High-Value Life GuideLife's expensive mistakes
中文

Policy, legal and insurance guides primarily concern mainland China. Scope and sources ↗

Back to the life guide

Search all 765 guides.

34 chapters. 765 guides. Search a problem or browse the complete source order.

Browse all 34 chapters in source order
01Avoiding Premature Death48 guides02Preventing Chronic Decline47 guides03Protecting Your Mental Energy27 guides04Stopping Time Wasters18 guides05Cutting Financial Waste50 guides06The Anti-Checklist35 guides07Surviving Broke23 guides08Staying Out of Trouble46 guides09Everyday Legal Traps29 guides10The Economics of Dating and Marriage23 guides11Legal Boundaries for Developers21 guides12Starting and Running a Business28 guides13Handling Emergencies48 guides14Digital Security and Privacy12 guides15Renting and Buying a Home18 guides16Managing Chronic Illness14 guides17Caring for Aging Parents13 guides18The True Cost of Raising Kids7 guides19Workplace Rights and Injuries24 guides20Newborn Survival Guide17 guides21International Travel Safety13 guides22Science-Backed Relaxation12 guides23High-Leverage Skills to Learn25 guides24Navigating Healthcare15 guides25Handling End-of-Life Affairs12 guides26Building a Compliant Platform13 guides27Pregnancy and Childbirth20 guides28Appearance vs. Health10 guides29Recovering from Major Life Blows14 guides30Raising School-Age Kids21 guides31Life Paths After Eighteen17 guides32Studying Abroad Pragmatically12 guides33Navigating Life with Disability21 guides34Safe Home Medication12 guides

765 guides found

Page 8 / 32
Chapter 5 · Guide 30Author's grade A

If something goes wrong after buying from a livestream, first ask the platform for the seller’s and influencer’s details — they’re required to provide them.

One of the biggest hurdles when problems arise from purchases made during livestreams is figuring out exactly who to hold responsible. In such cases, …

Cost
No cost involved; you simply need to request the information from the platform.
Benefit
When consumer disputes occur, operators of livestream marketing platforms must furnish buy…
Chapter 5 · Guide 31Author's grade A

If you buy unsafe food, you can demand ten times the purchase price as compensation; if the amount is under 1,000 yuan, you’re still entitled to 1,000 yuan.

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 com…

Cost
There’s no cost involved. Keep the food, its packaging, and the receipt — don’t throw them…
Benefit
If you suffer harm due to food that fails to meet safety standards, you may seek compensat…
Chapter 5 · Guide 33Author's grade A

Bracelets, jade, luxury watches, and collectibles should be judged by “how much you spend” rather than “how much you save”

A portion of the purchase price for such items is already consumption tax: watches priced at 10,000 yuan or more incur a 20% tax; gold, platinum, and …

Cost
There’s no upfront cost — just don’t justify buying these items by claiming they’ll apprec…
Benefit
On the purchase side, tax rates are clearly defined in the Consumption Tax Schedule: “luxu…
Chapter 5 · Guide 34Author's grade A

For jewelry and gemstones, only test reports bearing the CMA mark are acceptable; you must also verify the issuing agency on the regulator’s official website.

Certificates can be forged, so what truly matters is confirming the agency that issued it. Any testing organization allowed to issue reports must hold…

Cost
No cost at all. Checking an agency’s qualifications takes just a few minutes before placin…
Benefit
The relevant rules are laid out in the Administrative Measures for Qualification Recogniti…
Chapter 5 · Guide 36Author's grade A

If you care about what’s in your food, buy pre-packaged products: loose goods at retail counters aren’t legally required to list ingredients

The law only mandates ingredient lists for pre-packaged foods; loose goods have no such requirement. For loose products, retailers only need to displa…

Cost
No cost at all. Pre-packaged versions of the same items are usually a bit pricier than loo…
Benefit
Article 67 of China’s Food Safety Law stipulates that all pre-packaged foods must carry a …
Chapter 5 · Guide 37Author's grade A

Stocks that have lost value should also be sold according to pre‑set rules — don’t try to even out costs by buying more

Human nature drives us to sell winners and hold losers. In seven years of data from 10,000 U.S. accounts, stocks that rose were sold about 50% more of…

Cost
No cost at all. The hard part is admitting the loss and actually selling the stock.
Benefit
This study examined every trade made by 10,000 accounts at a U.S. discount broker from 198…
Chapter 5 · Guide 38Author's grade A

Planning to invest in overseas assets such as U.S. stocks? Use QDII funds or the Hong Kong Stock Connect program — don’t open accounts with foreign brokers, and don’t use your annual foreign exchange quota for buying foreign stocks.

Starting May 2026, foreign brokers such as Tiger Brokers, Futu, and LongBridge are no longer allowed to accept new accounts from mainland investors. E…

Cost
There’s no direct cost — you can purchase QDII funds via your own bank or brokerage app in…
Benefit
On May 22, 2026, eight Chinese authorities — including the China Securities Regulatory Com…
Chapter 5 · Guide 40Author's grade C

If someone at home depends on your income, buy term life insurance for the breadwinner first — not for your kids.

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 me…

Cost
A few hundred to a few thousand yuan per year, depending on age, coverage amount, and poli…
Benefit
Regulatory definitions classify life insurance as personal insurance where human lifespan …
Chapter 5 · Guide 41Author's grade A

Regretting a personal insurance policy signed for over a year? You can cancel it during the cooling-off period and get most of your premium back.

All personal insurance policies with a term longer than one year include a cooling-off period. For policies bought through banks, this period starts 1…

Cost
There’s no cost involved. A quick call to the insurer’s customer service line or a short v…
Benefit
Regulations require all personal insurance policies with a term over a year to clearly sta…
Chapter 5 · Guide 42Author's grade B

Before signing at the bank counter, check whether it’s a deposit or insurance

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” …

Cost
No cost at all. Just spend a couple of extra minutes reading the contract cover.
Benefit
Regulations explicitly forbid banks from bundling insurance with savings deposits, mutual …
Chapter 5 · Guide 43Author's grade B

To cancel your insurance policy, contact the insurer directly — don’t use “policy cancellation agents.” If you feel misled, call 12378 for free assistance.

Online ads promising “full policy refunds with no fees if unsuccessful” usually come from illegal cancellation agents. They typically take 30–50% of a…

Cost
There’s no cost involved. Simply call the insurer’s customer service line or visit a branc…
Benefit
In February 2026, China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration, the Cyberspace Adm…
Chapter 5 · Guide 44Author's grade A

Writing a specific beneficiary on the policy lets family claim the payout: 5 years for life insurance, 2 years for other policies

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 cove…

Cost
No cost involved. You fill this in once at purchase; any later changes to the beneficiary …
Benefit
Insurance law stipulates that beneficiaries must be designated by either the insured or th…
Chapter 5 · Guide 45Author's grade A

Do not speculate in virtual currencies like Bitcoin or Tether, and do not follow others into crypto schemes: crypto transactions are not legally protected, and losses cannot be recovered in court

Domestic legal frameworks do not recognize virtual currencies as legal tender. Private transactions exchanging fiat currency for cryptocurrency tokens…

Cost
Zero financial outlay. Do not buy cryptocurrency tokens, and refuse invitations to join "s…
Benefit
In February 2026, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and seven other national authorities j…
Chapter 5 · Guide 46Author's grade A

Self-employed individuals contributing to urban employee pension insurance maximize return by paying the minimum bracket and fulfilling the qualifying years; it takes approximately 10 years of retirement payouts to break even

For self-employed individuals and flexible workers funding their own employee basic pension insurance, paying at the minimum statutory tier (60%) and …

Cost
All contributions are funded out-of-pocket at 20% of the selected wage base, requiring sev…
Benefit
Contribution and benefit formulas are governed by State Council Document Guofa [2005] No. …
Chapter 5 · Guide 47Author's grade A

Inspect a new vehicle thoroughly upon delivery, preserve the purchase invoice and warranty certificate; major defects within the first 7 and 60 days entitle you to a replacement or refund

If major powertrain components (engine, transmission, EV drive motor, power battery) fail and require replacement within the first 7 days of new vehic…

Cost
Zero financial outlay. Spend 30 minutes at delivery reviewing exterior panels, interior el…
Benefit
Under the Provisions on the Liability for Repair, Replacement, and Return of Household Aut…
Chapter 5 · Guide 48Author's grade A

When buying a used car from a dealership, check insurance claims and maintenance history, and specify in the contract that it is free of collision and flood damage; deliberate concealment entitles you to return the car with triple damages

When purchasing a used vehicle from a licensed commercial dealer who intentionally conceals past major collisions, structural frame damage, or water s…

Cost
A few dozen to hundreds of RMB for professional third-party vehicle inspection and VIN his…
Benefit
Under the Measures for the Administration of Used Car Circulation, commercial sellers are …
Chapter 5 · Guide 49Author's grade B

When buying a car at a 4S dealership, refuse unauthorized "financial service fees"; insurance, financing, and vehicle registration do not have to be handled through the dealer

Dealership sales staff frequently insist that taking out auto financing requires paying an upfront "financial service fee." Under commercial regulatio…

Cost
Zero direct cost. Spend a few minutes before contract signing demanding an itemized breakd…
Benefit
Under the Measures for the Administration of Automobile Sales (Ministry of Commerce Order …
Chapter 5 · Guide 50Author's grade A

If taken to designated shopping stores not specified in your group tour contract, demand a full refund through the travel agency within 30 days of trip completion, with the agency advancing the refund

Organizing low-cost tour groups to trap travelers into shopping, or taking travelers to commercial shopping stores not agreed upon in advance, violate…

Cost
Zero financial cost. During the trip, retain your signed travel contract, itinerary, sales…
Benefit
Under Article 35 of the Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China, three key protectio…
Chapter 6 · Guide 1Author's grade ADisputed

Don’t take multivitamins for longevity or heart protection

Over 14000 male doctors took multivitamins for eleven years. The number of serious heart and vascular problems, as well as deaths, was virtually ident…

Cost
They cost roughly 0.5 to 2 yuan per day, or 200 to 700 yuan per year. Taking them requires…
Benefit
The PHS II trial enrolled 14641 male doctors and followed them for a median period of 11.2…
Chapter 6 · Guide 2Author's grade ADisputed

Don’t take regular fish oil capsules to prevent heart disease

Two large trials enrolled 26000 and 15000 people with diabetes respectively. For those who took 1 gram of fish oil daily, the rates of major cardiovas…

Cost
It costs roughly 1 to 3 yuan per day, or 400 to 1000 yuan per year. Taking it requires no …
Benefit
The VITAL trial included 25871 participants who took 1 gram of fish oil daily for a median…