Every year, AARP The Magazine offers a list of the best places to live. This year, the August/September issue offers “The Best Places to Live on $100 a Day.” For baby boomer consumers looking for a city where they can get the most for their retirement dollars, the analysis provides... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison The Family Dollar Stores is recalling about 280,000 decorative lights called 200 Mini Lights The light sets don’t meet the Underwriters Laboratory standard for these types of lights and pose a fire and shock risk, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison This week, I made a great find in a gift shop, but when I got home an airlines made me wait for 50 minutes for help. My best consumer experience: A gift for my granddaughter When I was on vacation this week in San Francisco, I... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Consumers can find many brand name products, especially grocery items, at big bargains in dollar stores. The September 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, shows how much shoppers can save on name brand and private-label items at dollar stores, plus which... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison A new identity theft scam is targeting consumers throughout the country. It claims that consumers can get federal financial assistance to help cover the cost of their utility bills. Using in-person solicitations, social media, fliers, phone calls, and text messages, scammers are contacting customers and claiming... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison Summer vacation season is here. And, if you’re lucky, you’re going to a place with great weather and adventures. While most travelers enjoy their getaways, some unethical businesses take advantage of sun-seeking vacationers. You can spot vacation and travel-related fraud, Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison This week, I’m hosting the Blogging Boomer Carnival #267. The Blogging Boomer Carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation. On Thursday, I wrote about a first-time safety report by Consumer Reports which showed... Read more →

More than half of the hospitals rated by Consumer Reports in a first-time safety report received a score below 50 on a scale of 1-100. The low-score results included some well-known hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and Cleveland Clinic. Consumer Reports rated 1,159 hospitals... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison How is your Independence Day holiday going? I’m lucky this year. I get to spend it with my daughters and their families. We’re going to have a big outdoor gathering for dinner, then fireworks with the neighbors when it gets dark. Today, I’m thinking about our... Read more →

By Rita R. Robison What are your plans for the Fourth of July? Events More than 160 million people, or 68 percent of Americans who plan to take part in July Fourth festivities, will celebrate the holiday by hosting or attending a cookout/barbecue and/or picnic – the most in history... Read more →