Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed, and How You Can Always Get a Fair Deal
by Bob Sullivan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bob SullivanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-12-29
ISBN: 034551159X
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed, and How You Can Always Get a Fair Deal
Book Review: A comprehensive financial guide that will empower consumers
Summary: 5 Stars
In Stop Getting Ripped Off, Sullivan provides an outstanding, step-by-step guide that average consumers can follow to take back control of their financial lives. The economic turbulence of recent years has shown that when it comes to finances, Americans need to vastly improve their decision-making. In Part I of the book, many of the root causes of poor financial decisions are identified. Included in this list are: the failure of Americans to understand basic math, the failure of our education system to teach financial literacy, and our collective failure to recognize and avoid the kinds of irrational economic decisions that have been well-documented by behavioral economists. This makes for fascinating reading, because I don't think consumers fully realize, just how much their lack of knowledge on many of these issues is costing them in the marketplace.
In Part II, Sullivan takes consumers step-by-step through the most important financial decisions that they make, such as buying a house, buying a car, choosing a credit card, or a student loan. This section is packed with money-saving tips and practical advice. Some of his adages are counterintuitive, but upon reflection highly accurate. For example, when buying a home, the mortgage is more important than the actual house. Accordingly, homebuyers should spend more time shopping for mortgages than they do homes. Other advice includes: students should not borrow more to go to college than they can expect to earn during their first year of employment; and responsible credit card users hurt their credit score by holding too few credit cards.
Part III is comprehensive plan for securing your financial future. As Sullivan explains, the surest way to avoid getting ripped off is to have the ability to say no to any offer. Consumers with precarious finances are the ones offered loans with the most unfavorable terms. A consumer with a solid financial footing is in a position to walk away from many of the unfair, and deceptive offers Sullivan exposes.
This book is a call to save our system of free-market capitalism that has been endangered by recent events. A choice-based economic system, like a choice-based political system, needs an informed, enlightened, and engaged citizenry to function. I highly recommend this book. I hope it will be widely read, and lead to positive and permanent changes in consumer behaviors.
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Summary of Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed, and How You Can Always Get a Fair Deal
New York Times bestselling author of Gotcha Capitalism and MSNBC.com "Red Tape Chronicles" columnist Bob Sullivan strikes again to help you evade the financial traps big businesses set for unwary consumers?and shows you how to get the best possible deals every single time.Today's marketplace is full of hidden fees, fine print, and other booby traps designed to trip you up and take your money. You may be losing big even when you think you're getting a steal! But with Sullivan's keen guidance and sensible advice, you can save money and regain control of your financial life. Clearly and concisely, Sullivan reveals
? why American consumers make such easy targets for corporate America (you'll be stunned, for example, at how poor our math skills are)
? how Wall Street will skim off one third of your retirement money (avoid this trap with Sullivan's new "Pitfall-Proof Pyramid")
? the myths behind credit-card reward programs and "the 21st-Century Bank Account"
? the real numbers to focus on when buying a new car
? why you should spend more time shopping for your mortgage than your home
? the key questions you must ask before buying life insurance
? the secrets to saving for college and paying off student loans the right way
? the best deals on cell phones and pay-TV service
With Sullivan's empowering message, financial savvy, and knowledge of consumers' wants and needs, you can outsmart the system, keep your hard-earned cash, and finally stop getting ripped off. And you'll become part of a growing grass-roots movement to rein in the abuses of corporate America before consumers get hurt by another boom-and-bust cycle.
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