Skip to content

Stop paying for home security systems

The Synapse bankruptcy keeps grinding on as many users of some fintechs find themselves locked out for weeks.

It’s gotten so bad that it’s made it to the New York Times!

What Happens When Your Bank Isn’t Really a Bank and Your Money Disappears? [The New York Times] – “For unsuspecting depositors of online financial start-ups, the unraveling of a little-known intermediary has separated them from their life savings.”

My friend once worked in the executive suite of a home security company. As we were chatting about how one could start up a similar company (not that hard), he explained how wonderful the business model was because they could rely on local law enforcement for the actual security (and call centers elsewhere to handle the alarms). He also told me there are a LOT of false alarms…

Stop Paying for an Expensive Home Security System. It’s Not Protecting You, Anyway. [Slate] – “Put another way, “we have so much going on that we treat break-ins with about as much urgency as a bicycle being lifted off a sidewalk,” says a police captain in Detroit, who spoke with me on condition of anonymity.”

Declutter Your Parent’s Home While They Can Join In [Next Avenue] – “Instead of waiting for my mom cleaning out on her own, Amy Pickard, an expert on advanced planning and owner of a business called Good to Go in Los Angeles, suggests that I declutter with her now. “I encourage people to clean out their places with their families,” she says. “That way, you make new memories and it’s actually fun.”