It's fall, officially now, so if you're planning to hire people to help you get your home and yard ready for winter, be sure to ask for recommendations. It helps to get at least three. Other consumer advice I've given over the years is not to hire people who come... Read more →

Two marketers of women’s “shapewear” undergarments have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that slimming claims for their caffeine-infused products were false and not proven by scientific evidence. The proposed orders settling the FTC’s complaints bar Norm Thompson Outfitters and Wacoal America from making false claims about their shapewear and require... Read more →

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #375. In “What Are Boomers Blogging About,” Tom reports boomers baby boomers are concerned about momentous events and real news, from the historic to the sociological to the economic. Specifically, they’re writing about: "The... Read more →

Photo: Ricardo630 U.S. Bank is being ordered to pay about $48 million to consumers harmed by illegal billing practices. The bank’s consumers were unfairly charged for identity protection and credit monitoring services that they didn’t receive, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday. U.S. Bank, the fifth largest bank in... Read more →

Hearth & Home Technologies is recalling about 20,000 gas fireplaces, stoves, inserts, and log sets. The gas valve in the unit can leak, posing a fire hazard. No cases of leaking gas or injuries have been reported. This recall involves Hearth & Home Technologies, Heat-N-Glo, Heatilator, Outdoor Lifestyles, and Quadra... Read more →

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to approve new varieties of genetically engineered corn and soybean seeds allows the chemical manufacturer Dow AgroSciences to sell 2,4-D- and glyphosate-tolerant corn and soybean seeds to be used with its new weed killer, Enlist Duo. In a separate procedure, Dow is waiting for... Read more →

The Great Recession of 2007 caused American shoppers, known for their spending, to go into a long scrimp mode. Seven years later – and more than five years after the recession officially ended – the tide has turned, according to a Consumer Reports study. A survey of 1,006 adult Americans... Read more →

A new national safety standard for high-powered magnets sets limits on the size and power of the magnets. The magnets are hazardous to children, who put them in their mouths and swallow them. The magnets also can harm teens and tweens, who used them to create mock lip, tongue, and... Read more →

Intriguing findings in a paper published in Nature raise questions about the effect of saccharin and other artificial sweeteners on people’s digestive tracts and the impact on blood sugar and metabolism. What these chemicals do in digestive system needs to be studied further, said Lisa Lefferts, senior scientist for Center... Read more →

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting… Live Reinvented is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #374. This week baby boomer bloggers are writing about challenges. For example: Attending a Burning Man event at age 81. Traveling up the East Coast. Building a solar home in a... Read more →