Posts Tagged With ‘ Companies ’

Recently, I wrote about how private equity firms are buying health providers practices, including my gastroenterologist’s, and how they bleed money from the companies, then sell them for a big profit. In 2021, some of the top industries for private equity investment include healthcare, technology, and consumer products.  Now, a new report describes how private equity firms buying oil and gas wells is likely to be costly for taxpayers. Investments by private equity firms in nearly 2,700 oil and gas wells on federal and tribal lands across the western United States could leave taxpayers with... Continue Reading

Another big recall has been announced that deserves your attention. Sensio is recalling about 860,000 electric and stovetop pressure cookers. The pressure cooker’s lid can unlock and be removed during use, causing the hot contents to unexpectedly splash out, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Sensio has received 63 reports of incidents, including 61 burn injuries, some of which involved second- and third-degree burns to the face, torso, arms, and hands. This recall involves Bella, Bella Pro Series, Crux, and Cooks electric pressure cookers, and Bella stovetop pressure cookers. The stainless-steel... Continue Reading

Another maker of inclined sleepers is refusing to recall its dangerous product. Stop using La-La-Me infant loungers because they don’t comply with federal safety standards for infant sleep products and pose a suffocation risk and fall hazard to infants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. The lounger is an unsafe sleeping environment for infants, the agency said. The failures include not having a stand, and not meeting the requirements for side height, fabric-sided openings, markings, labeling, and instructional literature. The lounger and its packaging also lack a tracking label... Continue Reading

It’s not surprising that men are succumbing to the same advertising on looking good that has enticed women to buy for decades. The average adult man in the United States uses 11 different personal care products every day, nearly twice as many as 20 years ago, according to a survey by Morning Consult. The survey also showed that on average, women use 13 products daily, up from 12 in 2004. Combining the usage for men and women, the average adult uses 12 personal care products in a day. The 12 products could be made with as many as 112 chemicals, some of which may pose serious health risks, an... Continue Reading

Consumers with poor credit pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more every year for basic auto insurance coverage required by state laws, new report shows. “On average, a consumer with poor credit has to pay twice as much for auto insurance as a driver with excellent credit, even if everything else, including their driving safety history, are the same,” said Douglas Heller, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America and the study’s co-author. The report found that nationwide, American consumers with clean driving records and excellent credit pay an average annual... Continue Reading

USASF Servicing is being charged with illegal practices that harmed consumers with auto loans including disabling borrowers’ vehicles, improperly repossessing vehicles, double-billing borrowers for insurance premiums, and failing to return millions of dollars in refunds, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday . With its lawsuit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to return money to consumers, impose civil penalties, and stop any future violations. “The CFPB is suing USASF for a range of misconduct, including illegally activating devices that prevented borrowers from starting... Continue Reading

Photo: Adam Cuerden When I was growing up, the hour-glass figure in women was idolized. When articles were written about beauty queens, they gave their measurements. The ideal was 36-inch bust, 24-inch waist, and 36-inch waist. As a teen, I had the 24-inch waist, but not the other ones. When Barbie dolls came along in the 1960s, I was appalled. Why teach girls that their bodies should look like Barbie’s? Why have her feet permanently shaped to fit into high heels? Why make her blond and blue-eyed?   Almost all women don’t look like that. When my daughters were born in the 1960s, I refused... Continue Reading

Stop buying and using Carolina Milano magnetic balls cubes because the loose, hazardous magnets pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested. Tests showed the magnetic balls sold in cubes don’t comply with federal safety standard for magnets, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract other magnets and get lodged in the digestive system. This can cause perforations, twisting, and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death. The seller, CarolinaMilano.com, of Israel, isn’t cooperating... Continue Reading

American companies are using unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices as they sells many consumer financial products, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a new report on what it found as it reviews business practices at financial institutions. For example, auto lenders have originated loan balances above the real value of the car being purchased and engaged in illegal collection practices while servicing these loans. The report covers findings from CFPB examinations completed from July 2022 to March 2023. “Today’s report furthers our efforts to highlight conduct that violates... Continue Reading

As summer is winding down, you’d think back to school sales would be the best bet for deals. However, it also brings free cookies, tax free shopping, deals on garden tools, and more. Here’s what DealNews.com suggests as the best bargains to look for in August. National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day deals It’s Aug. 4, so look for free cookies and great deals. Back to school supplies These yearly sales are now underway. In addition to deals on color crayons, notebooks, and folders, look for price reductions on backpacks, lunch boxes, clothing, and tech items as well. Tax free items Some states... Continue Reading