The Marketing of Debt (How They Get You)

Why do people struggle so much with debt? The truth is, we are psychologically pre-disposed to misunderstanding it. We underestimate the cost of debt and overestimate our ability to pay. Not only do marketers of credit cards and loans know this, but they also exploit these psychological blind spots to get us deeper in hock.

The Marketing of Debt: How They Get You is an irreverent look at the financial services industry and the psychological research on decision-making related to debt. Topics include resisting temptation and refocusing on long-term goals, how money lenders hide pricing, partitioned pricing, drip pricing, the issue with status branded credit cards, and taking scientifically proven steps for making better financial decisions.

This book is for anyone who wants to understand common tactics that marketers of debt use to get people into deeper debt, and how to avoid the traps laid by lenders. For students, this will be an appealing point-of-entry to behavioural research on financial decision-making. This could also be required reading for a consumer behaviour or consumer finance course. Additionally, there is a self-help aspect to this book in that it will help individuals avoid falling into many of the traps laid by marketers of debt. Features a Foreword from Jason Harris of Mekanism.