Rita Robison

Recently, I wrote about where to donate clothes you no longer want to wear, including those that are worn out. I listed the usual locations – Goodwill and the Salvation Army – and donating to retailers such as H&M. I also reported on what environmentalists have to say about the huge amount of clothing that ends up in landfills here and overseas. Readers had additional suggestions on clothing donations: Lisa Whitley, AFC, CRPC, financial coach offers the following ideas: Thanks for sharing this. I am somewhat obsessed with recycling textiles (although I am not a big clothing shopper to... Continue Reading

How do you pick out a bank? It’s more difficult than it seems. Many people choose a branch near them. But, banks can have practices that are detrimental to consumers who want to spend money wisely. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC has downgraded Transportation Alliance Bank or TAB Bank to “needs to improve,” a low rating that few banks get. The FDIC found that the bank committed unfair or deceptive practices that “impacted a large number of consumers over an extended period of time.” Through a “rent-a-bank” partnership with EasyPay Finance, the bank helped EasyPay... Continue Reading

Usually, I take clothes I no longer want to wear to the Goodwill because donation is easy. However, in the past few years, it has put out public service announcements that it only wants clothing that it can resell. Since I wear a lot of my clothes until they’re worn out, I needed another solution. So, I started doing research on what to do. Online, I found that H&M takes old clothes in any condition. It’s website says: Bring any unwanted clothes or textiles, by any brand and in any condition, to one of our stores. Hand in your bag of old clothes at the register and receive a thank-you... Continue Reading

February is a month of possibilities for sales: Some for Valentine’s Day and some for Presidents’ Day. Here are some ideas on what to look for from Dealnews.com: Valentine’s Day It’s likely that you’ll find some Valentine’s Day sales. Look for bargains such as 30 percent off on candy. President’s Day sales The other big shopping opportunity in February is Presidents’ Day sales. This year it’s on February 20, and you’ll likely to be able to save on some big-ticket items, including computers, major appliances, furniture, and mattresses. But you may be able to save on smaller... Continue Reading

While a debate is ranging in America about whether gas stoves should be banned due harmful indoor emissions, one brand is expanding its recall of dangerous stoves. ZLINE is recalling about 30,000 30-inch, 36-inch, and 48-inch RG gas ranges including the 28,000 ZLINE 30- and 36-inch gas ranges recalled in December 2022. The oven of the gas ranges can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide or CO while in use, posing a serious risk of injury or death from CO poisoning. The firm has received 44 reports of carbon monoxide emission, including three reports of consumers seeking medical attention. The... Continue Reading

I’ve written about antibiotic resistance a number of times, and I have a section on it in the draft book on my journalism work. What is antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance happens when germs such as bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs aren’t killed and continue to grow. Resistant infections can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. The misuse of medically important antibiotics is contributing to the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It’s a growing public health crisis that’s responsible... Continue Reading

I’m now a T-Mobile customer. Darn. I switched because I was upset that Verizon wouldn’t give me a deal on a new iPhone and I wanted to be in a family plan with my grandson from Spain who’s going to college in Massachusetts. T-Mobile announced last week that its customer records have been hacked again. This time, it affects about 37 million accounts. The disclosure came in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The breach was discovered two weeks before the announcement. T-Mobile, one of the big three cell phone companies, said “a bad actor” obtained “limited... Continue Reading

It’s positive to see government agencies working to curb monopoly power. The U.S. Department of Justice and eight states filed a lawsuit on Tuesday charging Google with operating an unfair monopoly scheme in markets for advertising technology. The lawsuit alleges Google leverages control over advertising technologies that web display ads are bought and sold through, driving out competition and receiving profits that far exceed what could be realized in a competitive market. This scheme hurts advertisers, small businesses, website creators, and consumers, and deters innovation in... Continue Reading

I’ve written about it before, but it’s worth highlighting again. A Consumer Reports evaluation of peer-to-peer or P2P payment apps found that users could lose money to fraud or scams and face privacy risks because app providers may share their personal information widely and it’s difficult for users to delete their data. More than half of Americans, 64 percent, use a P2P payment app for payments to and from individuals, including four out of five, 81 percent, of the 18 to 29 age group, a Consumer Reports survey found. Two out of five Americans, 40 percent, say they use P2P payment services... Continue Reading

One thing that financial writers recommend when you’re having money problems is to review your subscriptions. Sometimes subscriptions that you aren’t using anymore keep renewing or you didn’t realize you had signed up for one. “Negative option” programs include subscription services that automatically renew unless the consumer cancels, and trial marketing programs that charge a reduced fee for an initial period and then automatically begin charging a higher fee. “Consumers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to cancel subscriptions they don’t want, and they shouldn’t have to... Continue Reading