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Concierge Medicine: Differentiated Healthcare for the Rich

by Flexo

Earning or having more money might not universally increase happiness or health. Wealthy people can be sad or sick just like those who are less financially fortunate. More money does provide more access to “stuff,” though, and people often like that “stuff.” Businesses that cater to the rich with services for which they might be ... Continue reading this article…

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Best Return on Investment for Bachelor’s Degrees

by Flexo

Since a college degree is the baseline for most middle-class jobs for people not yet old enough to have equivalent experience, and getting that experience in the first place would be difficult without a college degree, it always surprises me that people question the value of getting a college degree at all. While it’s true ... Continue reading this article…

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Increase Your Credit Score

by Flexo
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Somewhere along the line, American consumer society has progressed to the point where access to debt is almost essential to living a middle class life. If owning a house is the modern American dream, most Americans wouldn’t be able to achieve this without the help of the finance industry. As a result, our finances rely ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 102: Tax Preparation, Tom Dziubek

by Flexo

Consumerism Commentary Podcast host and producer Tom Dziubek returns this week, in the role of a guest. Tom has spent the past few months working for a financial services firm focusing on preparing and filing tax returns for clients. Today, Tom is joining me to speak about common and uncommon issues households experience with their ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 99: Swipe Fees and the End of Free Checking?

by Flexo

Today’s guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is Preeti Vissa, community reinvestment director of The Greenlining Institute, an organization whose mission is to empower communities of color and other disadvantaged groups through multi-ethnic economic and leadership development, civil rights, and anti-redlining activities. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #99 Swipe Fees: S04E21 / 123 Adobe Flash required Download ... Continue reading this article…

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Getting What You Want: Using Sex as Money

by Flexo
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College students, professionals, and married couples are familiar with one of the oldest systems of bartering known to humans: bartering using sex. According to a survey of University of Michigan undergraduate students, 27 percent of unattached men and 14 percent of unattached women offered a service or gift, like laundry or football tickets, in return ... Continue reading this article…

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Advantages of Buying a House With Cash

by Flexo
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The decision of whether to buy a house with cash or take out a mortgage may be one that most people never have to face. For the most part, American society is comfortable with the idea of going in debt to buy a house for two reasons. First, the value of a house is expected ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 96: Product Downsizing and The Death of the American Investor

by Flexo

The first guest on today’s episode of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast are Tod Marks, senior project editor at Consumer Reports and author of the Tightwad Tod column. Host Bryan J Busch talks with Tod about consumer product downsizing and price increases in 2011. After the break, Bryan speaks with Nico Willis, author of Death of ... Continue reading this article…

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