'Tisn't always better to give

I know everyone with anything to sell is trying to make the increasingly-extended holiday shopping season work for them, but really, you can't just repackage everything as a present. Case in point: I just received an e-mail with the title "Unique gift ideas from Equifax"—the consumer credit report agency.

Giving an Equifax Gift Certificate is a unique way for you to empower friends and family to understand and manage their own credit standing. Share the importance of good credit health with those you care about!

Yeah, "unique" is one word for it. It's also a unique way to make sure your friends and family never buy you anything again.



I'm not saying people shouldn't get credit reports; it's just a really crappy gift. It's like giving someone a gift certificate for a Pap smear. You need it, but you don't necessarily want someone to tell you you need it, much less inflict it on you while everyone else is opening their computer games and gadgets and toys and jewelry.



(If you actually do want to inflict it on someone, go here: Equifax Personal Solutions.)