My twin grandchildren Cecilia and Rafa, age 5, started kindergarten a few weeks ago. The school day for them begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. They have homework every school night. Their teacher says they’ll be reading by the end of the year. I didn’t attend kindergarten.... Read more →
President Barack Obama is proposing that Congress establish a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate consumer financial products such as credit cards and mortgages, and to simplify disclosure on them. After the financial mess that was spawned by Wall Street and the banking industry, the new agency is essential... Read more →
If you're still taking Celebrex – a drug often prescribed for arthritis, menstrual cramps, and acute pain – Consumer Reports thinks there are good reasons to take another look at whether taking the drug is the right choice for you. Nearly a decade after reports linking celecoxib (Celebrex) to an... Read more →
About 22,000 Trudeau garlic duo slicers manufactured by the Trudeau Corporation, of Canada, are being recalled. The garlic duo’s slicer blades can break during use, posing a laceration hazard to users, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The firm has received four reports of the product’s slicer blades breaking.... Read more →
Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. I think looking weekly at these experiences helps us learn from our successes and mistakes. Here are my most and least successful consumer transactions for this week: My best consumer experience: Finding masks... Read more →
Parents and grandparents need to take simple steps to make sure that furniture, television sets, and appliances are secured to prevent injuries and deaths when these items fall on children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 2006, 16,300 children 5 years old and younger were treated in... Read more →
Many baby boomers stay fit through rigorous exercise that can strain, injure, and wear out their bodies. Exercise-related ailments such as sore shoulders, inflamed tendons, and arthritic knees often are the result. "Baby boomers are the first generation in droves trying to stay active in an aging frame," said Nicholas... Read more →
Concerned about a series in The New York Times on "Toxic Waters?" AOL Health decided to take a closer look at tap water. The series reported on a half a million violations of water pollution laws by manufacturers and other workplaces over the last five years, including dumping toxins thought... Read more →
Boomers are getting older, and the effects of the sun from their youth and their love of outdoor activities are now beginning to show up. Little was known when boomers were growing up about the importance of protecting the skin from the sun. And boomers don’t wear sunscreen as often... Read more →
The United States not only spends more money on health care than any other nation but also leaves 45 million consumers uninsured, allowing about 22,000 to die annually from easily treatable diseases. Washington Post foreign correspondent T.R. Reid, author of "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper,... Read more →