This section counts only money: how much can be saved, how much the yearly gain differs, and how much a sum returns when it is averaged over a long stretch. These are not converted into years of life or into time. Items that involve investing only explain how to do the arithmetic. They use only historical figures that have been checked. None of them is investment advice. The items are grouped by subject below. Item numbers are in parentheses. Everyday spending: turn off automatic renewals (item 1), recalculate the mobile and broadband plans (item 4), refuse extended warranties on electronics (item 11), choose drugs selected in pooled procurement (item 12), drink boiled tap water (item 14), pay for the gym by the visit (item 21), set a cooling-off period on a large purchase (item 23), do not stock up because of a crossed-out price (item 24). Impulse spending and children's money: do not buy lottery tickets (item 5), do not tip livestreamers (item 8), a child's top-ups and tips can be claimed back (item 9), anyone who has a child read out a verification code is a scammer (item 10), count bracelets and trendy toys as money already spent (item 33), for jewellery and jade accept only a CMA report (item 34), blind boxes, card draws, and other sales by chance (item 35). Online shopping and getting the money back: a written contract for money paid in advance (item 22), online shopping follows the platform's rules (item 29), something bought in a livestream goes wrong (item 30), unsafe food is ten times the price (item 31), check sampling tests and certification before a large purchase (item 32), if you want to read the ingredient list, buy pre-packaged food (item 36). Tax, the housing fund, and medical insurance: the individual-income-tax settlement (item 2), the housing fund can also be withdrawn for rent and for renovation (item 3), bind family sharing of the medical-insurance account (item 13), the personal pension account (item 20), if you pay employee pension insurance yourself, pay at the lowest band (item 46). Saving, borrowing, and investing: walk away the moment you see a high return (item 6), turn borrowing into an annual rate first (item 7), do not trade stocks often (item 15), do not borrow to invest (item 16), a broad index fund as the base holding (item 17), pick a fund with a low fee (item 18), do not put the money in one place (item 19), save an emergency fund first (item 27), compare before paying a mortgage off early (item 28), sell a stock that has lost money by the rule (item 37), buy U.S. stocks through QDII or Stock Connect (item 38), do not buy virtual currency (item 45). Insurance: prefer insurance you pay for and do not get back (item 25), buy enough third-party liability cover (item 26), insure only losses you cannot carry (item 39), buy term life first for the person who earns (item 40), surrender inside the cooling-off period (item 41), at a bank counter, tell a deposit from insurance (item 42), do not hire an agent to surrender a policy (item 43), name a specific person as beneficiary (item 44). Buying a car: inspect the car when you collect it (item 47), write on a used car that it is not an accident car (item 48), do not pay a financial-service fee at a 4S store (item 49).
English, Russian and Spanish use dlgrv’s unofficial translations. Newly revised entries appear in the Chinese original until a checked translation is available. The author’s latest Chinese text is authoritative. Translation revision: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · b25fa8a
What you’ll save is exactly the money spent on subscriptions you no longer use but are still being charged for each month. It takes less than 20 minutes to go through the automatic payment lists in Alipay, WeChat Pay, Apple, and Android. By regulation, merchants must provide a clear notice before charging you, along with an easy-to-find and readily accessible option to cancel at any time.
Cost
No cost at all. Simply review the lists of automatic payme…
Benefit
The amount saved equals the total cost of those subscriptions you no longer need yet continue to pay for. This…
The following groups of people typically receive a tax refund after completing this process: those who only worked for a few months throughout the year, those who changed jobs mid-year, or anyone who failed to claim deductions for child education, mortgage payments, rent, or elderly dependents. It takes only a few minutes to finish on a mobile device. If your total annual income falls below 120,000 yuan, or if the amount of tax you owe is under 400 yuan, you may skip this step.
Cost
No cost involved. The process can be completed in just a f…
Benefit
This process consolidates calculations for four types of income: wages and salaries, labor remuneration, autho…
The housing provident fund isn’t limited to home purchases. The new regulations list nine eligible scenarios for withdrawals, including renting, renovating a personal residence, and paying property taxes. Once you submit an application, the housing provident fund authority must respond within three days whether your request is approved or not.
Cost
No cost at all. You only need to complete the withdrawal a…
Benefit
The updated regulations expand eligible withdrawal scenarios to nine total. These include covering rental paym…
Older plans you’re currently on often cost dozens of yuan more per month than newer plans now on sale. Those extra monthly fees add up to hundreds of yuan wasted each year. By regulation, carriers have no valid reason to reject your request to switch plans, delay processing it, or impose special pricing tiers solely for customers making such changes. If they refuse without justification, you can file a formal complaint.
Cost
No expense at all. It takes just a few minutes to review y…
Benefit
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology rules explicitly state that carriers must not “refuse, obstruc…
Regulations set minimum prize-pool shares of sales at 50% for number-based lotto games, 65% for instant-win tickets and 73% for sports-prediction games. For every 1 yuan spent on Double Color Ball, your long-term average return is only 0.51 yuan, resulting in a stable loss of 49%. In 2024, a total of 623.486 billion yuan in lottery tickets were sold nationwide in China, of which 161.031 billion yuan went directly into the public welfare fund; this portion is not included in the prize pool.
Cost
It costs nothing. Not buying means you save money.
Benefit
Fiscal regulations set minimum payout ratios: 50% for lottery and number-based games, 65% for instant-win game…
The former Chairman of the CBIRC said in 2018: if the yield exceeds 6%, you should question it; if it exceeds 8%, it is very dangerous; if it is above 10%, you should prepare to lose your entire principal. Regulated wealth management products are no longer allowed to promise guaranteed principal or returns. The money lost by participating in illegal fundraising must, according to regulations, be borne by yourself; if something goes wrong, no one will provide a safety net for you.
Cost
Zero. Just pause for a moment when you encounter these phr…
Benefit
In 2018, the former chairperson of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission stated at the Lujiazu…
Minimum payment is a type of loan where interest is calculated daily; based on the upper limit prior to 2020, it converts to approximately 18% per year, and using it voids the interest-free period. Installment plans may state "monthly fee of 0.6%," which calculates to approximately 13.8% per year, not 7.2%. Because the principal is being repaid monthly while the fee is still charged based on the original amount, to determine which loan is more expensive, only look at the annualized interest rate, not the daily interest or monthly fee rates.
Cost
No direct cost involved. You simply need to set aside enou…
Benefit
Prior to 2020, credit card interest rates were regulated: the maximum daily rate was 0.05% and the minimum was…
On average, each gamer in China spends roughly 480 yuan per year on games, and that money is almost impossible to get back. The law supports parents seeking refunds for a minor child’s spending on gifts or game credits without consent when the amount is inappropriate for the child’s age and intellectual capacity; adults have no such provision. The easiest way to stay on budget is to take preventive steps: disable password-free payments, set per-transaction and daily limits, and unlink payment options.
Cost
There is no cost at all. It only takes a few minutes to do…
Benefit
This is a very large expenditure. In 2024, the actual sales revenue of the domestic game market in China was 3…
For children aged eight and older, if the amount of money spent is disproportionate to their age or intelligence, the transaction is only valid if the parents consent or subsequently ratify it. If the parents neither consent nor ratify the transaction, it is invalid, and a refund can be requested. Children under the age of eight are inherently unable to make independent decisions regarding spending. If parents do not express a position, it is legally treated as a failure to ratify the transaction.
Cost
There’s no direct monetary cost, but it does take time to…
Benefit
Minors aged eight and older are classified as having limited legal capacity — meaning they may only engage in…
The six scam types use different tactics, and several end by getting the child to transfer money with a parent’s phone. First teach this: anyone who asks you to operate a parent’s phone or share a verification code is a scammer. Add: “If you are scammed, tell me first; I will not scold you.”
Cost
There’s no cost involved. Simply explain these six types o…
Benefit
The Quanzhou Anti-Fraud Center, in conjunction with the Quanzhou Education Bureau, has explained six types of…
Extended warranties are generally sold at 10% to 50% of the original price; the profit margin for selling extended warranties is over ten times that of ordinary goods, and this price difference is the extra money you are paying. For major components such as washing machine motors and refrigerator compressors, China's national regulations already mandate a 3-year warranty. If you encounter a very cheap extended warranty, divide the warranty price by the cost of a single repair; the resulting number represents how high the probability of at least one failure during these years must be to break even.
Cost
There’s no upfront cost. The trade-off is that once the st…
Benefit
Extended warranties are usually priced at 10% to 50% of the original product cost. Industry estimates cited in…
The second batch of centrally procured drugs saw an average price drop of 53%, with some drugs becoming 93% cheaper. As of April 2026, 11 procurement rounds have been completed, covering 490 different drugs. Asking for generic drugs from this program ensures you get the same ingredients at a much lower price.
Cost
No cost at all. When a doctor prescribes medication or you…
Benefit
The national centralized drug procurement initiative resulted in a 53% average price reduction for the second…
After completing this setup, any money in your individual yibao account can be used to cover medical expenses and medication costs for your spouse, parents, and children. Without this setup, those funds remain locked in your account for your own use only.
Cost
No cost at all. You can set up family medical expense shar…
Benefit
Funds in your individual medical insurance account can be used to pay for any out-of-pocket medical costs you,…
In Beijing, tap water works out to 0.005 yuan per liter. Water-cooler barrel water at 20 yuan a barrel comes to about 1 yuan per liter, more than 200 times as much. A household that drinks one barrel a week spends a little over 1,000 yuan a year, while the same amount of tap water costs under 5 yuan. Tap water is covered by a mandatory national standard, so boiling it is enough in normal times. When the water smells foul or looks cloudy, boiling won’t fix it: stop drinking it and report the problem.
Cost
You only need to purchase a kettle. Boiling water takes a…
Benefit
The first-tier residential water tariff in Beijing is 5 yuan per cubic meter, or 0.005 yuan per liter. A house…
US households that traded most frequently in the 1990s earned only 11.4% annually, compared to 17.9% for the entire market during the same period; the gap was mainly due to transaction costs. In China's 2014–2015 period of extreme volatility, the smallest 85% of households traded too frequently. They earned 250 billion yuan less than those who simply held their positions, which is approximately 30% of their initial capital.
Cost
There are no monetary costs. The real challenge is resisti…
Benefit
This study examines 66,465 household accounts of US discount brokers from 1991 to 1996. The group with the mos…
Borrowing money to buy stocks means that once the price falls below a certain line and you are unable to top up the funds, you will be subject to a forced sale. The losses on your account instantly become real losses, leaving you without even the opportunity to 'wait for it to rise back.' Regulatory provisions state that individuals who have engaged in securities trading for less than six months or whose average daily assets over the last 20 trading days are less than 500,000 yuan cannot open a margin account. This threshold itself demonstrates that it is not intended for ordinary people.
Cost
Zero expense. The hard part is resisting the urge to “borr…
Benefit
Leverage essentially means borrowing money to make purchases, which also magnifies potential losses. After ope…
The group of stocks purchased collectively by active funds in the United States is already very close to the entire market. However, the extra management fee they charge is a real deduction from the returns you receive. When repeatedly recalculating and comparing fund performance as if it were luck, there are very few funds that can earn back the fees they charge through that extra profit.
Cost
There is no direct monetary cost. The trade-off is that yo…
Benefit
Collectively, U.S. actively managed equity funds hold a portfolio very similar to the broader market. However,…
For every 1 percentage point increase in the annual fee rate, the amount of money received after 20 years decreases by approximately 18%, and after 30 years by approximately 26%. When choosing from the same class of funds, selecting those with lower fee rates means less will be eaten away by these costs.
Cost
There’s no upfront cost to pay. Before buying, just check…
Benefit
The difference in rates will gradually eat away at the principal through compound interest, meaning that the s…
As long as multiple assets don’t all rise or fall in perfect unison, spreading your money across them keeps your average expected returns the same, while reducing the ups and downs of your account balance. Conversely, if you invest all your funds in just one stock, platform, or property, any trouble with it directly impacts your entire portfolio.
Cost
No cost at all. The hard part is accepting that you won’t…
Benefit
When several assets do not move in perfect lockstep, diversifying your investments maintains your expected ret…
A full 12000-yuan contribution deducted entirely within the 10%, 20% or 30% band gives a net tax difference of 840, 2040 or 3240 yuan. This already subtracts the 3% withdrawal tax; recalculate if the deduction crosses bands. In the 3% band, the tax saved is paid back on withdrawal, at best breaking even. Do not deposit money you may need at any time: early withdrawal is limited to specified medical, unemployment and subsistence-support circumstances.
Cost
Opening is free, but contributions cannot be withdrawn at…
Benefit
Actual contributions, up to 12000 yuan annually, can be deducted from comprehensive or business income. Invest…
According to three years of data from U.S. gyms, members who signed contracts with monthly fees exceeding $70 attended the gym just 4.3 times per month on average, which works out to over $17 per visit. Meanwhile, a 10‑visit pass costs only $10 per visit. Collectively, these members paid roughly $600 more over their membership period. Unless you’ve already been going to the gym regularly for at least a year, buying individual passes or short‑term plans is far more economical.
Cost
Buying passes individually ends up costing more per visit…
Benefit
This study analyzed three years of data from 7,752 members at three U.S. fitness clubs. Members opting for mon…
When a merchant collects a prepayment from you, they must sign a written contract with you that clearly specifies the refund process. If major problems arise in the merchant's operations, they must stop collecting money, and they must notify you in advance if they are to cease operations or relocate. In such cases, you may request that they continue to provide services or have the unspent balance refunded to you. Merchants who violate these regulations may be fined.
Cost
No cost involved. The real challenge is insisting on a wri…
Benefit
The regulations require businesses accepting prepayments to sign written contracts that specify refund procedu…
What you save is exactly the money spent on items you no longer want the very next day. For online purchases, you can return them for any reason within seven days of delivery. There are a few categories excluded from this policy: custom-made items, perishable goods, digital products that have been opened, and newspapers and periodicals.
Cost
No direct monetary cost. You simply have to wait an extra…
Benefit
What you save is precisely that portion of impulse buys you no longer want after a day. There is no single uni…
When people judge whether something is expensive or not, they are anchored by the first number they see, and subsequent adjustments are usually insufficient. Therefore, 'Original Price 999, Current Price 499' will cause you to systematically overestimate how cheap it is. According to regulations, the benchmark for a discount must only be the lowest transaction price in this same store within the seven days prior to the promotion. That struck-through price may not have actually been sold (China, effective since 2020).
Cost
Zero monetary cost. The trade‑off is that you might miss o…
Benefit
A person's judgment is anchored by the first number seen, and subsequent adjustments are usually insufficient.…
The insurance company makes no promises about any dividends or refunds you might receive. Policy documents must explicitly state in bold text that “future policy dividends are non‑guaranteed benefits.” The extra premiums paid for return features essentially act as a savings account managed by the insurer; there’s no guarantee on returns, and withdrawals are difficult.
Cost
With a non‑return plan, no money is returned at maturity,…
Benefit
Regulatory rules require that dividend‑type products clearly indicate in bold print that “future policy divide…
When you are liable, Compulsory Traffic Liability Insurance covers a maximum of three items: 180,000 yuan for death or disability, 18,000 yuan for medical expenses, and 2,000 yuan for property damage. These three items are calculated separately and cannot be reallocated between them. Compensation for injuring someone may exceed these limits, and any amount exceeding them must be paid by your own family, so it is necessary to purchase sufficient commercial third-party liability insurance.
Cost
Commercial third‑party liability insurance costs a few hun…
Benefit
Nationwide, mandatory insurance enforces uniform liability limits. These limits are calculated separately for…
Keep 3 to 6 months of living expenses in a place where they can be withdrawn at any time. This way, in the event of unemployment or illness, you will not need to resort to high-interest debt such as credit card minimum payments, nor will you have to sell your current investments at a loss. Money kept in banks is covered by deposit insurance, with a maximum compensation of 500,000 yuan per bank.
Cost
There is no direct monetary cost. The trade-off is forgoin…
Benefit
An emergency fund eliminates the need to borrow money or sell investments at a loss during unexpected events l…
Paying the mortgage off early is the same as steadily earning your mortgage rate. So ask only one thing: is the after-tax return you can get steadily over the long run higher than the mortgage rate? If it is higher, do not rush to pay it off. If it is not, or you cannot say, pay it off. In the early years of equal monthly payments of principal and interest, interest is a large share of what you pay, so the earlier you repay, the more you save. The bank app's "early repayment estimate" can show the figure directly.
Cost
No cost at all. It only takes about half an hour to do the…
Benefit
The calculation works like this: let r be the annual mortgage rate as stated in your contract. As of 20 August…
If a seller cheats you, they must pay three times the amount you paid — with a minimum compensation of 500 yuan. Platforms that know sellers are breaking the law but do nothing must share in the liability. The maximum deposit allowed is 20% of the contract value; if you break the contract, that deposit is forfeited, but if the seller does, they must return double the amount. Organizing fake orders or fake positive reviews in livestreams is illegal, and algorithmic price discrimination based on personal data is strictly prohibited.
Cost
There’s no cost involved. Just take a moment before orderi…
Benefit
Sellers found guilty of fraud must pay three times the purchase price, with a minimum payout of 500 yuan. Plat…
One of the biggest hurdles when problems arise from purchases made during livestreams is figuring out exactly who to hold responsible. In such cases, you can demand that the platform disclose the identity of the livestream operator and any associated influencers, along with their business records. The platform is legally obligated to comply with this request.
Cost
No cost involved;
Benefit
When consumer disputes occur, operators of livestream marketing platforms must furnish buyers with the relevan…
If you buy expired or spoiled food, the food itself, its packaging, and the receipt serve as evidence — so don’t toss them out. You’re entitled to compensation equal to ten times the purchase price or three times your actual loss; if that amount is less than 1,000 yuan, you still get 1,000 yuan. You may choose either the seller or the manufacturer to compensate you; the party you approach must pay first and cannot shift the responsibility to the other side.
Cost
There’s no cost involved. Keep the food, its packaging, an…
Benefit
If you suffer harm due to food that fails to meet safety standards, you may seek compensation from either the…
In 2024, national inspections covered 25,250 batches of products, with 14.3% found to be non-compliant. The situation is worse on e-commerce platforms: out of 7,297 inspected batches, 23.5% failed to meet standards, compared to 15.1% of products sold in physical stores. Before purchasing any big-ticket item, take a few minutes to check the latest inspection reports and verify that the 3C certificate is genuine. Any product required to carry an energy label must have one.
Cost
It costs nothing. Just spend a few minutes looking up info…
Benefit
The 2024 national supervision inspections examined 25,250 product batches, resulting in a non-compliance rate…
The price of these items already includes a portion of consumption tax, with value-added tax calculated separately. For each watch valued at 10,000 RMB or more, the rate is 20%; gold, silver, platinum jewelry and diamonds are 5%; and other precious gemstones are 10%. This tax cannot be recovered when reselling. If you truly like it, buy it as a consumer purchase, rather than counting it as a financial investment.
Cost
There’s no upfront cost — just don’t justify buying these…
Benefit
First, look at the purchase side. The tax rates defined in the "Schedule of Consumption Tax Items and Rates" a…
Certificates can be forged, so what truly matters is confirming the agency that issued it. Any testing organization allowed to issue reports must hold proper credentials, and its reports must display the CMA mark. The regulatory authority publishes a list of certified agencies on its website, making it easy for consumers to confirm whether a given provider is on that list. In actual enforcement cases, some “national inspection certificates” accompanying goods were found to have been fabricated by unrelated parties.
Cost
No cost at all. Checking an agency’s qualifications takes…
Benefit
The relevant rules are laid out in the *Administrative Measures for Qualification Recognition of Inspection an…
Sellers must display the draw rules, probabilities, and quantities of limited‑edition items in a highly visible manner. They are prohibited from manipulating results behind the scenes or offering empty boxes. While the guidelines encourage setting minimum guarantees and limits on spending and number of draws, they are not mandatory. For blind boxes purchased online, if the seller has clearly explained the terms and you have confirmed them, you cannot exercise the seven‑day right to return after opening the box.
Cost
There is no direct cost involved. You simply need to set a…
Benefit
The basis for these rules is the “Guidelines on the Operation of Blind Box Business (Trial)”. Article 9 mandat…
The law only mandates ingredient lists for pre-packaged foods; loose goods have no such requirement. For loose products, retailers only need to display the product name, production date, shelf life, and the names, addresses and contact details of the producer and operator. So, the absence of any mention of additives does not mean they were not added — it simply means the law does not require them to be listed. If you care about what’s in your food, opt for pre-packaged versions where both the full ingredient list and additive details are clearly printed.
Cost
No cost at all. Pre-packaged versions of the same items ar…
Benefit
Article 67 of China’s Food Safety Law stipulates that all pre-packaged foods must carry a label containing nin…
People often sell when they profit and hold on stubbornly when they lose. In the seven-year records of ten thousand US accounts, the probability of stocks that rose being sold is more than 50% higher than those that fell. This same group of people also tends to add to their positions in losing stocks. However, the losing stocks they left behind performed, on average, 3.4 percentage points worse in the following year than the profitable stocks they sold.
Cost
No cost at all. The hard part is admitting the loss and ac…
Benefit
This study examined every trade made by 10,000 accounts at a U.S. discount broker from 1987 to 1993. The propo…
Starting May 2026, foreign brokers such as Tiger Brokers, Futu, and LongBridge are no longer allowed to accept new accounts from mainland investors. Existing account holders may only sell their holdings and withdraw funds within two years; no further purchases are permitted. Using your annual foreign exchange quota to buy overseas stocks is also prohibited; violators lose eligibility for that quota for the current year and the following two years. The only legal ways to invest in foreign assets remain QDII funds and the Hong Kong Stock Connect program.
Cost
There’s no direct cost — you can purchase QDII funds via y…
Benefit
On May 22, 2026, eight Chinese authorities — including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Ministry of…
The premiums you pay won’t all be returned to you; a portion goes toward the insurer’s operating costs and profit. Therefore, insurance is worthwhile only for rare events that would otherwise overwhelm your finances — such as serious illness, a car accident causing injury to others, or the death of a primary breadwinner. For smaller losses that your savings can handle, an emergency fund is the better choice.
Cost
No money is required. All you need to do is list the major…
Benefit
Only a fraction of the premiums collected by insurers is paid out as claims. The remainder covers sales, admin…
Term life insurance covers you only for a set number of years. If you pass away during that period, your family receives a payout. This coverage is meant to protect dependents who rely on your earnings — for instance, if your mortgage is still unpaid or your children are still young. If no one depends on you financially, this insurance isn’t necessary. Since kids don’t earn income, laws also limit how much death benefit can be paid for them.
Cost
A few hundred to a few thousand yuan per year, depending o…
Benefit
Regulatory definitions classify life insurance as personal insurance where human lifespan serves as the insure…
All personal insurance policies with a term longer than one year include a cooling-off period. For policies bought through banks, this period starts 15 days after you receive the policy document, and cancelling during this time incurs a maximum administrative fee of 10 yuan. After this window closes, you’ll only receive the portion of your premium that the policy allows you to reclaim, which is usually far less than what you originally paid. Insurers often make follow-up calls to check if you fully understand the terms — be honest if you’re still unclear.
Cost
There’s no cost involved. A quick call to the insurer’s cu…
Benefit
Regulations require all personal insurance policies with a term over a year to clearly state the start date an…
Banks may sell insurance on behalf of insurers, but they must not present it as a deposit. The contract cover must clearly state “Insurance Contract” and the insurer’s name in large print; terms like “deposit” or “savings” are strictly prohibited. If the insurer’s name appears on the cover, the money is not a deposit, and cancelling after the cooling-off period will result in losses. In principle, people aged 65 and older, people aged 60 and older buying regular-premium policies, and people whose annual income is below local per-capita disposable income may buy only products with defined returns at banks.
Cost
No cost at all. Just spend a couple of extra minutes readi…
Benefit
Regulations explicitly forbid banks from bundling insurance with savings deposits, mutual funds, or other bank…
Regulators describe online promises of "full premium refunds" as false information. These types of surrender agents take 30% to 50% of the refunded money and will also collect your bank card details, SIM card, and home address. Once you surrender the policy, your coverage is gone. If you feel misled, first contact the insurance company's customer service; if no agreement is reached, call 12378, which is free of charge throughout the process.
Cost
There’s no cost involved. Simply call the insurer’s custom…
Benefit
In February 2026, China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration, the Cyberspace Administration, the Min…
If no beneficiary is listed, or if the named beneficiary passes away first, the payout is treated as part of the deceased’s estate and must first cover any debts owed by the deceased. If “Spouse: [Name]” is listed as beneficiary but the couple later divorces, the policy is effectively treated as having no beneficiary at the time of a claim. Family members must be aware of the policy’s existence: for life insurance, claims must be filed within 5 years of learning of the insured’s death; for other policies, the deadline is 2 years. In total, 100,000 people are affected by such situations, and another 100,000 face related complications.
Cost
No cost involved. You fill this in once at purchase;
Benefit
Insurance law stipulates that beneficiaries must be designated by either the insured or the policyholder, with…
In China, virtual currencies are not recognized as money; transactions where individuals purchase coins can be ruled invalid, and any losses are borne by the individual. Someone spent approximately 448,000 yuan to buy Tether from another person, but later was unable to withdraw funds from the platform, and their lawsuit to recover the money was dismissed by the court. Being stolen from is a separate matter; there are individuals who stole coins and were sentenced to 7 years for the crime of theft.
Cost
No expense. Do not buy coins or join crypto groups offerin…
Benefit
In February 2026, eight Chinese authorities issued Notice No. 42 (Yinfa [2026] 42), stating that Bitcoin, Ethe…
For people without an employer in China who pay into the employee pension scheme themselves, the lowest contribution tier and meeting the required contribution period offer the best value when judged by how quickly contributions break even. Most of the pension depends on the local average wage in the year you retire. Expressed at that year’s wage level, 15 years of contributions at the lowest tier, with payments starting at age 60, take about 10 years to break even. The extra contributions at a higher tier take about 17 years to recover. Contributing is worthwhile, but it does not put you ahead immediately.
Cost
You pay the entire amount yourself: 20% of the contributio…
Benefit
China’s State Council decision of 2005 sets out how to contribute and receive payments. People without an empl…
In the first 7 days of a new car, if a major part such as the engine or the transmission fails and has to be replaced, you can directly demand a replacement car or a refund. Within the first 60 days or 3,000 kilometres, if the brakes or the steering fail, the body cracks, oil leaks, or the battery catches fire, you can also replace or return it. Within the first two years, if the same fault is repaired many times and still is not fixed, you can also replace or return it, but you pay a use-compensation fee based on the distance driven.
Cost
No charge. Spend half an hour at collection inspecting the…
Benefit
This set of rules is the three-guarantee for household cars. It covers passenger cars bought for living consum…
If a used-car dealer deliberately hides accident or flood damage, you can return the car and claim additional compensation of three times its price. You must prove deliberate concealment to get that compensation. If the court accepts that the dealer did not know, the remedy is only a refund plus interest. The triple-compensation rule does not apply to purchases from private owners.
Cost
Pay for an independent inspection;
Benefit
The seller of a used car must give the buyer the true facts on use, repairs, accidents, and inspections, and o…
A dealer is not allowed to charge an extra “financial service fee” for arranging a loan. You can arrange insurance, financing or registration elsewhere or yourself; the dealer cannot force you to use its services or add charges beyond the marked price. Before borrowing, ask for the annualised interest rate and every fee in writing, then compare.
Cost
No charge. Before signing, spend a few minutes asking what…
Benefit
The measures on automobile sales say a dealer must post, in the store, the prices and fee schedules for the ca…
A travel agency acts unlawfully if it takes you to a shopping stop without your agreement or uses an unreasonably low tour price to lure you into shopping. Within 30 days after the trip ends, you can require it to arrange a return and advance the purchase refund. If you signed a supplementary “voluntary shopping” agreement, that generally counts as consent and makes this route much harder.
Cost
No monetary cost. Keep the contract and itinerary, obtain…
Benefit
Article 35 of China's Tourism Law has three paragraphs. The first prohibits travel agencies from organizing to…
A bank employee privately selling a product neither issued by the bank nor authorized for distribution is making an unauthorized sale, known as a flying order. Bank-distributed products may be sold only through its branches, website and app, where they can also be looked up. If you cannot find it, do not buy yet. Some courts have ordered banks to bear half the loss; in a securities-branch case, the first instance rejected compensation and the appeal awarded part.
Cost
Free. Search the product name in the bank’s app or website…
Benefit
Beijing’s Third Intermediate People’s Court defines a flying order as financial-institution staff using their…
