Several times in recent weeks during the health care debate, I’ve heard or read that a few companies provide most of the health care insurance in the nation. Who are these companies? UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna. Why, with the health care debate in full swing, haven’t we... Read more →
Yesterday I receive an e-mail from WashPIRG inviting me to participate in a conference call with thousands of others today on health care reform with its allies in the faith community. The call, featuring remarks from President Obama, was part of a larger campaign in the faith community called 40... Read more →
Seven-in-ten people remember Woodstock, reports a study by the Pew Research Center. The age group most familiar with Woodstock is adults ages 50 to 64; 85 percent of them remember Woodstock. They’re baby boomers who came of age during the activist era of the 1960s. Familiarity with Woodstock falls to... Read more →
The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, marking its 40th anniversary this year, didn’t actually take place in Woodstock, N.Y. It happened in nearby Bethel, N.Y. About an hour and a half apart, the towns are on opposite sides of the Catskill Mountains. Max Yasgur, a dairy farmer, rented his farm... Read more →
About 220,000 Psyclone Essentials and React Wii™ 4-dock battery recharge stations are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Manufactured in China and distributed by Griffin International Cos. Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., the battery pack can overheat, posing a burn or fire hazard to the consumer, according to... Read more →
Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. I think looking weekly at our best and worse experiences as consumers will help us learn from our successes and mistakes. Each week, we have dozens of consumer happenings, some good and some... Read more →
Although cruise control allows consumers to save money and avoid traffic tickets, it shouldn’t be used when it’s raining. When water stands on the road, it can become deep enough that the tires can’t squeeze the water through the tread fast enough. The tires can actually rise up on top... Read more →
In the Pacific Northwest, more people aren’t watering their lawns in the hot weather months due to concerns about water conservation and costs. The problem is when you don’t water your lawn and it turns yellow, the weeds take over. Then, you might be tempted to use pesticides to kill... Read more →
A bankruptcy court has ruled that Chrysler is exempt from accountability and responsibility for products sold before the bankruptcy in many respects, according to a consumer advocacy organization. Public Citizen is disappointed with the court’s decision to allow GM to be sold to the new GM “free and clear” of... Read more →
It’s not a good idea to use “To whom it may concern” when answering an ad with the contact’s name in it. This is one of the errors Barbara Frankel of DiversityInc discusses in her article “’To Whom It My Concern’: Boomer Job-Search Blunders.” Frankel says boomers may need to... Read more →