The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

After Boston: Make sure you’re prepared for emergencies

If you’re looking for something positive to do after the Boston Marathon tragedy yesterday, you can make sure you and your family are ready for emergencies.

Baby boomers, age 49 to 67, can look over this list and see what actions are needed. Do you have:

• An emergency plan?

• Emergency equipment including a battery-operated radio and emergency supplies for your car?

• Medical insurance?

• Ways to retrieve financial information?

• A will?

• A living will?

Consumers often put off being ready for emergencies, although we never know when they’ll occur.

It’s best to be prepared.

See my article “Boston Tragedy Reminds Us to Be Ready for Emergencies” for resources to help you get ready for emergencies.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Midlife transitions, boomer secrets, wisdom, and airline performance are topics for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over 60 is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #304.

The boomer blog roundup is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

As April 15 draws to a close, you’re probably able to focus on something other than your taxes. 

Here at the Best of Boomer Blogs, boomer bloggers are writing about midlife transitions, secrets boomers may be hiding, the simple wisdom of Winnie the Pooh, the bittersweet experience of emptying out an aunt's home, and the performance of your favorite – or least favorite – airline.

In addition to my blog, other members of the Best of Boomer Blogs are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings Over 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Blue Blinds Media, and Tao Flashes.

Be sure to check back next week to see what baby boomer bloggers are thinking and writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Tax Day, April 15

I filed my taxes last week. I’m so happy I have them done.

If you’d like a free item, especially fast food or sugar, on Tax Day, see my article “Companies Offering Free Items to Help Reduce Your Income Tax Stress.”

I’d go get a donut from Krispy Kreme, which is free if you buy milk, or Potato Cakes from Arby’s, but I had wine and chocolate at a fundraiser yesterday and I’m not planning to go out today so a special trip for free items would be a waste of gas.

However, some of the freebies last beyond April 15. Office Depot's offer of free shredding of five pounds of documents expires May 1. I don’t have to worry about the sugar content of that one.

If you get an e-mail from the Internal Revenue Service or the company you used to file your taxes electronically about a problem with your taxes, check it out carefully. Last year, I received a notice my return was incomplete, but it was a legitimate e-mail. Scammers are taking advantage of e-mails like these to get private information so they can steal your money or identity. Be an alert, informed consumer.

Have a great day. If you’re still struggling with your taxes, my best wishes to you.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Manda Packing Co. recalls 468,000 pounds of cooked meat, poultry, and deli products due to possible bacterial contamination

Manda Packing Co. is expanding its recall to include about 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog head cheese, corned beef, and pastrami due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday.

The recall involves products from the company’s Baker, La., facility with sell dates between May 13 and July 2, 2013. Click here for a list of the products, the “sell by” dates, and the establishment number inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products may have been sliced at retail delis, and if so won’t have this packaging information.

The products were shipped for further distribution, for sale to stores, and for sale to delis in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

If consumers purchased one of the recalled products, they can return it to the place it was purchased for a full refund.

The FSIS was alerted to the problem by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, who collected a sample of cooked roast beef at a retail store on April 5, 2013, which later was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The recall is being expanded because more samples from additional production dates have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with eating these products.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Watch out for tax scams as Tax Day approaches

April 15 is almost here, but that doesn’t mean consumers can’t get scammed by unscrupulous tax preparers.

“Tax scams peak around tax filing day,” Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said. “We cannot stress enough to watch out for those who promise faster turnarounds, bigger refunds, or credits. What looks like a good deal at first, could cost you more in the long run.”

The Internal Revenue Service points out scams to be aware of this year:

• Identity thieves are using people’s Social Security numbers or other identifying information to fraudulently file tax returns and claim refunds.

• Fake e-mails, known as phishing, from the IRS are being used to attempt to obtain confidential personal and financial information so the sender can steal consumers’ identity. Never respond to these e-mails or open the attachments.

• Unscrupulous tax preparers prey on taxpayers by encouraging consumers to claim false information for larger refunds, which can result in fraud or theft.  

• Scammers often promote that “free money” is available from the IRS and claim that securing this money requires little or no documentation. Some even guarantee fraudulent Social Security refunds or rebates.

To avoid becoming a victim this tax season, the Attorney Generals Office’s offers these tax safety tips:

• Be wary of offers to split your refund in exchange for filing your return.

• When you file your taxes electronically, use a software provider that’s authorized by the IRS. If using a tax preparer, make sure they’re authorized to do so by the IRS.

• Look out for unsolicited offers to prepare your taxes from an unfamiliar company or one that’s located far away.

Pruitt reminds taxpayers that they’re responsible for what’s on their returns even if someone else prepared it for them.

If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, he said. Staying alert and being cautious can help prevent costly mistakes.

If you think you may be at risk or have been a victim of tax fraud, contact the IRS at 800-908-4490. If you have questions about your taxes, visit www.IRS.gov or call or visit your local IRS office.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Virgin America tops list of best airline performance while United Airlines ranks lowest

Airline performance in 2012 was the second highest in 23 years, according to an airline performance rating.

The researchers said that passengers are experiencing better performance by the airlines, although it might cost more to fly.

The performance of the nation's leading carriers in 2012 was nearly identical to the best year in 2011, according to the 23rd annual national Airline Quality Rating prepared by Wichita State University and Purdue University.

Of the 14 carriers rated for performance in 2011 and 2012, seven airlines improved, five airlines declined, and two are new to the rankings, including the overall No. 1 performing airline, Virgin America.

Improvement in two of four areas

Airlines improved in two of the four items in the rating: on-time performance and baggage handling. Involuntary denied boardings and the customer complaint rate were higher in 2012.

The challenge airlines have is whether airline performance quality improvements can be maintained as more people fly, said Dean Headley, associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University.

The airline industry performs most efficiently when the system isn't stressed by high passenger volume and high number of airplanes in the air, Headley said. When there are more planes in the sky and more people flying, airline performance suffers.

The researchers said when two airlines consolidate, it usually the airline quality ratings of the new company usually declines.

Brent Bowen, head of the Department of Aviation Technology at Purdue University, said the researchers will be watching to see if the consolidation of two highly rated carriers, former No. 1 AirTran and Southwest, will reverse the trend.

This year's ratings

Below is the 2013 ranking of the nation's leading 14 airlines, according to the Airline Quality Rating, with the 2012 ranking following the Airline name:

1. Virgin America – new to the ranking this year
2. JetBlue, 3
3. AirTran, 1
4. Delta, 6
5. Hawaiian, 2
6. Alaska, 5
7. Frontier, 4
8. Southwest, 7
9. US Airways, 8
10. American, 10
11. American Eagle, 15
12. SkyWest, 9
13. ExpressJet, not rated in 2011
14. United, 12

The rankings changed most for American Eagle Airlines, from 15 up to 11, for 2012. Virgin America came into the rankings as the top rated airline. JetBlue, 2, and AirTran, 3, both maintained their top positions for 2012.

On-time performance

Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance, with 93.4 percent for 2012, and ExpressJet and American had the worst, with 76.9 percent.

Eight airlines improved their on-time arrival performance in 2012. Nine of the 14 airlines rated had an on-time arrival percentage of more than 80 percent. On-time for the industry in 2012 was 81.8 percent compared to 80 percent in 2011.

Denied boardings

JetBlue had the lowest involuntary denied boardings at .01 per 10,000 passengers. SkyWest had the highest involuntary denied boarding rate at 2.32 per 10,000 passengers.

Overall, five airlines improved their denied boardings rate in 2012. American Eagle recorded the greatest improvement, and SkyWest had the largest decline. JetBlue and Virgin American are the industry leaders in avoiding denied boarding incidents.

Industry performance was worse in 2012, with .97 per 10,000 passengers, than it was in 2011 with .78 per 10,000 passengers.

Baggage handling

Virgin America had the best baggage handling rate, with .87 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers, of all airlines, and American Eagle had the worst baggage handling rate, with 5.80 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers, of all the airlines.

Seven of 14 airlines improved their mishandled baggage performance for the year. The rate for the industry decreased from 3.35 per 1,000 passengers in 2011 to 3.07 in 2012.

Consumer complaints

Southwest again had the lowest consumer complaint rate, with .25 per 100,000 passengers, of all airlines. United had the highest consumer complaint rate, with 4.24 per 100,000 passengers, of all airlines rated.

Customer complaints per 100,000 passengers increased from 1.19 in 2011 to 1.43 in 2012. The majority of complaints were for flight problems, 32.7 percent; reservations, ticketing, and boarding, 14.6 percent; customer service, 14.3 percent; and baggage, 12.4 percent.

The researchers invite the flying public to participate in the Annual Passenger Survey at http://www.wichita.edu/aqrconsumersurvey.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Most kids’ meals at chain restaurants offer poor nutrition, as fried chicken fingers, burgers, fries, and soda reign

Nearly all of the meals offered to kids at America's top chain restaurants are of poor nutritional quality.

Fried chicken fingers, burgers, French fries, and sugar drinks continue to dominate the kids' meal offerings, according to a report to by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The report found 97 percent of the nearly 3,500 meal possibilities didn’t meet the center's nutrition criteria for four- to eight-year-olds.

In addition, the center said 91 percent of kids' meals at America's major chains don’t meet the nutritional standards of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program.

 "One out of every three American children is overweight or obese, but it's as if the chain restaurant industry didn't get the memo," Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director for the center, said. "Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda."

One chain with improvements is Subway, according to the report.

All eight of Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit for Kids meal combinations met the center’s nutrition criteria. Subway is the only restaurant chain that doesn’t offer sugar drinks as an option with its kids' meals, instead including low-fat milk or bottled water along with apple slices with all of its kid-sized subs.

To meet the center's nutrition criteria, kids' meals must not exceed: (1) 430 calories, (2) more than 35 percent of calories from fat, or (3) more than 10 percent of calories from saturated plus trans fat.

Meals that meet the center’s criteria can’t have more than 35 percent added sugars by weight or more than 770 milligrams of sodium. The criteria require meals to make a positive nutritional contribution either by providing at least half a serving of fruit or vegetable, including an item that is 51 percent or more whole grain, or including specified levels of vitamins or fiber.

The center’s criteria exclude sugar drinks in favor of water, juice, or low-fat milk. The association's standards are similar, though they allow more calories.

Some of the least healthy kids' meals available at chain restaurants include:

• Applebee's Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with Fries and 2 Percent Chocolate Milk.

•  Denny's Jr. Cheeseburger and French Fries.

• Dairy Queen's Chicken Strips, Kids' Fries, Sauce, Arctic Rush (a Slushee-type frozen drink), and Dilly Bar.

At 19 chains, none of the possible combination of the items offered for children met the center's nutrition standards. At nine of the 19 chains, including McDonald's, Popeye's, Chipotle, and Hardee's, no meals met the associations Kids LiveWell standards.

At Wendy's, only 5 percent of 40 possible kids' meals met the center’s standards – most items were too high either in sodium or saturated fat; at Burger King, only 20 percent of the 15 possible kids' meals met the center’s criteria. At both of those chains, the same low percentages of possible meal combinations met the association's Kids LiveWell standards.

The center’s last review of the nutritional quality of kids' meals at chain restaurants was in 2008. Overall, chains have made little progress since then.

The center’s report recommends that companies:

• Participate in the association's Kids LiveWell program, and reformulate their kids' meals to meet those standards.  

• Offer more fruit and vegetable options, and make those, rather than French fries, the default sides.

• Offer more whole grains and remove soda or other sugar drinks from kids' menus.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Food, midlife challenges, income tax lessons, and rejuvenation are the topics for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs

John Agno of So Baby Boomer is this week’s host for the Best of Boomer Blogs #303.

The boomer blog roundup is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

As April showers hit many parts of the country, baby boomer consumers are writing about food dyes in Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, midlife challenges for women, how trauma affects us, income tax lessons, and why taking the easy path may give people a chance to rejuvenate so they can be ready for the next challenge.

In addition to my blog, other members of the Best of Boomer Blogs are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings Over 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Blue Blinds Media, and Tao Flashes.

Be sure to check back next week to see what baby boomer bloggers are thinking and writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Rich Products expands recall to all products made at its Waycross, Ga. plant

Rich Products Corp., which recalled some of its Farm Rich and Market Day products last week, is expanding its recall to include all products produced at its Waycross, Ga., plant with “Best By” dates ranging from January 1, 2013 to September 29, 2014 due to possible contamination with Escherichia coli O121 bacteria.

The expanded recall is in addition to products recalled on March 28.

For a list of the products involved in the expanded recall, click here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 24 cases of E. coli 0121 in 15 states

Symptoms of the illness include mild to severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Blood is often seen in the stool. Usually little or no fever is present.

Although most healthy adults can recover completely within five to 10 days, some individuals can develop a complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which can cause the kidneys to fail. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition could lead to serious kidney damage and death.

Rich Products said it’s unaware of any illnesses associated with the products included in the expanded recall, but due to its safety commitment to its customers, it took the action.

Consumers should check their freezers for recalled Farm Rich brand frozen food products. They shouldn’t eat the recalled frozen food products and should dispose of any remaining products, the CDC advises.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company's consumer line at 888-220-5955 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday or visit the company website at www.farmrich.com.

Farm Rich said on its website it will provide consumers with a refund or replacement.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Think nutritious, organic, locally grown food on World Health Day

Today is World Health Day

Its focus is on high blood pressure, one of the many chronic diseases that is increasingly common around the world.

One-third of adults worldwide have high blood pressure, and one in 10 adults worldwide have diabetes, reports the World Health Organization.

In the United States, high blood pressure affects 31 percent of American adults. However, the highest levels of hypertension now occur in many African countries, where more than 40 percent of adults are affected. Poor diets are among the most significant causes of high blood pressure.

The Food Tank: The Food Think Tank offers these strategies for creating healthier food and agriculture systems:

1. Eat more vegetables and fruits.

Less than one in three Americans meets the minimum goal of eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day, as recommended by the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

2. Strengthen soil with intercropping, agroforestry, and cover crops.

Many essential nutrients come from the soil, making soil health critical to producing nutritious food. Intercropping with legumes, including alfalfa or peas, helps return nitrogen to the soil and support healthy plant growth. Using cover crops, which can be ploughed into fields after harvest and return nutrients to the soil, is another strategy that helps increase the amount of nutrients in food. Planting trees on farms – or agroforestry – can also help keep nutrients and water in the soil.

3. Know your nutrients.

Many don’t know that kale, sesame seeds, dried figs, salmon, and broccoli are excellent sources of calcium. Dark green, leafy vegetables are also rich in vitamin K, which is similar to vitamin D in the way it helps the human body make the most of the calcium in food. The Harvard School of Public Health website features a section called The Nutrition Source, which offers a list of topics on nutrients in foods and the benefits of different products, such as fish oil.

4. Support family farmers.

Small and medium scale family farms are more likely than big farms to produce nutrient rich crops, using practices that help keep nutrients in the soil. Family farmers also produce more nutrient dense foods, including fruits and vegetables.

5. Choose whole grains.

Whole grains are increasingly popular, but they still make up less than the recommended half of total grain use in the U.S. Whole grains are also valuable, low-cost sources of protein and fiber, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes, and other diseases.

6. Eat out less.

The Natural Resources Defense Council reports that some American restaurants serve portions up to eight times those recommended by the USDA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

7. Buy and grow organic.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that organic fruits and vegetables repeatedly had equal or greater nutrient content than the same conventional produce. The Environmental Working Group publishes a Shopper’s Guide assessing which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides. In 2012, apples, celery, and sweet bell peppers were in the top three; however, onions, sweet corn, and pineapples were among the safest conventional foods to buy.

8. Choose grass-fed meat.

Lean meat can contain many valuable nutrients that support a healthy diet. Grass-fed meat usually has less fat than conventional corn- and grain-fed meat products.

9. Support indigenous, heritage, and heirloom food.

A study from the University of Texas, Austin found that the amount of nutrients in 43 different food crops have significantly decreased since 1950.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist