John Dinsmore, MBA, PhD

Book Synopsis & Bio

BOOK SYNOPSIS: The Marketing of Debt--How They Get You

Why do people struggle so much with debt? The truth is, we are psychologically pre-disposed to misunderstanding it. We underestimate the cost of debt and overestimate our ability to pay. Not only do marketers of credit cards and loans know this, but they also exploit these psychological blind spots to get us deeper in hock. The Marketing of Debt: How They Get You is an irreverent look at the financial services industry and the psychological research on decision-making related to debt. Topics include resisting temptation and refocusing on long-term goals, how money lenders hide pricing, partitioned pricing, drip pricing, the issue with status branded credit cards, and taking scientifically proven steps for making better financial decisions.

This book is for anyone who wants to understand common tactics that marketers of debt use to get people into deeper debt, and how to avoid the traps laid by lenders. For students, this will be an appealing point-of-entry to behavioral research on financial decision-making. This could also be required reading for a consumer behavior or consumer finance course. Additionally, there is a self-help aspect to this book in that it will help individuals avoid falling into many of the traps laid by marketers of debt. Features a Foreword from Jason Harris of Mekanism.

You can see the listing on Amazon at https://a.co/d/14cloi1

Here is a link to my appearance on the So Money podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1828-the-science-of-how-we-spend/id955939085?i=1000709034647

Also, here is a link to my TED Talk about how handing money changes people’s behavior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EMunkwubzI

BIOGRAPHY
John Dinsmore is a Professor of Marketing at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

He is regularly featured in publications such as Forbes, CIO, CBS Marketwatch, and US News & World Report for his market commentary and is a frequent conference speaker at organizations such as the American Marketing Association and the Association for Consumer Research.

At Wright State, Professor Dinsmore teaches a variety of courses including Digital Marketing, Strategy, and Creativity & Problem-Solving, garnering multiple teaching awards. He has provided executive training services to the United States Air Force and Speedway Corporation. His academic research primarily focuses on financial decision-making, methods of payment, and mobile applications, having been published in academic journals including Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and International Journal of Research in Marketing. He also recently wrote a chapter for the Handbook of Experimental Finance, due out in October of 2022.

Dinsmore has published business cases designated at “Best Sellers” by Harvard Publishing focusing on strategy and analytics. These cases are taught in MBA programs across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America at institutions such as University of Chicago, Peking University, and King’s College. This Fall, he will be a featured speaker at TEDx-Dayton to discuss his research on financial decision-making.

Prior to earning his PhD, John Dinsmore worked in the marketing industry for 14 years in various roles. Dinsmore holds a BA in Political Science from James Madison University, an MBA in Marketing & Finance from University of Georgia, and a PhD in Marketing from University of Cincinnati. He lives in Dayton, Ohio with his wife and two sons.