It’s prime time for consumers to buy things they shouldn’t, even at 75% off.
Psychology of Money
Practice Makes Perfect: A New Way To Think About New Year’s Resolutions
New research suggests that the best way to keep resolutions is practice before you reach.
Parent Holiday Conundrum: How to Walk the Fine Line Between Treating and Spoiling Your Kids
Is it remotely possible to be Santa and a responsible parent at the same time?
Beware Panic Shopping! How to Make a Last-Minute Gift Count
With just days until Christmas three-quarters of adults still have shopping to do. History tells us they will waste their money. Here’s how to make a last-minute gift matter.
Why Free Shipping Is Almost Universal — And Why You Should Be Wary of It
If you didn’t notice it, yesterday was celebrated in some quarters as Free Shipping Day. It does seem odd, though, to focus on a single day for free shipping when throughout the entire season free shipping has not really been …
Can the Federal Government Really Deter Insider Trading?
It’s been two decades since Michael Milken, a.k.a. the junk-bond king, pleaded guilty to securities fraud following a blockbuster insider-trading investigation that shined a light on bad Wall Street behavior during the go-go …
Are Holiday Sales Statistics Juiced? How Retail Sales Totals Can Vary By Billions
By one estimate, retail sales hit $59 billion over Black Friday weekend. Or was the sales total a mere $22 billion, as another index stated? Similarly, online sales on Cyber Monday may have reached $1.46 billion or $1.98 billion, depending on which set of statistics you prefer.
Kids and Allowance: The Debate that Divides Us
To heck with the fiscal cliff. The financial debate that won’t go away is among parents who just want to know if their kids should work for the allowance they receive. The answer isn’t always as easy as it may seem.
Worst. Gift. Ever. The 6 Kinds of Presents You Should Never Give
A gift should make the recipient happy — or at least not sad or angry. As the gift-giving season is upon us, it’s a good time to remember that gifts are a powerful form of communication. So what messages are being sent by the holiday gifts you’ve picked out for people?
Black Friday 2012: The Must-Read Guide Before Hitting (or Skipping) the Mall
Are you prepared to shop, then shop some more? Get ready…get set…but wait! Read this before going off to the mall and making tons of purchases you’ll later regret.
This Is Your Brain on Black Friday Shopping
Who among us hasn’t come back from a shopping excursion, looked over the just-purchased haul, and wondered, What was I thinking? Often, our shopping decisions aren’t the result of a completely logical thought process, but are instead affected by what we smell, hear, and touch, and what people around us are doing inside the store.
Black Friday: Fast and Frenzied
The end of Thanksgiving week represents the high point of American consumption — a purposefully designed fast and frenzied shopping atmosphere at stores all over the country. And that’s exactly how many shoppers like it.
