These 5 SCAMS Have Become so Normalized, We Don't Even Notice Them Anymore.

[@proto57]

Years ago I noticed a $20 a month "line fee" on our Verizon phone plan. So I called the rep and asked her what that was. She said, "It is to hold your phone number, so it can't be used by others". I was like, "WHAT?", and told her that nobody can use our numbers ANYWAY, they are ours. I asked her to check... she went away, and supposedly could not find any more information on it. So we were paying $240 a year for a thing that made no sense, and seemed to do nothing. We switched to another, than another plan that didn't have this "Line Fee", and costs less than half of what our other plan did.

[@wendybauman4074]

Yes to all, and THANK YOU FOR CALLING OUT UNI DEGRESS! I am a 55 yo teacher with a BSc, BEd, MSc, and part of a PhD (quit because I was having fun but decided to return to teaching elementary/secondary kids). And I am the first to say we need WAAAAAAAAAAY more options for education of kids besides the current mainstream school programs, and way more kids going into apprenticeships and trades. I am so excited to show my own 16yo this video so he hears this rant from someone other than me! Thank you!! ❤

[@lilblackduc7312]

Someone I know is going to college. He's constantly bombarded with the 'Current Thing' crap; "woke", Palestine/Israel, BLM/ANTIFA, C(lie)mate Change Cult dogma...👎🏿👎🏿 None of it has anything to do with a Science degree...

[@Queen-ConsciousYa]

I ended up joining the military as a diesel/auxiliary technician because my community college was boring and I had the time of my life.

[@alexiscarlin9690]

Another gooder: Restaurant corporations relying on customer tips to pay their employees appropriately. Making us feel like customers are the problem and cheap if they don't tip 20% of the bill.🙄

[@clarkclarke]

I was at a take out once and the person in front of me gave a $20 tip .. the cashier made a loud sigh and said "I wish he didn't add he tip " ... I asked her why ... she said that the owner keeps all the tips and and never pass it on to them (the workers) ..

[@J-Williams]

​@@clarkclarke😳

[@jamesr1703]

Yes. The solution is do not go there. Cook at home. Invite your friends over for a nutritious home cooked meal.

[@skyirwin1445]

This scam goes all the way back to the early 1900's. Restaurants started this scam to get out of paying a living wage, and I'm talking about the fancy, expensive restaurants in the fancy, expensive hotels. Edit: This is in the U.S., by the way. Just saw the part where she mentioned she lives in Canada.

[@caliwebb3]

wish I could give 10 thumbs up for this one

[@alicenieto3162]

My husband worked in the airline industry for 20 years. They closed the station he was in and was offered a transfer to any station that was open. He decided to go to a trade school instead at the age of 45 finished at 50 and we lived a wonderful life because of it. Young people don’t realize how much a trade school can impact their lives for a fabulous future.

[@luckystarlight]

important note, your husband is a man. trades are highly misogynistic

[@FAAMAN841]

I hope he got his A &P license 😅

[@russellj.6708]

What is wrong with you? @@luckystarlight

[@user-iv8jf3mr1k]

@@luckystarlight shallow victim mindset. I wish I could get a f8male electrician, but they virtually do not exist. How about plumbers, sewage workers and HVAC installers? All men, for some reason f8males just would not take those jobs.

[@gardencity3558]

@@luckystarlight It's the patriarchy! LOL!

[@andreabellini6796]

Schools really need to teach finance. A lot of young adults have no idea how interest etc works.

[@AccordingtoNicole]

Totally agree

[@grasshopper1153]

instead of preparing us for college, schools should be teaching us how to start and run businesses

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

Thats by design so kids grow up thinking debt is normal and to trap them into being endless consumers

[@MaryLovesJesus]

Sin shortens life, because of our sins we are separated from God.There is nothing in this world worth going to hellfire for. Repent of your sins and be born again, Jesus Christ is coming back everyone. It's about a relationship with Jesus Christ NOT religion/denomination. We have a relationship with Jesus Christ by repenting of all of our sins, praying and reading the Bible everyday, believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and be born again.

[@suraangel6956]

They won't. I think we know why If everyone knows how to be rich, there won't be a gap anymore. The rich like their castles.

[@martinbowman1993]

These five are so true. Cell phone bills, insurance, bank fees, credit card fees, and college degrees are all huge scams.

[@lindaanderson3973]

“Designer” clothes/accessories/shoes, etc. How stupid to pay 10x -50x times a products value for a “name”. I’ve never understood it.

[@jenniferw8963]

0:00 Intro; 0:36 Bank Fees; 4:15 Overpriced Phone Plans -- 5:25 Mint Mobile (a great alternative); 6:38 Credit Card Interest; 8:57 Insurance; 11:14 University Degree; 14:28 Outro.

[@Garythedog3]

I agree. The plasticky clothes selection in the USA is getting slightly better. We grow cotton here and linen….I wish we grew Hemp like you.

[@pf100andahalf]

Thanks

[@mrbill2600]

Graduated from High School in 1959 and everyone told me to go to college. I went for about 10 weeks and saw that, for me, it was expensive and meaningless ... so I quit. I then got my 2 years of military obligation out of the way and decided to become a tradesman. After deciding on a trade, I got a job as an apprentice and moved up to the point where I was making a substantial income at a job that I loved. When I retired in 2005 we owned our home, 2 cars, no debt, and had a net worth of over a million. Not bad for a guy who worked for over 40 years with his hands and has a loving, frugal wife. Important note: The partner, as well as the job, you pick can and will make all the difference.

[@daniellescott477]

Facts!!!!!😊

[@ccampbell7214]

Well done 😀

[@thehuntress8850]

An immigrant from Iran talked about an unemployment rate of 30% in thier country. ( that's why they imigrated to the U.S.) Many of those people who were unemployed, had college degree's. The citizens that had the most job opportunity's were tradesmen, because things like cars and HVAC systymes still needed repair.

[@joebarr725]

If you think college was expensive then, check it out now. I attended Univ. of California in the early 1970s. Tuition was $600 per year.

[@daffyduk77]

Sometimes it's only after you've gotten married, that you find out whether the wife is frugal or not 😞

[@nekonoonna]

As a person from Europe I have to point out it baffles me everytime to hear that university in America always equals debt. We pay ( when i recall correctly) around 700€ a Semester as fees. Additionally to that there are monthly expenses like rent, food etc. Where your family supports you. otherwise you have the possibility to loan money without interest (Bafög) or get support ( Wohngeld) without ever having to pay that back. Of course you have to fit certain criteria for that. I had ZERO debt after college. ZERO. And i come from a poor family.

[@flohough1870]

I used to work in banking. Bank fees are a total scam. Especially ATM fees. Back when ATM's were put into use, the idea behind them was to free up time for tellers. Instead, banks not only used it as an excuse to reduce their workforce, they pay poorly--and now they charge a fee for a lot of the ATMs. Once again, those fees don't trickle into their average workforce, it's all about the CEO's and shareholders.

[@paulperry7091]

Insurance... my late stepfather was an actuary (basically a specialist in the mathematics of finance). His rule was "never insure anything that you can afford to replace." That's because insurance is like gambling, with the odds against you. He was a very rich man - but the only insurance he ever took was the compulsory insurance (here in Australia) against killing or injuring someone in a car accident. During WW2 he worked on Atlantic shipping convoy strategy, but that's another story.

[@stephenrostkoski837]

I agree with everything you say here. I wish I realized the University scam sooner than I did, because I wasted so much time and money. I finally went to a trade school and used work study and internships to get my foot in the door in an industry I still work in. My brother barely graduated high school, but a family friend hired him to work for his business. He eventually took over the company and is retiring soon. Finding a good mentor can be much better than a degree.

[@vtmegrad98]

As an older Gen X'r, who was around when ATM cards were new, I've never accepted bank fees as being acceptable. Thankfully, credit unions typically were a lot better about not pulling these games. Plus, they don't get rich off our money. that's just a facade. They get rich creating money from nothing to loan out, and leverage that to make more fake money, and so on, and so on.

[@MP-tf7cc]

There was a book in the 1970s called 'The Screwing of the Average Man', which detailed the numerous ways that the biggest industries - banks, insurance co's, lawyers, doctors... screw most people. It's probably worse now.

[@whiterabit09]

The cheaper your car, the cheaper your insurance.

[@jthompson7175]

With university degrees, I think a lot of the problem is how bloated the curriculum gets as well. You could be going in for computer science, but end up having to take extra bloat in electives like re-hash of what you learned in high school history. It easily doubles the amount of classes you have to take to get the degree where the bloat usually has nothing to do with the field you're trying to learn.

[@loganmedia1142]

Where I went all the additional subjects were usually also science ones and aimed at adding some rounding to the person. But we had a choice in what we chose. You could focus on mathematics as your additional subjects, especially if you actually intended to pursue a career in computer science. These days the university allows people to combine some electronics courses with computer science. It was pretty unusual to do any arts subjects like history.

[@gene_takavic57]

College/University is turning into a corporation.

[@C3rdito]

That's exactly why I decided to drop out of the computer science - you sign up for an IT field and for reasons unexplained you are then required to take PA classes, literally... WTF!? As if i couldn't qualify working in IT if I couldn't prove myself capable of partaking in sports.... ? That's a farce.

[@rps215]

Only a few makes sense. Back in my father's time, when studied Civil Engineering, all the subjects he got were about civil engineering and nothing else, which had a problem of overspecialization. So I think some "out of specialization" subjects like Law and Finance are OK to be added for some engineering degrees because chances are you will need them later in life. However, things that are out of the question should be only electives and not required, like you don't need to study Computer Science for a Civil Engineer degree.

[@johndoe-ss9bz]

The $y$tem i$ Rigged!!! Voters, Wake Up!

[@robertvirnig638]

I worked in various hospitality jobs and eventually ended up managing a hotel. I didn't have a degree and while it may have taken 5 more years to work up to positions that someone may have gotten to sooner with a degree, the difference is that I was paid for those 5 years, not the other way around. My brother got a photography degree at an expensive private school only to make a career as a real estate broker. In contrast, my sister got full value from her nursing education. The thing that gets me riled a little is that people judge on your level of education. Or they think they are better than you because of their education. Most people I know with degrees didn't retain any of what they learned.

[@ny2phillyholloway592]

I left my bank years ago when they changed their policy and wanted to charge me for keeping my money. Found the credit union that suited me and it's worked out perfectly. I've been on mint for almost 2 years now. You pay for the year in advance and I love that. It feels wonderful that I don't have to think about a monthly bill. You deserve to keep your hard earned money!!! 💰

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I was going to say the same thing, most banks are terrible. Credit Unions are owned by the depositors so any money that they collect either goes to compensating bank employees or back to the members in the form of interest or services. The main way that can go wrong is if the executives are being overpaid. But, as there are no 3rd parties, that's easier to solve.

[@cherylT321]

@@SmallSpoonBrigadeI used to like my credit union until they decided to shut down a whole bunch of atm’s with barely any kind of explanation. My thinking is the money they save goes into the pockets of those at the top…Now because of what they’ve done, I now have a 40 minute drive to get to an atm, when it used to be five minutes away from me!

[@Jewelmind]

Me too. free

[@anthonysah7393]

Thank you a thousand times Nicole!!! 🗽

[@cynthiabromback8854]

I really would love to know why credit card companies are allowed to get away with charging high interest and late fees to begin with. They ruin people.

[@superduper9357]

Well you know the cost before you use it. The reason they have high interest rates is due to the default rate.

[@kents.2866]

In the US, there used to be a cap of the interest rate credit card companies could charge. Thanks to President Reagan getting rid of that cap, now they can charge 19,28, 30%

[@robertmaxa6631]

Interest only applies to balances carried forward. Don't want to pay interest, don't carry a balance.

[@grannyprepper1181]

As a person who has dug myself out of debt…twice, the answer is to NOT build up debt. I have been debt free for 5 years. I use my credit card for everything, earn the rewards and pay it off. In the past 5 years I have earned ruffly $1500. in rewards and I use that for birthday and Christmas gifts. I do NOT pay interest. Pay it off before it’s due and only spend what’s in your checking account.

[@M_SC]

Because of the political attitude of over half the country that big government is bad and deregulation is good. In normal places those super high interest rates simply aren’t allowed. But America with the Republican Party trying to remove every law restricting companies screwing citizens.

[@oliver4534]

This lady is coming after my whole society and I'm here for it.

[@jesse7631]

Great video Nicole! Another thing to keep in mind is that according to current banking laws, a bank can loan out 9 times the amount of money they have on deposit. So if a bank has $10,000 on deposit, they can 'loan' someone else up to $90,000. Chew on that for a while.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

how can they hand you money they dont physically have?

[@jesse7631]

@@SgtJoeSmith They don't hand you cash money - they create a credit account for you, and you have to pay them. Nothing about the transaction has to do with actual FIAT currency.

[@stevefarrington5618]

Fractional reserve lending, my father was an independent banker. He open his own after leaving Texas commerce

[@BanksOwnUs]

Credit card interest isnt a scam, it's a crime. 25% is INSANE.

[@ben11628]

if you do not have the money you should not be able to buy it in the first place - it's a crime to let broke people buy stuff, cause if you are broke how can someone buy anything

[@00_UU]

The biggest sc-m in the United States is healthcare industry. It is supposed to be a private service, but where is the price? Prices are somehow always hidden. Health insurance is a sc-m of itself, co-pays, deductibles, in-network, out-of-network, caps and limits. How does average consumer even deal with all of this? Other countries have it figured out for a long time. In Poland private insurance has 2 parts: outpatient and hospital. First part is around 180 dollars per month, second part is around 200 dollars per month. But there are no copays, no deductibles, all visits are in-network with their largest HMO - Luxmed. Wait times are short, the same day for physicians and within a week for most specialists. They also include preventative hospital stay every 2 years, unheard of in the US. Icing on the cake? Their physicians go for home visits, so you can stay home when you are sick. It is much cheaper to fly to another country for many medical treatments, Polish hospitals openly display their prices, so consumers (patients) can shop around. How do we set rules for fair open market competition in most industries, but American healthcare is somehow exempt?

[@ericvogelsang7629]

Agreed

[@MsPieO]

Exactly. What a scam. Insurance companies are traded on a stock exchange. It ‘s a for profit business. I pay a premium out of my paycheck, my employer pays even more but when you need something done, the physician marks their services up only for the insurance company to apply a discount and me being stuck paying the deductible. However there is also a “cash price”, which would probably be cheaper without any insurance all. Ugh…

[@mixmax6027]

I had to give 20 years in the military to have 'almost' the same price for insurance. About 300 a year for my family

[@JJ_Smilez]

1000 yes!!!!!

[@daffyduk77]

Seems like a kind of "cosy-cartel" monopoly scenario to a non-American. You get what you're prepared to put up with. Get healthcare in Mexico ? Insulin from Canada ?

[@brandonsteveescobedo1394]

Insurance is basically gambling, except the odds are stacked against you

[@troypullen7469]

You're spot on! I'm 61 years old and have lived through and am living every SCAM you have pointed out. With the exception of a college degree.... Although I've had a lot of college and technical school classes along the way throughout my career. This is all excellent information, and while completely eliminating all of these scams from our lives may not be attainable, we can mitigate them as much as possible. Thanks.

[@tjholman4133]

Thank You Nicole......I wonder why none of this is EVER taught in Public Schools?

[@davidbeise7385]

One that really burns my bridges is all these "payday loan" outfits. They are really nothing but predatory loan sharks preying on people who can least afford to use them. On the university issue.. Most of what people learn in university can be learned through online courses (some are free). STEM subjects may require university but the that's about it. And lets not forget about apprenticeships where people learn on the job with a couple months of school each year and finish with NO STUDENT debt.

[@cosmicwintermoon]

My friend got her masters degree in library science. Basically, she wanted to be a librarian, and the position required a masters degree. To scan books at checkout and reshelve returns? So when we met, she was still trying to get a librarian position. She was working 2-3 jobs trying to make payments on $140,000 of student loans. She now finally has a librarian position, but still has the loans which accrue intrest faster than she can pay. Anymore, it seems most jobs that used to be entry level, on the job training, now require a college degree and 3-5 years experience. Yes, there are trade schools, but here at least, they run $30,000 for a 9 month program. Actually more than a bachelor's degree.

[@JJ_Smilez]

I came here to comment something similar. I have certifications in my field, but the job requirements are at minimum a bachelors degree or 5-10 years experience. I have had to go back to college to earn my BS, just to show my future employers that I have a piece of paper. It IS a scam. But sometimes you just can’t get around it. (This is highly dependent on the industry though) So I agree that a lot of jobs are requiring more and more 😢

[@fan1.028]

It's been so long since I paid any bank or credit card fees. Being a military veteran with good credit really pays off. I always pay my credit card balances in full every month for the past 20 years. I get so many discounts and money back that I actually make money from all of those things.

[@connierivera1758]

Right on! Thanks for having the guts to speak truth! 🎉

[@Thomas63r2]

You should expand on this, there are so many junky money grabs out there. I'm surprised you didn't mention Internet providers. Basically, anything that is constantly promoted and advertised is guaranteed to be a cash cow for its owners. Read your receipts! College degrees occupy a special place in money burning hell. Part of what has happened is high school has been so dumbed down that having a high school diploma is no guarantee of fitness for an entry level job. Many employers use a college degree, doesn't matter what degree, as a basic barometer indicating that an entry level candidate can be trained to become an asset for the company.

[@elkoposo686]

58% of the 16 year olds leaving school this last summer will have to resit Maths/English & Science to enter basic college this Autumn! I do my job. I photocopy at a school. Those fuckin' teachers do nothing and the Parent deserve ALL THEY GET - PARENTS ARE THE DUMBEST SECTION OF SOCIETY BAR NONE!!!!! THEIR CHILDREN ARE TARGETED TO LEVERAGE FAMILY WEALTH DECISIONS LIKE NOTHING ELSE - RIGHT THROUGH MOST WESTERN CULTURES AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH INTERNET/TV ACCESS. CV19 IS PROOF OF THIS... THE PRICE FOR THAT FOLLY WILL BE DECADES IN DEBET... IF THEY ACTUALLY MAKE IT THAT FAR...

[@nataliianezhynska5119]

Nicole, I just found your channel a few days ago. Binging now. I really enjoy all the content on your channel.

[@paulawashington3175]

I agree with you on items 1 to 4. I also agree that the price of a college or university degree is obscene these days in the US and, apparently, Canada. However, it is not outrageously expensive in other places. Also, vocational training is not the only reason to seek higher education. As the president of my alma mater told us at the first convocation freshman year, "Four years is not enough time to learn much about anything and it doesn't matter what your major is." By this time we were getting pretty worried, but he continued: "However, you will leave here with two very important life skills. You will learn how to write well and convincingly and you will know how to find out what you don't know." How I wish that more Americans had learned critical thinking, how to discern what is real and what is fake.

[@loganmedia1142]

We always wanted the applicants to have a degree, but it didn't really matter what the degree was. It was considered an indicator of two things - that the person could learn and that they would pursue it to completion. Because much more than high school university requires a lot of self-study. Of course this was before the world wide web became ubiquitous. Back then a lot of books were not available in the public library and university libraries were not open to the public.

[@kevindarkstar]

Saying that banks are a scam is the understatement of understatement 😏

[@mht5875]

Thank you for covering the university scam - unless it's a STEM or English degree, everything else is pretty useless, unless one plans on getting a PhD and becoming a university professor. Outside of that, I recommend trade schools where the real money is at, at least here in the United States.

[@00_UU]

Also not getting an expensive degree, not living on campus. There are many state universities offering online degrees now. It does not have to be a fancy expensive Ivy League college. Employers do not really care how fancy your school was unless you plan to get PhD in some special field.

[@olgakim-dokatube]

it is different in Germany. I want my kids to go to university, because it is free and it gives you an opportunity to learn in depth the subject of your choose and if you don't like it you can change the subject. I really enjoyed my university years. The public transport is free for students, everywhere you go you pay half price or even free. You can work and study for longer years until you decide what exactly you want in life.

[@UpNorthFreyja]

You pay for it - just in your taxes... If more people use it, then your taxes will go up more to cover it. One could argue that's even more of a scam... since you don't have the choice on whether or not to pay for everyone else's uni tuition.@@olgakim-dokatube

[@mztokyo7630]

Go to a Junior College for the first two years, then an inexpensive state school. Sometimes the Junior College has good trades affiliated with them, HVAC, Elevator Repair, Automotive. I should have done the mortuary road, people are always dying!! I would love to drive the Hearst, just like in “Phantasm “. Cemeteries are a legal monopoly. 20 years ago California allowed Costco to sell caskets!! People way overspend on Caskets to show their love! It is going in the ground never to be seen again. Just burn them in a cardboard box. Join the military and become a jet engine or diesel mechanic! You will have a valuable trade for life!

[@glumberty1]

@@olgakim-dokatube It's not free though. You just have the privilege of sending your kid there while someone else has to pay for it.

[@thehuntress8850]

I bank at a credit Union. The only fee I've ever paid, was a bounced check fee.

[@Starsmiley111]

Great video- I totally agree with all you’ve said. I’m subscribing. More giant scams; healthcare industry, local councils, fashion industry, tech industry, food industry, pensions, taxation... The problem is we are all so busy & caught up with day to day survival issues, dramas & time-leeching activities, that we don’t have the energy, time or stamina to do research and see things for what they really are. Often it’s only when we’re old that we get a different perspective on life. And no one is interested in or listens to the elderly.

[@dexterdesjardins5413]

I love you; I'm 83 years old and It's taken most of my life to learn most of what you just said. AND I'VE LEARN MUCH MORE JUST NOW. Thank you. Dexter

[@amyjones8613]

Thanks for pointing this out. Especially the university one. Loans on shady schools can really hold you back. That's why I am glad my loans were forgiven in borrower defense. You reminded me of the other scams that i forgotten about and i am thankful 🙏 😊

[@PositivelyPam]

I love Mint Mobile! Got rid of Consumer Cellular a couple of years ago and switched to MM and they're such a great deal. Totally agree about the bank fees...but shop around because not every bank charges for the same types of transactions and many don't have fees for ATM usage, etc. Credit cards absolutely should be paid off in full right away...sometimes I charge things for the points and cash back but only if I know I can pay it off right away.

[@verenamaharajah6082]

In England, we have a guy on tv who tells you how to save money. One day I heard him say “ Don’t pay for home contents insurance [ generally speaking], just SAVE your money and then if something breaks you can afford to replace it or get it mended.” I have gladly taken his advice and benefitted from it.

[@countryvideo]

Nicole, you are absolutely right! Unbelievable. They've done it for so long we dont even realize it anymore!

[@ForbiddTV]

You missed the elephant in the room with credit cards. Everything we buy is about 3% higher in price just because of their existence even for those who do not use them.

[@trishacarlson4122]

I totally agree with the "get a degree" society norm/scam. I know people who have 2 degrees & working a basic $13/hr job, for what? Living check to check? Come on. It's such an a@@ kicker.

[@M_SC]

Education isn’t job training. It was never supposed to be. The purpose is the betterment of yourself and humanity. No one said it should be profitable

[@LAkadian]

You get 13? 😂 You're lucky if you get more than 9 where I live.

[@trishacarlson4122]

@@M_SC yea but.....everyone did say its profitable thats the problem.

[@trishacarlson4122]

@@LAkadian who can survive n live off of 9? That's criminal honestly!

[@vedmaburuxova68]

@@trishacarlson4122 Aye. I have a traching degree, which means I'm neither a biologist nor a chemist and now they're hiring uneducated people to teach because it's cheaper and I can't get a job in one of my fields because I don't have a pure degree in biology or chemistry.. Fucking scam and not what was advertised at all

[@someonewhoknows1891]

Geico even reports non traffic moving claims as ACCIDENTS.

[@Skraeling1000]

Don't forget all the software these days that needs a monthly sub. For instance you can't buy microsoft office any longer, you basically have to rent it. For ever.

[@Malini108]

I am 40, and I just started working towards a Bachelors degree. I felt the way you do about it all this time, honestly relieved that I didn't take on the debt... but now I am going not for the degree but for education in a specific subject, however what I am finding is that I am being made to take a year and a half of schooling for general education classes before I ever get to begin the part related to the subject that I will get the degree in. So far I haven't had to pay because of the Pell grant, but I do wonder if that will change at some point, and how invested I will be with my time then.

[@scmanley4229]

Congratulations on going back to school! The core classes are there to make you a more well rounded individual who can think critically. You will be enriched in ways you can’t even imagine. And I’m so happy you have access to the Pell grant. College should be affordable to everyone. Best of luck and hang in there.

[@jamesr1703]

Please withdraw immediately! My gosh, why would you f-up your life at 40 years old? All that shite the University is making you take called "General Education" can be learned on the internet for FREE. You are being ripped off and you will regret it.

[@elkoposo686]

Unless the subject you are studying cannot be accessed elsewhere DO NOT CONTINUE WITH ANY - ANY - ANY DEGREE!!!! Get a library ticket, spend your money on ALL THE CONTEMPORARY BOOKS AND MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS, TAKE A SHORT COARSE AT THE UNI TO ACCESS THEIR FACILITIES, TAKE OUT A LOAN OF £$5-10K AND BUY THE KIT YOU WILL NEED IN YOUR INTEND JOB/CAREER SPHERE - SERIOUSLY, DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE/MONEY/TIME AT UNI. REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE!!!!!

[@daniellescott477]

Congratulations on going Back🎉Now, speak with your advisor and, try to find someone in Financial Aide to assist you. There are & is a lot of programs for people over a certain age. Some you, like the Pell, you won't have to pay back. Good luck, my friend.

[@shirleyallen1418]

Try clepping out of those courses. Get used book, study, take the test to get full credit.

[@galatians328]

Cabel Television! If it isn't streaming free, I don't need to see it.

[@dfjulesful]

College isn't for or necessary for everyone, totally agree even as someone who went to college (it was worth it for me). I saw a lot of people who were going to college because it's what you're supposed to do but they actually were never interested in going it was just out of obligation or because all their friends are going. Most of them end up dropping out and losing money. If you really want to go to college go but don't go because everyone else is. It's not worth the hassle and financial loss.

[@CVernRock]

My Paw Paw always told me... "If you can't pay cash, you can't afford it." I've done my best to live by that advice.

[@rokhamler3352]

Good luck ever owning a home then before retirement unless you inherit it or inherit enough cash to buy it.

[@parkerrose3590]

Last month I hag no choice but to pay 3 credit card late. A few days later I called each one and asked them to please waive the $25.00 late fee, and they all did. So sometimes you have to ask for things. You never know when they will help you.

[@M_SC]

Nice!

[@williamirelan9332]

If you have 3 credit accounts and you are late, you are in trouble. You should get a consolidation loan and cut up the cards as soon as you asked for them to drop the late charges your credit score went down and soon they will raise the interest rate.

[@seascape35]

Sometimes after waiving a fee, they won't do it again within a specific time frame. So, be careful.

[@cynthiawalker7888]

BANK FEES! Every time that I hear someone is paying for a bank account it makes my blood boil!!!! I have NEVER had to pay for my checking account as long as I have had it. It literally makes me want to shake a person!

[@katresealexander1311]

I always used my credit card for security reasons and pay it off in full monthly. Plus, I take advantage of the cash rewards 😁

[@terywetherlow7970]

Usa here. 35g's of high speed data that a heavy video watcher goes thru in 2 weeks. Then speed is throttled down to snailspeed. Every year or two you need to set up a new phone. + All the plusses. New scam imo: Grocery Store. 75 cent charge to get cash back,during grocery shopping. Higher learning became a cash cow for the CEO's of Institution. Can't write off Uni debt in Bankruptcy either, i heard. Subbed.

[@grannyprepper1181]

My two sons don’t have college degrees and they both have 6 figure jobs. They barely made it through high school. 😂. They love what they do . College degrees are over rated as a rule.

[@rebeccaa.3121]

I know someone who didn't go to college but to a library and taught himself programming languages and now he earns 15,000 USD per month.

[@mikecorcoran6834]

On point with all 5 scams.

[@libbyannstew8775]

Great video Nicole. I agree with all your points. While I would never discourage anyone from pursuing a post secondary education, if they’ll be left with thousands of dollars in debt and wind up as a barista at Starbucks then you have to think about whether it’s worth it. If broadening your intellectual horizons and working as a barista at Starbucks is what you want then that’s a whole other conversation. My “scam rant” is high school guidance counsellors pushing university on students and not giving equal time to the trades. In many cases, a trade will yield a much better income than any office job ever will and apprenticeships pay you while you train. When I was in school the trades were not encouraged as many parents wanted what they perceived to be a “better life” for their kids and they saw that a university education was the way to achieve that. I think those days are over. If only you could teach financial literacy classes to middle and high school aged kids - they’d listen to you and you’d save them from a lifetime of financial turmoil. Keep up the great work.

[@Era515]

Had a grade 10 counselor who refused to listen to me. He was determined that with my grades I should go to university. I had no interest or intention to do so. Right before I started at new highschool I completely revamped my course schedule to suit my needs for the workforce. I've taken specific college courses over the years but none required me to go into debt, nor give up the job I love while doing them.

[@mikegeld1280]

Great job nicole 👍this is really good advice, ty for making this content 🤓

[@SVAdAstra]

Your advice is spot on! Long ago, there existed apprenticeships. I am 69 years old. I started my career before people had to have a bachelor's degree to get a good high school education. I have been a broadcast engineer and worked my way up to two television networks (ABC and CNN). I switched careers to information security 25 years ago, and became an architect at Yahoo and NASA. I finished only the 9th grade. Then I did self study. And recently, attended "Google University." Everyone who is truly talented with whom I work in my field skipped the university route, where they would have only learned ancient history in my rapidly developing area of work. They are all successful autodidacts!

[@oldtop4682]

I'm still in broadcast engineering (will retire next year). The military provided the training for me, and it's given me a very nice living for 40+ years now. The field is so varied that it's taken me this long to start getting bored lol.

[@kevinogracia1615]

Amen, sister. I'm paying insurance on my insurance. Peace on earth.

[@Jay-rd6gd]

Thanks for bringing awareness to these. So often people just accept these practices without questioning it!

[@nibekus]

Taxes! Definitely taxes

[@montanalilac]

As far as the insurance goes - my dad was a cropduster for 47 years. He insured his spray plane as well as his passenger plane with the same company the entire time and NEVER ONCE filed a claim. He was an amazing, smart, skilled pilot in a quite risky division of aviation. When he turned 70, so at the time 37 years into his career and still flying daily, that same insurance company TRIPLED his premium on the spray plane. 10 years later and they also tripled the rate on his Cessna 180, still had a perfect flight record. So even though he can still pass his medical, can and wants to fly daily, he can’t. Who can afford over $7k a month just for insurance? So he’s grounded and absolutely depressed and going downhill quickly because he can’t do what he loves. It’s sad and BS.

[@milicamarshastefanovich3312]

I’d never skimp on car insurance, ever! I was in a car accident, the old man that hit me had minimal insurance and thankfully, I had full coverage. My insurance had to cover my rental, my medical since I was injured and still need surgery, the additional costs to repair my vehicle and the list goes on. I live in California and because we are such a liberal state, we only mandate a minimal amount of vehicle coverage. I gladly pay for full coverage and it was a blessing.

[@TexasEmperor]

This...yes! Never skimp on car & home insurance! Phone insurance, yes skimp on it. One of those things you don't need until you need it. Had an accident the same week hail ravaged my two months old home. All I paid was 2,500 deductible and insurance covered the 84K damages (car + new roof and windows and others). I sure know that even with healthy savings and emergency fund, I will struggle to cover it all by myself.

[@milicamarshastefanovich3312]

@@TexasEmperorI’m with you on that!

[@pizzarat3275]

Good auto insurance is definitely worth it. I hit a deer in May of 2020. The cost to repair my vehicle was over $6K and it was in the body shop for six weeks waiting on parts. Insurance paid for everything including a rental car for me to drive in the meantime. It's also covered three windshield replacements and a tonneau cover that was damaged in a windstorm.

[@jsbrads1]

Had full coverage, but when a woman hit me, she cried and my insurance person started shouting at me and called me a liar. I ended up paying the deductible and they never fixed my car properly.

[@TexasEmperor]

@@jsbrads1 sorry about that...the same thing happened but I had a dashcam I never shared with her until the lies came out through her insurance.

[@PeterStawicki]

I agree with you on all of your topics. Now if we could just figure out what to do about them.

[@mariancounsellor]

I’m literally saving so many of your videos to my ‘watch later’ list and have subscribed. Thanks for making good content 👍🏽

[@MisDosPerros]

You are so spot on about all of this!! People need to learn how to figure the interest on Average Daily Balance, which is how credit card interest is compounded. Its horrific!

[@debbielanning5021]

Hey Nicole, thanks for your video! I especially love #5, and here's my shining example... I have 2 degrees, racked up over $124 THOUSAND dollars in student loan debt (some accounts with a whopping 8% interest). Was never able to get a job in either of the fields due to not enough jobs for all the graduates they pump out (after "selling you" that they'll help you find employment). Or the competitive markets that you don't have enough "experience" for. And now I"m in the homeless housing program, attempting to make payments on 35 year old student debt. There are millions of others out there who've had the same experience. People, think twice before you get suckered too.

[@kathygann7632]

When I started college, the tuition was $88 per quarter. When I finished, it was $129. When my daughter went to Boston University, it cost $30,000 per year! After getting my teaching degree, the talk was that most of the people I graduated with worked as bank tellers.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

so art history and gender studies didnt work out? thats too bad. Im paying 16 year olds $100 an hour to change oil on lawn mowers. Im a 9th grade drop out. guess you got the wrong degree

[@debbielanning5021]

They were teaching gender studies in the 90's?... guess I was absent those days. I thought Veterinarian was medicine/science, wow I guess you are so much smarter than me. Thank you for setting me straight your high and mightiness, what would we ever do without people like you. God bless you.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

@@debbielanning5021 so why arent you operating your own vet clinic then?

[@johncipolletti5611]

There are so many legal scams! One in Michigan includes charging 400% for a "title" loan. Another legal scam is persuading us to buy crap we don't need! This is done with daily ads. What's worse is using credit for the junk. Oh, and those lousy gambling apps to put on your phone is another legal scam!

[@analyticalchick3064]

The only reason why I bothered to finish my degree was that I was dirt poor on government programs and knew I would qualify for grants and not have to pay anything. I got both state and federal and got a refund every semester. I figured if my situation changed later (and it has) I would regret not seizing that opportunity.

[@grahammewburn]

I agree with all you say. When I was 18 the insurance industry ripped me off. I'm now 75. During the 57 years I have spent very little on insurance. Currently I'm spending zero. I got rid of my credit cards.

[@MrCrossface007]

Spot on. I would recommend serving your country for 4 years and learning a trade you are passionate about and going to school for free. I’ve learned that most people don’t want to do the hard things in life. They expect everything to be easy and have things handed to them with little effort on their part. Add 30 year mortgage and refinancing on your list.

[@cassietherainbowsend722]

Mortgage Interest. Seems a lot like legal Mafia to me. I’ve more than twice over paid what I bought my home for and still have years to go.

[@lastannahme]

I feel that the information Nicole provides is incredibly valuable to young people between 16 and 26 years old - especially the last point she addresses - INCREDIBLY valuable and important! - YOUNG people - please listen to Nicole and don't belive the hype. Basically Nicole is teaching you what your parents should have - she is helping you not to fall for systemic and societal traps that so many others have fallen into and remeber she is not that much older than you guys are younger folks. Listen to this smart, remarkable woman people!

[@Chief1lung]

Ill tell you a scam that absolutely gets under my skin. Paying for KZbin Premium and then (cough cough) click on something you want to see only for that show to pitch their own ads. 😮

[@AccordingtoNicole]

Boo hoo

[@Chief1lung]

@@AccordingtoNicole So you ask us what our thoughts are then you belittle the very thing you asked for? So you pretty much just shot yourself in the foot. I do have to say I got more info from two words than anything you spent your hard time trying to promote. Good luck in life. You will need all the luck you can get. Have a nice day. 👍

[@Gotsomethingtosaynow]

I hope you get many more subscribers as your message needs to get out there, especially to those who are starting out in their adulting adventure. It will save them so much if they understand these financial pitfalls. You are doing great work.

[@albertwarren6917]

Omg! Your phone bills are so high! I’m from uk and pay £7 a month for 15GB and unlimited calls and texts

[@phils473]

All spot-on 👍 With the college thing, I come from a long line of academics (professors and such). I dreamed of becoming a prof myself. But now I'm glad I *didn't* go down that road. The crumbling of education has been a difficult tragedy to watch 😥

[@speedster1500]

Great job!!! Thanks. An uncle laid this on me 60 years sgo. He was s Newark N.J Police officer. My wife manages our finances and we are debt free on our household Money, jut a less than 4% mortgage which is almost paid off.

[@mikeransom1168]

Nicole, you are absolutely correct, mostly, about scam number five. Case in point. I got a degree in computer programing. I have never made a nickel in computer programing. In no particular order, I've owned a gas station, been a warehouse manager, driven a long haul class 8 truck, been a general contractor, repaired cash registers, been in the military, sold encyclopedias door to door, repaired commercial telephone systems, been a cook in a fast food restaurant, been an auto mechanic and the closest I ever got to programing was as a computer operator for an insurance company. Those are the things I've spent at least more than a year on, each. I've been married to the same woman for over 60 years and we raised four kids together and none of them are in jail. Currently we own two houses free and clear, and I plan on meeting my Maker with a mostly clear conscience. I haven't done it all but I took a fair cut at most of it, no sheepskin required.

[@8sun52]

Thanks Nicole. It's refreshing for a woman to speak up for the working people who take a big hit from this. This doesn't affect the well off, wealthy, very rich. No princess, wall flower here. Thanks Nicole. Thanks for a little bit of fighting the good fight and speaking truth to power.

[@WookieSenshi]

This is why I only use bank accounts that have zero fees. My main bank account is Ally for that reason. But, one thing I love to do with these crappy bank accounts is do bank account bonus churning. I'll open an account for a bank specifically to get the bonus, and then once i've met all of the requirements, I'll close the account. One bank in particular that I've done this for 3 years in a row because I can do it every 12 months, is Fifth Third Bank. I've made $825 in the last three years from opening a fifth third account and closing it right after I met the requirements. Takes about 5-10 minutes set up time each time, and about 10 days start to finish to get my bonus and close the account. They're a trash bank, but I'll keep taking their bonus and making over $1,000hr doing it as long as I can. Lol

[@tw350z7]

👍👍

[@ferndog1461]

Thank you for your service. You are helping young families & seniors stay safe.

[@arconklin43]

Totally agree with all of these points and have taught them to my kids. I always love and look forward to your videos and would love a part 2. Thank you for the effort and good info you put into your videos, and telling it like it is! 😊

[@e2U]

Please give the ones who raised you a great big hug. I have helped raise many suicidal kids in one parent families. I absorb their fear of life and give them back the love of life. I coach and raise by actions and being there...

[@hike2024]

You are so spot on with this stuff. I've felt this way about the university degrees for a long time... It's refreshing to actually hear someone else say this.

[@jonessmith2068]

Love! Love! Loved! this video you nailed it Nicole now we just need to spread the word to as many people who will listen to the message and act on it!

[@birbluv9595]

You are right about insurance. My brother’s brother-in-law took over his uncle’s insurance agency after he died, and my brother’s friend took over his father’s agency. These two men are rolling in money. The premiums roll in, they have super-fancy houses, they send their kids to those prestigious universities, they take long luxurious vacations.

[@TheFlipSideStudio_]

Thank you! This is always what gets me mad and I tell everyone. How are we getting charged while they making money with our money it gets me every time. Thank you so much for making this video in order to make people aware

[@brynda2150]

How about the price of phones? Not the bill. Just to own a decent phone? And people line up to buy a new one every year as if they were cars. The crap we put up with from these phone companies blows my mind. I agree with every word you said in this video. ❤

[@workinprogresssince1974]

I definitely agree with you about insurance. I dread to think how much money I have spent on insurance policies over the years and I have never once claimed on one. :(

[@jayleeper1512]

It has been my experience that if you do make a claim, they will usually just deny the claim and by the time you have held them to the contract, you have spent so much on lawyers that the result is moot anyway.

[@workinprogresssince1974]

@@jayleeper1512 Precisely!!!!

[@pizzarat3275]

Insurance is something you hope you don't have to use. But sometimes you do get your money back. I have three cars, all paid off. In the last three years I've hit a deer ($6,400, repaired), replaced three windshields (approximately $450 each) and had the wind rip off a tonneau cover ($400) but since I have $0 deductible policies I haven't paid a dime out of pocket nor have my policies increased.

[@workinprogresssince1974]

@@pizzarat3275 I wish I could say the same. I've been insuring cars for 27 years and never had a claim. :/

[@dsiepiela6449]

Middle school children must be taught how to spot advertising ploys and propaganda.

[@flyfly2850]

I went to University as an adult, in my 30's, and I did lost a lot of work opportunities while I was busy submitting papers on time. I'll admit, that I went back to school for being satisfied with my self, I gave my all during those four years and I graduated Magna Cum Lauda. Frankly, I hoped to get a better working life but I didn't really, I went to learn new things and kept my mind busy, learned a lot of interesting things too. All in all, I would do it again because I invested in myself anyway and I never thought I could.

[@jeffflowers5489]

Using a credit card as a debit card is also a scam because you’re always living on next months money. If you ever decide to stop using the credit card, you will be a month behind in your funds. It’s just like another scam that people fall for, payday loans.

[@babatundeswana9361]

Insurance will do anything not to pay

[@timothyswauger3984]

True! They have claims adjusters whose job it is to find any loopholes that the company can use to say they’re not liable.

[@pizzarat3275]

It depends on the insurance. I've never had issues with my insurance company not paying out. It is very important to understand your policy and what it covers. Don't be afraid to ask questions before you sign and for God's sake don't pick a policy based solely on price.

[@kittkovacs]

It’s so fucked up, that you have to pay (so much) for education…it feels so unjust, when I hear about this from the USA/Canada. I was getting paid to go to university, just the amount to be able to afford basic living costs (rent+food). I believe since it’s the government’s interest to have those professionals with degrees, they should always pay for the education. I can’t imagine starting my life with debts, when I’ve just accomplished something huge, and about to enter the job market. I think your extra time and effort invested in your education should be rewarded and compensated for, so afterwards you can start with a clean slate and live the life you deserve because you’ve worked hard for it. It still remains a challenge to save up for a house, a car, to be able to start a family, have pets, etc. even if you have a good starting salary, but with debs on top? I wouldn’t want that life for myself.

[@00_UU]

Government pays to educate the public? Republicans will scream "it is communism"! You see in America life has to be hard, if anyone's life gets comfortable it is labeled communism. Maternity leave? 30 days of paid annual vacation? How dare you enjoy life? Real Americans live to work and work until death. Student debt? Oh yeah, it is like a mortgage payment, but you can sell your house, but you cannot get rid of the student loan. That's why Indian and Chinese immigrants are so successful here - they get their education for cheap in their home countries and then they move here without any debts to make a lot of money in STEM fields. Americans protest to keep their guns, but no one is protesting to get maternity leave or guaranteed annual vacation time. It is amazing how Americans care about absolutely useless political issues while they get owned by rich corporations.

[@tempestsonata1102]

Amen to that. But of course, if you go to college on taxpayers' money, you need to stay and pay taxes in your home country for at least as many years as your college years, if I'm not mistaken. On the brighter side, this regulation applies for my daughters as well. So they won't pack their suitcases and move to the UK or Germany any time soon.

[@kittkovacs]

@@tempestsonata1102 We don't have a rule like that in Denmark, and I think it is fair, professionals can come and go freely, maybe some will move abroad, but others will come to the country (with an education from somewhere else) (but I paid taxes during my education after my jobs and after the support for studying)

[@Gladiator88-vg8eq]

What can I say Nicole, could not agree more is an understatement on all 5 scams. Spot on

[@TransCanadaPhil]

The thing about University is to not think of it as "job training". i never did when I went between 2001-2007ish. In my case I think it just took me a long time to "grow up" and feel like an adult. After high school I wasn't ready to "get a job" and I didn't really want to, I still "wanted" to keep going to school, just because. Luckily I lived at home, had supportive parents, so i Could just work part time and go to school part time too just kind of paying tuition as I went along without any debt and the occasional help from parents. It took me 5-6 years to finish a 4 year BA in Politics, but I never thought of it as "job training" and I wasn't in a rush to "grow up" or finish school or get a job. It was just "going to school" for the fun of it and for something to do while still hanging out with friends and working part time. I really enjoyed the experience and in retrospect I realize it was mainly because in my mind i was still "just a kid" and i needed and wanted to still "be in school" for awhile. I never thought of it at the time as an investment or getting a piece of paper, that just kind of happened after the fact. For me, I just always loved school compared to working. I always used to joke that if they paid me to attend classes and go to school I'd much rather to that for the rest of my life than attend some job. And I know ever since then, everytime I've applied for a job (any job) that BA has always had the effect of nudging my application to the top of the heap vs another applicant regardless of the job or if it had anything to do with my field of study. I've never had difficulty finding a job and believe me, I'm hardly a workaholic. Nearly everytime I've applied for a job, the vast majority of the time I've always gotten callbacks. Could be coincidence but I haven't struggled as I've seen many others do finding jobs.. they just seem to land for me without much effort to be honest.

[@shelaughs]

How nice for you.