By Rita R. Robison While I don’t think I’d want to live in Boise, Idaho, one of the cities recommended by Money magazine’s article “Five Great Low-Cost Places to Retire,” the retirement guide has numerous tips worth considering. In addition to this article, Money’s October issue includes these suggestions for... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Christopher Mallett, a San Antonio, Texas-based “lead generator,” deceived consumers by using multiple websites to impersonate federal consumer assistance agencies or pretend to be affiliated with them, the Federal Trade Commission alleges in a lawsuit. Through the websites, Mallett solicited consumers in debt and referred them... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison About 91,000 Bridgeway bicycles are being recalled. Imported by Bridgeway International, the bicycle chain can break, causing a rider to lose control and fall, Bridgeway and the U.S. Consumer Product Commission said in a statement. The company is aware of 11 reports of incidents, including nine... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Great produce at the food co-op After picking out a tiny organic watermelon at the Olympia Food... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Federal subsidies for commodity crops are also subsidizing junk food additives such as high fructose corn syrup, enough to pay for 19 Twinkies per taxpayer every year, according to Apples to Twinkies, a new report by U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy organization. However, limited subsidies for... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Overdraft fees continue to bring in billions for banks, even after a peak in revenues from 2009, a study from Moebs Services, a research company, shows. Banks and credit unions received $30.8 billion in revenues from overdrafts in the first two quarter of 2011. They made... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Two months after announcing it would split its mail-order DVD and video streaming into two services and charge for each separately, Netflix announced another change on its blog on Sunday. The DVD-by-mail service will now be named Qwikster. Thousands have already commented, calling it a mistake.... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Target Corp. is recalling about 304,000 Chefmate 6-Speed Blenders. While in operation, the plastic pitcher can separate from the blade assembly, leaving the blade assembly in the base and exposing the rotating blades. This poses a laceration hazard to consumers. Target and the U.S. Consumer Product... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Getting the right tool for the job I finally picked out a company to paint my fence.... Read more →

By Andrea Woroch, Consumer Writer Guest Blogger, Kinoli Inc. Fire up the grill and get ready for kickoff; football season is here. What goes hand-in-hand with football season? Tailgating, of course. Fans everywhere are honing secret recipes and stocking up on supplies to make their party dominate the parking lot.... Read more →