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Folks disparaging AT&T's NEXT plan have no understanding of time value of money

Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:23 pm
Posted by euphemus
Member since Mar 2014
560 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:23 pm
May I suggest you read up on the concept of Time Value of Money? It's always better financially to pay for something (the cost of the phone) in interest free installments over a period of time than paying for the whole thing up front.
quote:

DEFINITION of 'Time Value of Money - TVM'
The idea that money available at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future due to its potential earning capacity. This core principle of finance holds that, provided money can earn interest, any amount of money is worth more the sooner it is received.

Also referred to as "present discounted value".


Investopedia: Time Value of Money (TVM)
This post was edited on 1/15/16 at 10:24 pm
Posted by Jcorye1
Tom Brady = GoAT
Member since Dec 2007
76373 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:25 pm to
The scariest part of this is, credit usage has been increasing at an unreal rate and these people own credit in both cards and large ticket items.
Posted by Peazey
Metry
Member since Apr 2012
25424 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:25 pm to
No one likes smug pretension.
Posted by tLSU
Member since Oct 2007
8679 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:26 pm to
Honestly, the issue is their feeling of entitlement to a subsidized phone.
Posted by Kujo
225-911-5736
Member since Dec 2015
6044 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:27 pm to
quote:

(Assuming you already realize that you pay >$650 for a high end smartphone no matter what plan you are on... no a smartphone does not cost $200 in any scenerio).



And thats the irony, if you're smart enough to know it's a waste to fork hundreds on that garbage, you also know that you are judge for not. Financial success based on wise choices gets you less play than shiny idiotic debt
Posted by L S Usetheforce
Member since Jun 2004
23241 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:29 pm to
The NEXT Plan sucks.....if you are going to get a phone........just buy one outright......take the savings from not being under the NEXT plan rule and then sell the phone when done and move on.
Posted by sullivanct19a
Florida
Member since Oct 2015
5239 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:30 pm to
Economics uses the worst terminology and definitions of any discipline. No one should ever consider it empirical, scientific, rigorous, or even legitimate. For shite's sakes, they use instrumental variables. Bunch of retards.
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
135891 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:32 pm to
You don't have to switch to Next you know.
Posted by EA6B
TX
Member since Dec 2012
14754 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:38 pm to
quote:

Economics uses the worst terminology and definitions of any discipline. No one should ever consider it empirical, scientific, rigorous, or even legitimate. For shite's sakes, they use instrumental variables. Bunch of retards.


Economist make Astrology look legitimate.
Posted by dbbuilder79
Overton NV
Member since Dec 2010
4570 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:41 pm to
So, is the pay pretty good for an AT&T salesperson?
Posted by Hammertime
Will trade dowsing rod for titties
Member since Jan 2012
43031 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:43 pm to
Somebody is taking Econ this semester
Posted by tigers win2
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2009
3914 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:44 pm to
quote:

It's always better financially to pay for something (the cost of the phone) in interest free installments over a period of time than paying for the whole thing up fron


It's a cell phone, not a sky scraper. Pay for it and be done with it.
Posted by jcaz
Laffy
Member since Aug 2014
18775 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:56 pm to
But they will go so far as to bring out the manager and a calculator and pretty much harass me. Felt like the Jehovahs bought out AT&T.
Posted by Kujo
225-911-5736
Member since Dec 2015
6044 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:58 pm to
Not an econ issue, finance.

And btw, adding the human element to his position kind of nullifies the NPV argument. Being that the payment shows as a credit obligation, your risk factor increases which thereinby increases the cost of borrowing. And it doesn't take much in this situation to flip the tables. Ie. Borrowing for free on something small effecting the cost on borrowing on something larger like a double wide in the finest of trailer parks
Posted by jcaz
Laffy
Member since Aug 2014
18775 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 10:59 pm to
Why bash people who want to OWN their phone? It's not like the device is a stock or a bar of silver. If it breaks before it's paid you're stuck paying for it anyway and the replacement phone too.
Posted by Coast Tiger
Member since Apr 2005
1134 posts
Posted on 1/15/16 at 11:07 pm to
So what about while you are leasing the phone and it's gets stolen or damaged and have to pay for it in full before getting a new one. That part sucks.
Posted by Lake Vegas Tiger
Lake Vegas
Member since Jun 2014
3283 posts
Posted on 1/16/16 at 12:06 am to
thats fine and dandy if its a 10 years of payments, but a 2 year contract is bufu, get your facts straight
Posted by Jyrdis
TD Premium Member Level III
Member since Aug 2015
13413 posts
Posted on 1/16/16 at 12:25 am to
As an economist, I can somewhat agree and disagree with you. Though IVs are strongly rooted in stat theory.
Posted by alajones
Huntsvegas
Member since Oct 2005
35728 posts
Posted on 1/16/16 at 12:37 am to
What most people (including me) don't like is that for years we paid a "premium" AT&T rate with the expectation that every 2 years we could get a brand new phone.

Now, we are expected to pay that same ridiculous price and pay for the phone.

If I'm going to pay for the phone anyway, why should I stay with them instead of saving $100 month and getting unlimited everything from a wal mart plan? No way in hell am
I resigning with AT&T.
Posted by Red Stick Tigress
Tiger Stadium
Member since Nov 2005
20227 posts
Posted on 1/16/16 at 12:38 am to
I purchased an unlocked phone for $500. No sales tax and free shipping. With the monthly service charge of the carriers at the time I did this, I figured out that my $500 up front saved me $700 in what I would have paid in monthly fees under contract by doing an upgrade.

You won't convince me that I made a bad choice.
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