The Bottle Rockets, whose music has been compared to Woodie Guthrie’s, sing a poignant tune about a thousand-dollar car: A thousand dollar car, it ain’t worth nothin’ A thousand-dollar car, it ain’t worth shit Might as well take your thousand dollars And set fire to it. A thousand-dollar car ain’t worth a dime You lose your …
A recent study of college students preparing to graduate found that students suck at trying to estimate income and make plans for life after college. Respondents in this study felt confident their starting salary was going to be $103,880 but the average salary was actually $55,260. Oops. Of the students surveyed, 31 percent felt they …
I occasionally see television and print advertisements for weight-loss programs. Invariably, these ads show a slim, young, attractive woman with perfect teeth or a handsome young man with great hair and six-pack abs. We are encouraged to believe that these beautiful people were once fat. But we know better. We know that no matter what …
Almost every day, I see a television ad for an investment firm that targets retirees. “Don’t just retire,” the tv spokesperson says. “Retire well.” Of course, everyone wants to retire well. For most of us, that means retiring with our debts paid and enough income to cover our bills and travel occasionally. But many Americans …
Oh, college. It’s filled with caffeinated nights, Saturday game days, Easy Mac, and ramen. While all your money seems to be going toward tuition and books, it’s essential to learn how to budget in college to make the most of what you have. Wouldn’t it be great to have a grasp on your beer budget? …
Adults are going back to school for lots of different reasons these days, including career changes, keeping up with developments in their field, learning new skills, and personal enrichment. At many colleges, students may be senior executives, retirees, or working moms. Going back to school when you’re older, whether it’s to get an advanced degree, …
Universities have been whistling past the graveyard for years, Ignoring the signs of rot in their industry, they just rolled along through the decades, charging obscene prices for educational experiences that were obsolete. Overall, college enrollment dropped ten percent over the past decade, but the universities did not reduce their costs. Instead, they hired recruiters …
This spring, pass rates for the California Bar Exam hit a historic low. Only 26.8 percent of the test-takers received a passing grade–about one out of four. The pass rate for retakers was even lower: a shocking 22 percent. As one might expect, pass rates varied widely based on where the test-takers went to law …
A bunch of black swans showed up this spring, and they landed on top of every college administration building in America. Last March, virtually every postsecondary institution shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Students who lived in campus dorms were told to scram. Face-to-face instruction screeched to a halt, and the colleges began …
According to Investopedia, “Bait and switch is a morally suspect sales tactic that lures customers in with specific claims about quality or low prices . . .” However, once customers are lured in, “the advertised deal does not exist, or is of far inferior quality or specifications, where the buyer is then presented with an …