Happy Halloween! Looking out for your safety is always a good idea on holidays like these, but there’s one thing that may never be safe–your wallet! Read on for some spooky infographics on finances.
So many old adages apply to money. Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Money makes the world go ‘round. Whether you love to hate it, hate to love it, or some other unique combination of love and hatred, it’s impossible to ignore. You’re staring at something that costs money right now–your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-browsing device. We’ve gathered a set of infographics about different aspects of this integral tool of commerce for your consumption. Click any image to view the entire infographic.
Buying Stuff on Credit is Expensive
You know exactly what you’re getting into when you click on this infographic, and it continues to tell it like it is all the way down to the bottom. A $3,500 diamond ring paid with a $25 minimum monthly payment on a 14% interest credit card means, and we quote, “YOU WILL NEVER PAY THIS OFF.” The infographic has a great color palette and plays around with text size and alignment in a way that could be risky if not done right–so it’s a good thing they’re doing it right. A variety of bar and circle graphs keeps things fresh.
The Price of Money
While this graphic isn’t quite an infographic, it does provide some interesting information. For example, a good way to make a really small amount of money would be to melt down pennies from before 1982, when they were 95% copper! You can also make a trivial amount of profit from melting nickels. Well, it sounds like a lot more fun than those greedy change-counting machines in the grocery stores, right? These are the kind of facts you can whip out at cocktail parties to impress company. (Because who else there is going to know how much money you can make from melting a pile of pennies?)
15 Monster Money Wasters
Speaking of greedy change-counting machines, this infographic addresses some of the top money wasters around. Things like high-interest credit cards and bank loans are unsurprising, but near the bottom of the list is pets. Obviously it costs quite a bit of money to own a pet, but… money wasters? Cover your ears, Spot. Besides that, this infographic is a nice monstrous shade of green, and visually enticing. The data within is definitely worth noting, and some of it is expanded upon in our next infographic.
The High Cost of Counterfeiting
As a $600 billion a year industry, counterfeiting is great money for those doing it, and financially ruinous for those it exploits. This infographic boldly proclaims a variety of statistics on the incidences and impact of counterfeiting. Spoiler alert: it does not make China look very good. With a great deal of consistency in the type and design of data, The High Cost of Counterfeiting is a good example of how a bunch of research can be compiled into one cohesive infographic that takes just a minute or two to read, compared to the same amount of data in written form, which could be a few pages long. Watch out for those “Converse Ball Star Classics” on the shelves…
US Bank Crime Statistics
Commercial banks accounted for over 90% of financial institution robberies in 2010. The majority of people injured in the robberies were bank employees, who might now be thinking about transferring to a credit union or, better yet, a mutual savings bank. Still, as the money wasters IG will tell you, keeping your money at home means you lose out on the miracle of compound interest. Your $60 will still be $60 in 30 years if it sits under your mattress. It will just be a lot more wrinkly.
Summary
There you have it: the ups and downs of money, be it spending, investment, robbery, counterfeit products, or melting coins. A topic like money is something everyone is involved in, but not everyone wants to (or knows how to) wade through financial lingo to get the facts. Infographics like these are an accessible way for everyone to get the basic statistics they’re after without spending entire days sifting through glossaries and financial self-help books just for a definition. Not to mention they’re incredibly easy to share, and they really spruce up a blog or website.
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