Thanks to Beth Tallman for compiling a great reading list for the weekend. Here was my top 10:

• If you are worried about privacy and want to get your students to take notice about their online behavior then this Phil. Inquirer story should grab your attention: 

A study out from Accenture this week found that half of Philadelphia respondents were creeped out by intelligent services running on their digital devices, by software tools they both rely on and fear. Because that smart stuff gets to know so much about them and then eerily anticipates their needs.

• Engaging interactive map (future NGPF activity?) titled"Debt in America" from the Urban Institute has maps with details about debt in collections, medical debt and health care coverage rates down to the county level (see map below)

• Lots of talk about robots this holiday season...including the ones that threaten to destroy lots of jobs (NY Times):

It is not just Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking who are freaking out about the rise of invincible machines. Yes, robots have the potential to outsmart us and destroy the human race. But first, artificial intelligence could make countless professions obsolete by the time my sons reach their 20s.

• Will the end of net neutrality mean the internet starts to resemble a security line at the airport (Editor's note: I was just on the slowest one ever, TSA should screen agents out for chattiness). From WaPo:

Without the neutrality rules, Internet providers could set up their own fast lanes — meaning certain websites could buy first-class treatment, while others are stuck in cattle class. Providers could sell Internet service in packages, like cable-TV bundles. Service providers would also have the right to set up their own no-fly lists, blocking certain websites that they don’t like or compete with their own business.

• On the GenZ front, with car buying not so high on their list of priorities, how are automakers going to deal with their slumping interest in car ownership? From NPR (3:24 audio):

Connelly says Gen Z is a game changer. "They don't really care about ownership," she says. "They don't necessarily see that their vehicle is going to be a status symbol. In fact, they're really savvy customers and can be quite frugal." But Connelly says that doesn't scare Ford. "We're ready for you. If you want to buy a car, we've got it for you. If you don't want to buy a car, we can still help you there," she says. Ford started its own bike-sharing service recently. It wants to sell to people like me who have no interest in buying a car.

• Ever wonder about that algorithm that determines what makes it on to Amazon's Random Deals of the Day? The mystery is solved (almost anyway) in this WSJ article:

Tea Forté is one of more than two million independent merchants on Amazon, many of them jockeying to get their merchandise into the rotation for one of the site’s seemingly random holiday promotions. For an item to be considered, the online giant typically requires merchants to take a minimum 15% price reduction; sellers often slash prices further to try to get picked.

• Think you know everything there is to know about Starbucks? Well, what you know may actually be wrong, as this WaPo story highlights five commonly held myths about the company (see if you agree with all of their mythbusters):

Before Starbucks took off in the 1990s, and before the period when it opened a new store somewhere in the world every six hours, coffee in America was just coffee, a cup of joe, and it came in a porcelain mug or a spongy foam cup in straightforward sizes of small, medium and large. Starbucks changed the beverages we drink, when and where we drink them, what they taste like, how much we consume and even their temperature. Meanwhile, its stores became the nation’s second living room, meeting place and study hall. It’s not a stretch to say that Starbucks has altered American culture. But with such far-reaching, sociologically significant effects came a host of myths and counter-myths about Starbucks.

• Ok, so I really do hate listicles but this one actually has some redeeming qualities to it. What advice would 36 of the most popular financial bloggers (wait, they never contacted me:) provide? Skim this article and find out. There are some gems (Peer Finance 101):

A few ideas came up consistently from the experts and it might help to remember these when teaching your kids about money (Editor's note: there were four ideas, here's one!).

Start early. It always amazes me how much our son understands, even if he can’t express it in words. Kids understand concepts like scarcity and value at an early age. The sooner you can show them how money relates to these ideas, the more good financial habits will seem like second-nature.

• We love infographics (especially from our friends at Visual Capitalist!) and now there is a book (stocking stuffer, perhaps?) of them to help with our personal finances (WaPo):

If we want people to be better informed, we have to meet them where they are and tailor teaching techniques to best fit various learning styles. For the visual learners, for example, we need create material that’s visually engaging. If this is your style, then you’ll like my choice for this month’s Color of Money Book Club. It’s “The Infographic Guide to Personal Finance” ($16.99, Adams Media) by Michele Cagan and Elisabeth Lariviere.

• See how gender bias seeps into job ads in this WSJ article: 

Use of certain phrases like “whatever it takes” or “tackle” in job postings could affect who applies for tech jobs, possibly contributing to the lopsided gender makeup of the industry, new research suggests.

Textio Inc., a Seattle-based software startup that analyzes language in job ads, looked at nearly 25,000 job listings from 10 tech companies, including Uber Technologies Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc., to quantify commonly used phrases. The job ads appeared between January and November and were posted on sites such as Indeed.com and the companies’ own websites.

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

More posts by Tim