind is hitting you. The rain can soak you. Bugs hit your face or faceshield with a splat. Roadkill is right there when you pass by it - you can see stuff you don't want to see. You can see what it happening around your feet (not that you should be looking at your feet). So it's easy to get caught up in staring at things around you - they're so much closer to you on a motorcycle than in a car.

Knowing that looking at the obstacles would actually make it harder to avoid them made all the difference in the world. We newbies sailed through our second round on the obstacle course, swerving around cones like experts.

The same mantra was put to the test again during the figure 8 exercise, in which riders must use counterweight (that's when you shift your weight in the direction opposite of the bike's lean) to help steer slowly through two tight U-turns, without touching a foot to the ground. The thing is, if you looked at the ground, even for a split second, you'd immediately start to tip over. And you'd have to put your foot down. But if you kept your gazed aimed at where you wanted to end up, it was easy to glide through the turns without feeling like you would fall.

This exercise really tested one's ability to look ahead to the future, rather than fixating on the present. Anyone who got stuck in the moment, anyone who looked down to see just how close the asphalt really was, had to put their foot down. The thing was, you had to look over your shoulder to see where you wanted to go - an awkward angle, to say the least. But the riders who kept their chins up and their eyes moving towards the intended destination sailed through the entire exercise.

I was somewhere in between. I had done the U turn exercise many times on my own, but the nervousness of being watched made me stumble quite a few times. But when the final test came, I was able to pull it together, looking where I wanted to go.

Looking ahead, never down. Don't fixate on obstacles. Find them, locate them, look for a way to avoid them. Then look up, and again, find where you want to go.

My boyfriend recently received a copy of Get Out of Your Own Way, by Robert Cooper. My guy's not much of a reader - not that he doesn't like it, just that he gets too antsy and attention deficit-y. And he's definitely not the type to read self-help or goal-setting types of books, but he decided to crack this one open since he had seen the author give a public talk and found him entertaining and insightful.

The other night, while he was reading the book, I heard him muttering something to himself.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, just this bit here. He talks about how people end up thwarting their own goal-acheivements because they focus too hard on the task at hand. If you look at all of things that might prevent you from getting the job done, you won't be able to see the end goal anymore."

This behavior actually runs in my family. For some reason, my mother and I can ponder the mechanics of a simple task for days before actually completing it. And we're not talking about major event planning here. We're talking about something really simple, like planting petunias or going to Costco. By the time we mentally assess how many steps it will take to plant the petunias, we're exhausted. It sort of our version of not seeing the forest for the trees - or the goal for the steps, in this case.

"I guess that I do that," I said.

"Yeah, you do," said my boyfriend, ever so helpfully. "He also says that you should always be looking ahead by about 7 years. If you're not looking at a very long-range goal, in addition to smaller shorter-range goals, you probably won't get where you want to be. All of this seems pretty obvious, I guess, but he says it very eloquently."

"So, in essence, he says, Look where you want to go?," I asked.

"Yeah."

"That's kind of like motorcycling."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

(photo by Yoppy)

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

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