Consumerism Commentary

Facebook IPO Approaching: Will You Buy Shares?

A few weeks ago, a Consumerism Commentary reader asked me on Facebook whether it would be a good idea to purchase shares of Facebook at $48 a piece. I do not give… Read more...

More Women Than Men Value Career Success

A new survey by the Pew Research Center shows women have surpassed men in placing value on career advancement. Among 18 to 34-year-olds, 66 percent of women consider… Read more...

The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards, May 2012

It's time to plan your holiday travel. That may mean cashing in the travel rewards you've accumulated on credit cards -- or it may mean starting to use a travel… Read more...

When Your Friends Become Social Sellers and Multi-Level Marketers

I can't completely fault companies like Amway, Mary Kay, and Lia Sophia. They know that friendship results in two important qualities: trust and guilt. These two… Read more...

The Dangers of Motivating Kids Through an Allowance

Parents who offer their young children an allowance or pocket money are helping to introduce the concept of money at an age when they are susceptible to ideas they… Read more...

Improve Your Finances By Modifying Your Behavior

Improving your financial situation requires more than just trying harder. People who write financial websites offering advice often think or imply that the reason… Read more...

Are You Shunning the Stock Market?

by Flexo

Have you given up on the stock market like a large portion of Americans? I’m getting ready to dive in. According to a survey by a large financial company, 58 percent of Americans have lost faith in the stock market and 44 percent believe they will never invest in the stock market again. While the first question ... Continue reading this article…

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BillGuard Monitors Your Credit Card Statements for Unwanted Charges

by Flexo

Hundreds of Consumerism Commentary readers have written in to this website to complain about FreeCreditReport.com. Many customers believed they were signing up for a free service, but the fine print indicated that accessing one’s credit report for free led to automatic credit card charges that were difficult to reverse. A new service promises to monitor ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Balance Sheet, May 2011 ($844,136, +9.6%)

by Flexo

Over the past few days, I considered making some drastic changes to the way I report my finances at the end of each month. I’ve been trying to decide whether it makes more sense to separate my business accounts from this report and report the numbers separately as I did a few years ago, remove ... Continue reading this article…

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Chase Sapphire Card Review

by Flexo

With the summer months quickly approaching, credit card issuers are scrambling to create incentives on their travel reward credit cards. It’s no secret that a good bonus attract thousands of new cardholders, and Chase has decided to go after customers with this offer of 10,000 point bonus for new holders of the Chase Sapphire℠ Card, ... Continue reading this article…

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A Housing Market Recovery in the Distant Future?

by Flexo

Several times over the past few years, I’ve asked myself whether I should take advantage of the lower prices for real estate, put my renting history to rest, and buy a house. I’ve brought up the topic several times on Consumerism Commentary, as well. Every time the news media comes out with another wave of ... Continue reading this article…

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The Difference Between Savings Accounts and Money Market Accounts

by Flexo

Savings accounts and money market accounts are different from each other practically in name only. From a saver’s perspective, there is no difference between these types of accounts. There are many misconceptions about the supposed differences between savings accounts and money market accounts, and if you’ve ever tried to learn about these differences online, even ... Continue reading this article…

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Final Giveaway: $200 in Gift Cards

by Flexo

This is it. Somehow, I’ve survived Giveaway May, having operated contests every weekday this past month. Many winners have not yet been contacted, so if you haven’t heard from me, hang tight. The rest of the winners will be contacted within the next few days, and all winners will be announced on Consumerism Commentary. Each ... Continue reading this article…

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Paying Children for Good Grades

by Flexo

I always encourage parents to find interesting ways to teach their children about responsible money management. When I do, I always lean toward behavior modeling. Children who, even at an early age, see their parents engaging in a positive relationship with money will subconsciously take what they observe to heart more than any explicit lessons ... Continue reading this article…

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$100 Memorial Day Giveaway

by Flexo

To readers in the United States, happy Memorial Day! For Americans serving overseas — please arrive home safely. Many of us had long weekends for the holiday; I spent the weekend traveling. A friend of mine got married recently, and rather than having the traditional wedding, their marriage was private and followed by a honeymoon; ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 110: George Hobica, Airfarewatchdog

by Flexo

Today’s guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is George Hobica, president and founder of the travel comparison website Airfarewatchdog. George discusses Airfarewatchdog, how the site works in finding low air fares, several great deals many people don’t know about and offers many airline travel tips. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #110 George Hobica, Airfarewatchdog: S05E06 / 134 ... Continue reading this article…

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