The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

State and local governments with sagging budgets give gigantic incentives to companies to locate in their areas

Saturday, I wrote an article about how corporations, especially financial institutions, are seeing record profits while workers and consumers continue to struggle.

Corporations also are reaping gigantic benefits from the tax breaks and incentives they’re receiving from state and local governments who via to get the companies to move to their jurisdictions.

Local governments give more than $80 billion a year in incentives to businesses, according to an article in The New York Times, which pointed out these companies as leaders of the pack:

Far and away the most incentive money is spent on manufacturing, about $25.5 billion a year, followed by agriculture. The oil, gas, and mining industries come in third, and the film business fourth. Technology is not far behind, as companies like Twitter and Facebook increasingly seek tax breaks and many localities bet on the industry’s long-term viability.

Be sure to read this article. It’s eye opening that billions of dollars that states and local communities need to prop up their sagging budgets are being given away to corporations who are making record profits.

Also, in the discussion of sequestration or the “fiscal cliff,” Republicans and the business community are calling for cuts to programs that help people such as Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. They call these programs “welfare,” but they say nothing about government incentives and tax breaks, which are corporate welfare.

I applaud The Times for researching and reporting on this important topic.

American consumers who need assistance shouldn’t be made the brunt of budget cuts while corporations benefit from huge tax breaks and other incentives.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Sewing machine research is my best consumer experience this week, while a huge rain storm causes problems

In recent years, I’ve been skipping Black Friday. However, I enjoyed shopping Saturday.

What I didn’t like was a big rainstorm earlier this week.

My best consumer experience: Shopping for a sewing machine

My daughter wants a new sewing machine. She makes quilts and her old Singer has problems. The thread’s tension is hard to adjust, and it runs too fast.

I did some Internet research on sewing machines, and we visited a store that had a number of different brands to try.

In high school, I made most of my clothes. However, I didn’t sew much after that.

It was fun to see the new sewing machine technology. My daughter got a good idea of the kind of machine she wants to buy.

My worse consumer experience: A record rainstorm

Monday, I got nervous when the lights flickering several times. I was traveling the next day, so I rushed through my laundry.

It would have been a disaster if the power went out, and I had to take wet or dirty clothes in my suitcase.

On the evening news, I heard we had a record 2 ½ inches of rain. Three inches was predicted for Tuesday.

I’d just had my gutters cleared out when I had my roof cleaned. However, I worried about 3 inches of rain. That’s a lot of water.

At 9 p.m., I went out and looked in my gutters. Sure enough. Some more leaves and pine needles had accumulated.

I spent nearly an hour with my flashlight clearing stuff out of the gutters.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Chemical industry spending staggering amounts to continue to use toxic chemicals in food and consumer products

After posting an article yesterday about the Breast Cancer Foundation’s recommendations for reducing toxic chemical use to prevent cancer, it was discouraging to read a Common Cause report that says chemical interests are spending massive amounts to block efforts to strengthen the 36-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act.

More than $375 million has been spent since 2005 to elect and influence industry friendly political leaders to fight updating the act, according to the report.

“The dimensions of chemical industry spending documented in this study, 'Toxic Spending,' are staggering,” James Browning, Common Cause’s regional director for state operations and author of the report, said in a statement. “By following the money, we see how and why the industry has been so successful in blocking attempts to strengthen the Toxic Substances Control Act.”

In the current campaign, the industry has put $23 million into Super PACs, supporting its favored candidates or opposing its adversaries, according to the study. Chemical interests have spent an additional $2.8 million on their own political advertising.

Browning said the report probably understates the industry’s spending totals on political advertising due to weak federal disclosure requirements. It recommends strengthening disclosure requirements on industry political spending.

Andy Igrejas, campaign director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, said in a statement that the report shows how the chemical industry continues to fight common sense limits on toxic chemicals:

Companies like Dow, DuPont, and ExxonMobil have constructed an elaborate political machine to shield their products from independent scrutiny, whether it's by the public or government scientists.

They are to blame for the lack of an effective chemical safety system in the country. They are also therefore to blame for that harm that chemicals have done to the millions of American families suffering any of the chronic diseases or conditions that have been linked to chemical exposure.

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families is a coalition of organizations and individuals that is concerned about toxic chemicals in the home, workplace, and consumer products.

I recommend consumers join with the Breast Cancer Fund, Safer Chemicals, Healthier Families, the Washington Toxics Coalition, and other organizations to fight the efforts by the chemical industry to continue to use toxic chemicals in our food and consumer products.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facts and figures on Halloween 2012

About 170 million people plan to celebrate Halloween this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

Seven in 10 Americans will get into the haunting Halloween mood, up from 69 percent last year, and the most in federation’s 10-year survey history.

Consumers also are expected to spend more, too. The average person will spend $80 on decorations, costumes, and candy, up from $72 last year. Total Halloween spending is expected to reach $8.0 billion.

More than one-third of consumers will look for new ideas in a store and nearly one-quarter will consult with friends and family.

Other inspirations: 15 percent will check Facebook for inspiration, 7 percent will review Pinterest photos, and 33 percent will search online.

Of those buying or making costumes, the average person will spend $28 this year, up slightly $26 in 2011.

Of the people celebrating Halloween this year, more than half will decorate their home or yard, up from 49 percent last year, and 45 percent plan to dress in costume, also up from last year’s 44 percent. More than one-third will throw or attend a party and 33 percent will take children trick-or-treating. In addition, 15 percent will dress up their pet. 

Despite record spending figures for this year’s Halloween holiday, one-fourth of U.S. consumers say the economy will impact their Halloween plans. Most say they’ll spend less overall, 84 percent, while others will make a costume instead of buying one, 18 percent, and more than one-third will buy less candy.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

FDA releases preliminary data on arsenic in rice and rice products, but says more analysis is needed to determine whether action is needed to reduce arsenic levels

Today, I ate zucchini and scrambled eggs for breakfast rather than rice cereal and rice milk.

That’s because Wednesday I wrote about Consumer Reports’ investigation on arsenic in rice and rice products.

Consumer Reports found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern.

The FDA analysis

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released preliminary data on arsenic levels in selected rice and rice products.

The data are part of a larger FDA study on arsenic levels in rice and is based on the first set of about 200 samples of rice and rice products collected in the United States.

The FDA is in the process of analyzing about 1,200 rice samples. The study will be completed by the end of 2012. At that time, the FDA will determine whether to issue additional recommendations.

Based on the current data and scientific literature, the FDA doesn’t have an adequate scientific basis to recommend changes by consumers about their consumption of rice and rice products, the agency said in a statement.

No recommendations yet

“Our advice right now is that consumers should continue to eat a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of grains – not only for good nutrition but also to minimize any potential consequences from consuming any one particular food,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.

The two types of arsenic compounds found in water, food, air, and soil are organic and inorganic. Together, the two types are referred to as total arsenic.
 
The data show how much inorganic arsenic the FDA found in its initial samples, which include various brands of Basmati rice, non-Basmati rice, brown rice, rice cakes, rice milk, and rice cereals – puffed, non-puffed, hot cereal, and infant cereals.
 
Arsenic findings

The FDA’s analysis of these initial samples found average levels of inorganic arsenic for the various rice and rice products of 3.5 to 6.7 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving. Serving sizes varied depending on the rice product. For example, one serving of non-Basmati rice was equal to one cup cooked. A summary of the 200 sample findings can be found at www.fda.gov.
 
While the FDA preliminary data is consistent with results that Consumer Reports published Wednesday, the agency said more analysis is needed. Many different types of rice and rice products are grown in different areas and under different conditions. Further analysis is needed to determine how these variations may affect the arsenic levels, the FDA said.

Consumer Reports responds

Consumer Reports responded to the FDA preliminary findings, and those of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office that detected high levels of inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals, by again calling for the FDA to set standards for arsenic in food.

For more information, see Arsenic: Questions and Answers, FDA Arsenic Data Analysis, and Consumer Update: FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Tests show arsenic found in wide variety of rice products – What should you do?

Due to allergies, I eat a lot of rice – rice milk, rice cereal, rice crackers, rice pancakes, and rice noodles.

However, I’ll need to look at how much rice I eat because tests by Consumer Reports found rice products contain arsenic, many at high levels.

Arsenic in rice

The testing organization found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern, according to the article “Arsenic in Your Food: Our Findings Show a Real Need for Federal Standards for This Toxin.”

Using a 5-ppb standard in its study, Consumer Reports found that a single serving of some rices could give an average adult almost one and a half times the inorganic arsenic he or she would get from a whole day’s consumption of water, about 1 liter.

Consumer Reports also discovered that some infant rice cereals had levels of inorganic arsenic at least five times more than has been found in other cereals such as oatmeal.

In addition, the testing organization looked at government data on the health and nutrition of a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population. It found people who eat rice have higher arsenic levels.

Guide for cutting rice consumption

Due to its findings, Consumer Reports suggests limiting the consumption of rice products. Among the recommendations in its chart, Limit Your Exposure, are: adults should eat 2½ servings a week of hot cereal; ½ serving a day of rice drink; 2 servings a week of rice; and 1 serving a day of rice crackers.

The testing organization also recommends cooking 1 cup of rice in 6 cups of water instead of 2 cups, then discarding the water.

Arsenic standards and other action needed

As a result of the rice report, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, recommends:

• A standard should be set for arsenic in rice.

• The industry should step up efforts to reduce arsenic levels in rice, including developing rice that takes up less arsenic and using rice with the lowest possible arsenic levels in products for children.

• Agricultural practices that can lead to more arsenic in rice should be prohibited including the use of: pesticides containing arsenic; manure that contains arsenic as a fertilizer; and animal feed with arsenic-containing drugs and animal byproducts.

For additional information, including the levels of arsenic found in various rice products, see www.ConsumerReports.org/cro/arsenicinfood or get the November issue of Consumer Reports at newsstands or local libraries.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Survey shows caregivers think behavior changes are a normal part of aging, delaying Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Since I’ve been a consumer journalist for many years, I’ve written a number of articles about memory mistakes after 40.

What I learned is that it’s typical for busy people to begin making memory errors around age 40. What is recommended is that people stay active and engage in activities that stimulate the brain, such as games, puzzles, and learning a foreign language.

However, a survey by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America adds some new information.

Delayed diagnosis

Many caregivers mistakenly interpret certain behaviors as a normal part of aging rather than as symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. As a result, the diagnosis of a loved one’s Alzheimer’s could be delayed.

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive of relatives and friends who care for people with dementia examined how behavioral symptoms compare to cognitive symptoms in their impact on diagnosis, disease management, caregivers’ well being, and other issues. Cognitive symptoms are symptoms such as memory loss and confusion.

Respondents report the most frequent behaviors, exhibited daily to about once a week, are irritability, late-day confusion, anxiety, and sleeplessness.

Symptom management

Only 14 percent of respondents thought they’re managing the person’s behavioral symptoms better than their cognitive ones. And the survey showed that healthcare professionals are suggesting a multi-pronged treatment for behavioral symptoms, including non-drug interventions.

“The survey findings sound another loud wake-up call that we must address this public health crisis, and reinforce that education and early detection must be among the nation’s key strategies in tackling it,” Eric J. Hall, foundation president and CEO, said in a statement. 

Two-thirds of respondents who provided care prior to diagnosis believed their loved one’s behaviors were “just a normal part of aging,” according to the survey. Sixty-seven percent said these thoughts delayed getting a diagnosis.

Often cognitive symptoms, 40 percent, or a combination of cognitive and behavioral symptoms, 40 percent, triggered a doctor’s visit, outweighing behaviors, 12 percent, as a factor.

Behavorial symptoms

To cope with behavioral challenges, 80 percent of caregivers report that the healthcare provider suggested medication:

• A prescribed name brand drug, 67 percent, or a generic version, 30 percent, specifically for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, or;

• Medications to treat behaviors, 26 percent, such as anti-depressants, 45 percent; anti-anxiety medications, 28 percent; antipsychotics, 21 percent; and mood stabilizers, 12 percent.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved any medications to specifically treat the behavioral symptoms of dementia, doctors are permitted to prescribe a drug for a different illness than what the FDA has approved it for, known as off-label use.

The survey also showed that 82 percent of physicians and 92 percent of social workers suggested behavioral modifications, environmental changes, and other non-drug interventions, such as communication techniques, support groups, reducing noise and clutter, and activities like music and artwork.  

“Behavioral treatments are the treatment of choice,” said Jacobo Mintzer, M.D., chairman of foundation’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Board and Alzheimer’s researcher.

What needs to be done to reduce food waste in America?

By Rita R. Robison

I admit it. Sometimes I don’t get my vegetables cooked. Rotten, they go in the compost container.

Forty percent of food in the United States today is wasted. That’s more than 20 pounds of food per person every month, at a cost of $165 billion each year.

Getting food to American tables eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land, and swallows 80 percent of freshwater consumed in the United States, the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement.

In addition, almost all of the uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills where it makes up about 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions.

The council’s report, “Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food From Farm to Fork to Landfill,” examines the inefficiencies in the American food system.

The council believes making changes will require many coordinated solutions, including changes in supply-chain operation, enhanced market incentives, increased public awareness, and adjustments in consumer behavior.

An example of food waste reduction is a program in the United Kingdom in which household food waste was reduced 18 percent in a five-year period.

The council points out these possible solutions to food waste:

Consumers

Americans can help reduce waste by learning when food goes bad, buying imperfect produce, and storing and cooking food with an eye to reducing waste.

At the national level

The U.S. government should conduct a study of food losses in the American food system and establish national goals for food waste reduction. One key action will be to standardize and clarify the meaning of date labels on food so that consumers stop throwing out items due to not interpreting the date correctly. A waste reduction organization in the United Kingdom has estimated this type of clarification could prevent about 20 percent of wasted food in households.

State and local governments

State and local governments should set targets and carry out food waste prevention campaigns in their jurisdictions as well as their own operations. One opportunity would be education for consumers along with municipal composting programs.

The private sector

Businesses should understand the extent and opportunity of their own waste streams and the benefits of adopting best practices. For example, Stop and Shop was able to save an estimated $100 million annually after an analysis of freshness, shrink, and customer satisfaction in their perishables department.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How will trends in aging, such as increasing housing costs and rates of diabetes, affect your aging?

By Rita R. Robison

The baby boomers are coming.

It’s no secret that the increasing number of boomers is changing everything about retirement.

While boomers are looking at new ways to retire and government agencies and the health care industry are struggling to get ready, some trends are worth looking at as we make plans for a workable and graceful retirement.

Today, older Americans enjoy longer lives and better physical function than did previous generations. However, for some, an increased burden in housing costs and rising obesity may compromise these gains.

These are the findings of a federal report, “Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being,” which tracks trends to see how older people are faring as the U.S. population grows older.

The reports points out what we already know. As boomers age, there will be many more older adults:

In 2010, 40 million people age 65 and older make up 13 percent of the population in the United States.

In 2030, the number and proportion of older Americans is expected to grow significantly – to 72 million, about 20 percent of the population.

In the report, 37 key indicators are grouped into five categories – population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics prepared the report.

Trends in the report predict what’s in store for boomers:

• More older women work – It’s likely that more boomer women will be working in “retirement.” Some older Americans work for economic reasons. Others like the social contact, intellectual challenges, or sense of value that work provides. The report shows that the number of older women in the labor force has increased significantly over the past 40 years. In 1963, 29 percent of women aged 62-64 worked outside the home. In 2011, it increased to 45 percent. In 1963, 17 percent of women aged 65-69 were in the labor force. In 2011, it increased to 27 percent. For women 70 and older, 6 percent worked in 1963, increasing to 8 percent in 2011.

• Slight declines in poverty, increases in income for some since 1974 – Some boomers may have more money in retirement than their parents. The report indicates that older Americans are in better economic shape now than they were in 1974. Between 1974 and 2010, the proportion of older people with income below the poverty thresholds – less than $10,458 in 2010 for a person 65 and older – fell from 15 percent to 9 percent. The percentage with low income – between $10,458 and $20,916 in 2010 for people 65 and older – dropped from 35 percent to 26 percent. Gains also were seen in income over the period, as the proportion of people 65 and older with high income – $41,832 and above in 2010 – rose from 18 percent to 31 percent.

• Increased housing problems – Boomers may have problems meeting housing costs. The report shows the most significant issue for older adults is housing costs, which has been steadily increasing. In 1985, about 30 percent of households with householders or spouses age 65 and over spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities. By 2009, the proportion of older people with high housing costs reached 40 percent. For some multigenerational households, crowded housing is also fairly common.

• Rising rates of obesity – Obese boomers are likely to have more health problems and earlier deaths. The report points out that obesity, a major cause of preventable disease and premature death, is increasing among older people. In 2009-2010, 38 percent of people age 65 and over were obese, compared with 22 percent in 1988-1994. In 2009-2010, 44 percent of people age 65-74 were obese, as were 29 percent of those age 75 and older.

• More use of hospice – Boomers are more likely to be using hospice services. The report indicates the percentage of older people who received hospice care in the last 30 days of life increased from 19 percent in 1999 to 43 percent in 2009. The percentage of older Americans who died in hospitals dropped from 49 percent in 1999 to 32 percent in 2009. The percentage who died at home increased from 15 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2009.

So, while government agencies and the health care industry need to step up their efforts to be ready for boomers, boomers, too, need to accurately access their retirement needs and increase their efforts to be ready financially and emotionally.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 consumer complaints in the nation

Cars, credit, and home repair and construction again topped the list of complaints made to state and local consumer protection agencies, according to a survey by the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators.

Thirty-eight agencies from across the United States provided information about the most common, fastest-growing, and worst complaints they received in 2011. They were also asked about new types of consumer problems, what their biggest achievements and challenges were last year, and what new laws are needed to better protect consumers.

Top 10 complaints

1. Auto: Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing, and towing disputes.

2. Credit/debt: Billing and fee disputes, mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive debt collection tactics.

3. Home improvement/construction: Shoddy work and failure to start or complete the job.

4. Retail sales: False advertising and other deceptive practices, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, and failure to deliver.

5. Utilities: Service problems or billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric, and gas service.

6. Services: Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses, and failure to perform.

7. (Tie) Internet sales: Misrepresentations or other deceptive practice and failure to deliver online purchases. Landlord/tenant: Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, and illegal eviction tactics.

8. Fraud: Bogus sweepstakes and lotteries, work-at-home schemes, grant offers, fake check scams, the grandparent scam, and other common frauds.

9. Real estate: Timeshare sales and resales, retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and real estate fraud.

10. (Tie) Household goods: Misrepresentations, failure to deliver, and faulty repairs in connection with furniture or appliances. Home solicitations: Misrepresentations or failure to deliver in door-to-door, telemarketing, or mail solicitations and do-not-call violations.

Other key survey findings

• The top five fastest-growing complaints were about fraud, debt collection abuses, Do Not Call violations, mortgage-related problems, and home improvement.

• The top five worst complaints involved mortgage-related problems, home improvement, timeshare sales and resales, Internet sales, and fraud.

• New types of consumer problems that agencies dealt with last year covered a wide variety of subjects, from bedbugs in apartments to penny auctions on the Internet, from gold buying companies to telemarketing and mail solicitations for home repairs disguised as “free” energy audits. Some agencies also noted that scammers are exploiting a new form of payment, prepaid card products, to get cash from consumers.

• Budget cuts and limited resources were most frequently cited as the biggest challenges that state and local consumer protection agencies faced last year. Another major challenge was the evolving nature of fraud and the fact that many scammers are located in other countries, complicating efforts to resolve complaints.

The agencies provided suggestions for strengthening consumer protection including:

• Prohibiting mandatory arbitration in consumer contracts.

• Assessing stiffer penalties for operating without required licenses or registration.

• Providing consumers with greater legal protection from unwanted online tracking and other invasions of their privacy.

• Requiring that all businesses including online companies provide their names and other information to make it easier to identify and contact them.

• Regulating business such as Internet cafes and dating services.

•  Creating the equivalent of Interpol to help U.S. law enforcement agencies take action against scammers located in other countries.

The survey report features real-life examples of consumer complaints from agencies’ files and tips for consumers to help them avoid those problems and to let them know what to do if they encounter them.

The full report can be found on the federation’s website at www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Studies.Top10ConsumerComplaintsSurvey7.31.12.pdf.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist