The Consumerism Commentary Podcast

Today’s Consumerism Commentary Podcast features two interviews. In the first segment, Tom Dziubek talks with Philip Taylor from PT Money: Personal Finance and Consumerism Commentary founder Flexo about this year’s Financial Blogger Conference. In the second segment, Tom speaks with Jon Stein, founder and CEO of the online investing service Betterment. Jon discusses recent survey results about how young people have been financially planning for the future as well as Betterment’s new financial planning tool. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #129 Financial Blogger Conference; Betterment’s New Financial Goal Tool: S05E25 / 154 & 153 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_42').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:43] Interview with Phillip Taylor and Flexo – [00:59] The 2011 Financial Blogger Conference – [01:54] The choice of Chicago – [02:37] The conference itinerary – [04:00] Funding and sponsors – [06:04] Attendees of the event – [07:00] The Plutus Awards – [09:23] What happens in Chicago stays in Chicago – [11:31] Flexo flies first class [14:42] Interview with Jon Stein, Betterment – [14:58] Explaining Betterment – [16:04] Expected return on investment – [17:47] Betterment’s survey on people’s financial planning – [20:32] Betterment’s goal-based investment tool – [22:30] Future plans for Betterment [24:12] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 129: Financial Blogger Conference, Betterment is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with Robert Steven Kaplan, the author of What to Ask the Person in the Mirror. Rob Kaplan has spent his life studying leadership and the qualities of a great leader. He and Bryan discuss the three questions any organization needs to ask itself before it can succeed, and the best ways to coach the people on your team. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #128 What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: S05E24 / 152 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_43').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch [00:34] Interview with Robert Steven Kaplan – [00:49] The MBA Oath – [03:16] Definition of leader – [04:35] Being willing to keep learning – [05:00] Vision, priorities, and coaching – [07:52] Apple Inc. – [09:44] Creating a learning environment – [12:08] Why people quit – [14:53] Coaching’s effect on the bottom line – [16:07] Hiring great people – [19:17] Designing the organization and hiring differently – [20:49] People’s great potential to learn and adapt – [24:34] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 128: What to Ask the Person in the Mirror is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with Mike Egan, the author of Your Stronger Financial Future. In the book, Mike details several popular myths about social security, saving, and investments, and then explains the truth about each one, giving the reader solid knowledge and formulas about how much to save for retirement. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #127 Your Stronger Financial Future: S05E23 / 151 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_44').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch [00:33] Interview with Mike Egan – [00:47] Misconceptions – [02:37] Social Security isn’t a ponzi scheme – [07:37] Raising the retirement age – [10:11] Contributions to Social Security? – [11:40] Retirement savings – [14:05] Good debt as an investment – [15:48] 7-year mortgages – [17:31] Emergency fund – [23:12] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 127: Your Stronger Financial Future is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with Truett Cathy, the founder and CEO of Chick-fil-A, about his book Wealth: Is It Worth It?. Truett lived through the Great Depression and worked behind a counter until he started Chick-fil-A when he was 46. Never comfortable borrowing money, he now believes in giving generously to charity, and that you always get back what you give away. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #126 Wealth: Is It Worth It?: S05E22 / 150 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_45').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch [00:36] Interview with S. Truett Cathy – [00:58] Is wealth having enough to take care of your family? – [01:59] Victory is what you do with the money, not the fact that you have it – [04:17] Make donations anonymously – [05:06] Tithing – [05:40] The Golden Rule in business – [09:00] Being brought up during the Great Depression – [10:15] Keeping Chick-fil-A employee turnover low – [11:16] How wealth is worth it – [13:08] The right amount to give away – [16:22] Being prepared for the slow times – [17:13] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 126: Wealth: Is It Worth It? is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast Tom Dziubek speaks with Gerri Detweiler, personal finance expert at Credit.com, about her series of articles dealing with underwater mortgages. Gerri goes into detail about each of the six options including home loan refinances & modifications, doing a short sale and declaring bankruptcy. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #125 Underwater Mortgages: S05E21 / 149 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_46').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:35] Interview with Gerri Detweiler – [00:46] The criteria for someone to be considered “underwater” – [02:19] Stay and pay – [04:43] Emergency home owner loans – [05:20] Refinancing a mortgage & the HARP program – [06:52] Home loan modification & the HAMP program – [09:16] The popularity of home modifications – [11:38] Short sales – [13:59] Cancellation of debt and its affect on your income taxes – [16:21] Walking away from a mortgage – [19:59] Declaring bankruptcy – [22:37] Misconceptions about bankruptcy – [23:43] Credit rating recovery after a bankruptcy [27:20] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 125: Underwater Mortgages is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast Tom Dziubek speaks with Deron Weston, Principal, U.S. Banking and Securities at Deloitte Consulting, about Deloitte’s recent survey on first-time credit defaulters. Deron explains what constitutes a “first-time defaulter” and discusses several topics relating to them such as major causes of defaulting, the bank’s overall response to the defaulters and the different products banks have been offering them to help them recover their credit rating. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #124 Deloitte’s Survey on First-Time Credit Defaulters: S05E20 / 148 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_46').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:38] Interview with Deron Weston – [00:50] The people sampled in this survey – [02:29] Defining a first-time defaulter – [03:12] The differences between the two Deloitte surveys – [04:02] The credit groups affected the most – [04:48] Major reasons for people defaulting – [06:09] The connection between unemployment and health care – [07:50] Customer service experiences & relationship with their banks – [11:31] Products being offered by banks to help customers improve their credit rating – [12:40] Poor response to secured credit cards – [14:03] New reports about fewer delinquencies [16:51] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 124: First-Time Credit Defaulters is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks with Mint.com‘s Vice President of Product, Aaron Forth, about Mint’s new bill reminder feature. Aaron also discusses ways the smartphone app can help you acquire a more accurate bank account balance and also talks about what savings and spending trends they’ve seen. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #123 Mint’s New Bill Reminder Feature: S05E19 / 147 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_44').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:36] Interview with Aaron Forth – [00:46] The Mint.com service – [03:09] Bill reminders – [06:31] Tracking customers who have problems paying bills – [07:19] Using data to help improve the service – [08:16] Tracking spending and saving behaviors – [09:39] Other new features at Mint / adding manual transactions – [13:50] New projects in the works [15:17] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. var popuptest = 8; Podcast 123: Mint.com’s New Bill Reminder Feature is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with professional penny-pincher Clark Howard about some of the more than 250 ways to save money from his new book, Living Large in Lean Times. Bryan and Clark discuss car purchases and insurance, saving on printer ink, college loans, getting free medications and the many new ways to enjoy music online. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #122 Television of the Future: S05E18 / 143 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_45').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch [00:32] Interview with Clark Howard – [00:53] Buying a new car – [05:07] Amica car insurance – [07:45] College education savings plans – [09:24] Extending the life of printer ink – [11:55] Music streaming and sharing services – [16:17] Prescription medications – [20:33] Effect of the S∧P downgrade – [23:08] Starting saving – [23:53] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. var popuptest = 8; Podcast 122: Living Large in Lean Times is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek speaks with Adam Levin, co-founder of Credit.com and former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs about the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Adam discusses the goals of the bureau, how it’s an improvement over what was in place before, and some of the challenges that it needs to overcome. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #121 Adam Levin, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: S05E17 / 146 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_45').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:36] Interview with Adam Levin – [00:50] The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – [01:48] How it’s different from what was previously in place – [03:17] The priorities of the CFPB – [04:53] Financial literacy & creating new policies vs. enforcing the old ones – [07:48] Elizabeth Warren vs. Richard Cordray as director – [12:43] Republican criticisms of the bureau – [17:58] The CFPB’s effectiveness [22:13] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. var popuptest = 8; Podcast 121: Adam Levin, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Flexo turns the tables and interviews the podcast host Bryan J Busch about his so-called “Television of the Future.” Bryan developed a moral objection to paying for cable, because it also includes advertising, and you can’t pay for just the channels that you want, so a little over a year ago he canceled the cable, but still manages to watch all the shows that he likes through the Internet, on a normal TV screen (video of his set-up). Most of them are even through legitimate channels. Flexo talks to Bryan about how the decision changed his viewing habits, what he misses and what he doesn’t miss, and whether television is just a huge time-drain away from more productive activities. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #120 Television of the Future: S05E16 / 145 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_46').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Flexo [00:34] Interview with Bryan J Busch – [00:55] Is watching television just a drain on your resources? – [03:19] What’s the role of entertainment in modern life? – [05:24] Changes to the TV of the Future hardware in the last year – [07:34] What about shows that you can’t find (legitimately) through the Internet? – [09:44] How has the software changed in the last year? – [11:09] Finding new shows without a TV guide or ads for shows – [12:03] Are you still saving $70 a month, and does the eight-day delay force spoilers on you? – [14:05] Special features and true high-definition are mostly still limited to DVDs and Blu-Ray – [16:53] Multiple reactions to the Netflix price hikes – [19:34] Leaving cable TV on all the time might influence spending behavior – [21:22] Will the ability to skip normal ads lead to more product placements? – [23:06] Is the TV industry making the same mistakes that record companies made ten years ago? – [24:04] What do you do with the extra free time? [27:18] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. var popuptest = 8; Podcast 120: Television of the Future is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today’s guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is Leslie Dawson, partner of the accounting firm Glenn & Dawson and member of the California Society of CPAs. Leslie talks to Tom Dziubek and discusses the IRS’s waiver of the two-year waiting period for people applying for a certain type of innocent spouse relief. Leslie and Tom also discuss what an “innocent spouse” is, the criteria needed for innocent spouse relief and also the difference between an “innocent” spouse and an “injured” spouse. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #119 Leslie Dawson, IRS Innocent Spouse Relief: S05E15 / 143 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_47').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:36] Interview with Leslie Dawson – [00:50] Explaining an innocent spouse – [02:16] Innocent spouse relief – [03:26] The frequency of innocent spouse relief – [06:34] The criteria that people must meet – [07:48] Whether spouses benefit from relief if couple still files jointly – [09:22] The relief process – [11:10] How far back the IRS can go & seeking tax counsel – [13:08] Keeping yourself from becoming an innocent spouse – [14:24] Online resources – [15:58] Handling of outstanding cases – [16:12] “Innocent” spouse vs. “injured” spouse [19:02] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 119: Leslie Dawson, IRS Innocent Spouse Relief is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today’s guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch. Andrew frequently appears on television to speak about retail trends and provide advice for shoppers to break bad buying habits. Visit her website for more information. Andrea talks with Consumerism Commentary Podcast host and produce Bryan J Busch about the negative effects and deceptive production of the “Extreme Couponing” TV show and how stores have been compelled to change their policies to stop aspiring extreme couponers from clearing shelves and causing a ruckus in the checkout aisles. They also discuss year-round coupon tips and other ways to save in the supermarket. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #118 Extreme Couponing Part II: S05E14 / 142 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_48').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch [00:34] Interview with Andrea Woroch – [00:50] Is the “Extreme Couponing” TV show giving normal coupons a bad name? – [04:22] How are stores changing their policies as a result, especially with stacking? – [06:45] What if I can’t find the coupon policy on the store website? – [07:28] Is the “extreme couponing party” over? – [09:34] People are stealing newspapers more often just for coupons – [10:14] Andrea’s advice for finding and dealing with coupons responsibly (e.g. Cellfire and Coupon Sherpa) – [14:18] What is up to the store manager’s discretion? Always read the fine print and check for expiration dates. – [16:42] Tactics for saving in addition to coupons [19:47] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 118: Consequences of Extreme Couponing is a post from Consumerism Commentary. New to Consumerism Commentary? Start here.

Today’s guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is Yaron Samid, founder and CEO of the personal finance security service BillGuard. Yaron talks to Tom Dziubek and discusses how BillGuard works, fraudulent credit and debit card transactions, how BillGuard detects these potentially fraudulent transactions and how it notifies their customers. Consumerism Commentary Podcast #117 Yaron Samid, BillGuard: S05E13 / 140 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#wp_mep_49').mediaelementplayer({ m:1 ,features: ['playpause','current','progress','duration','volume','tracks','fullscreen'] ,audioWidth:400,audioHeight:30 }); }); Download – RSS – iTunes Table of contents [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:36] Interview with Yaron Samid – [00:49] About BillGuard – [01:26] Card fraud – [02:58] How BillGuard learns about potential fraud – [06:00] Other examples of fraud or unexpected charges – [07:44] How and when BillGuard notifies people – [10:44] Tricks used by unscrupulous merchants – [13:41] Getting help getting refunds – [15:11] Never use your debit card to reserve hotels or rent cars – [18:14] BillGuard’s security – [19:03] BillGuard’s funding [21:05] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Theme music by Mindcube. Podcast 117: Yaron Samid, BillGuard is a post from: Consumerism Commentary. It's not too late! Vote for Consumerism Commentary (or your other favorite personal finance blog) for a People's Choice Plutus Award!