Photo: Kevauto Buying a new car is among one the most challenging purchases a consumer needs to make. Every year, Consumer Reports, a research, testing, and advocacy organization, conducts a battery of tests on the vehicles it evaluates, including braking, handling, comfort, convenience, safety, and fuel economy. Eight of the 10 top picks are new […]
The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” because 37 percent of women don’t use the internet and 259 million fewer woman have access to the internet than men. If women aren’t able to access the Internet and don’t feel safe online, they’re unable to develop the […]
Things are busy, here in my corner of the USA. I’m behind in reporting on what’s happening for National Consumer Protection Week. A lot of my time has been taken up since the first of the year taking part in the Dean Ornish heart health program. It ends Wednesday. I’ll be reporting on its many […]
I’m approaching the 200th issue of my newsletter Helpful Money Tips for You. This week’s newsletter tips are especially valuable, so I’m posting a copy of the newsletter below. You can sign up for my newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/makeyourmoneywork. It’s free, so get it now and tell your friends about it, too. Readers say they love […]
Most landlords and property managers use tenant background checks to decide whether to rent to someone. Two federal agencies want to hear about your experiences with background checks used to screen tenants. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission have received thousands of complaints about the background checks including people being rejected for […]
You may see some public notices from governments, nonprofit agencies and consumer organizations warning about increased scammer activity lately. There is a lot of focus on internet and phone scams — everything from fake threats to pay money or fake enticements to get a “deal” on something. People are shopping online and scammers are looking […]
In 2022, Americans paid more than $120 billion in interest and fees on credit cards. With interest rates going up, that amount is continuing to increase. For consumers to get the best offers on credit cards to keep their costs down, their repayment records need to be reported to credit bureaus. In 2020, the Consumer […]
Since my daughter lives in California, I’ve been fortunate to go wine tasting several times. Sonoma County is my favorite county for wine tasting. My daughter Lisa had been wine tasting in Napa County. She said it was expensive, so we tried Sonoma County instead. It was a big hit. Able to get a deal […]
Presidents’ Day sort of sneaked up on me this year. At times in the past, I’ve written about Presidents’ Day as a time to appreciate our democracy and celebrate the many freedoms we have as a result. As thoughts of democracy come to mind, the war in Ukraine looms large. With President Biden traveling there […]
Until this week, I hadn’t heard about a potential safety problem with electric bicycles or “e-bikes.” An article in The Washington Post, “A Child’s Death Prompts Questions About Brake Safety on E-bikes,” caught my attention. A lawsuit filed against Rad Power Bikes by the parents of a 12-year-old girl who was killed in 2021 in […]
