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.
 

Bob Sullivan has been a reporter for nearly two decades. For the past twelve years, he has covered computer crime and consumer affairs for MSNBC.com. Today his work appears on MSNBC.com's "Red Tape Chronicles" blog. He also appears regularly on MSNBC television, NBC Nightly News, the Today show, and various local NBC affiliates. He is the winner of the prestigious 2002 Society of Professional Journalist Public Service Award for a series of articles on online fraud. His first book, Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic, investigated the root causes of credit card fraud and other identity-related crimes. His second book, Gotcha Capitalism, exposed the hidden fee economy that attacks family budgets. He lives in Maltby, Wash. with his golden retriever, Lucky.