Photo: B64 The ratings agency Standard & Poor’s will pay more than $77 million to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission and two states that it inflated its ratings of commercial mortgage-backed securities or CMBS without informing investors. The company agreed to pay more than $58 million to... Read more →
My cousin, who had a fabulous trip to Antarctica in 2013, posted dozens of fantastic photos of penguins on Facebook. He posted a few again this week and pointed out that Jan. 20 is National Penguin Awareness day. It’s a day to celebrate penguins and raise awareness that some species... Read more →
Despite the fact that Republicans now control both houses of Congress, Pres. Barack Obama was upbeat in his State of the Union address Tuesday. For baby boomers, now ages 51 to 69, many of the policy changes he’s suggesting would be helpful. Boomers, who have been hard hit by the... Read more →
Growth in the subprime auto market is raising concerns that lending practices are leading to conditions that risk causing serious problems in the larger auto market. A report from the Center for Responsible Lending, "Reckless Driving: The Implications of Recent Subprime Auto Finance Growth," highlights trends in the $870 billion... Read more →
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The holiday offers the opportunity for Americans to honor King’s legacy through service. After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking King’s birthday. The federal holiday was first observed in 1986, making 2015 the 29th anniversary of... Read more →
Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #387. In the cold and snow, which is blanketing many areas of the country as January chugs along, baby boomer bloggers are writing about divorce and memories. One boomer blogger reports on gray... Read more →
Pro Performance Sports is recalling about 52,000 SKLZ recoil 360 all-position resistance trainers. A weld on a ring on the resistance trainer’s belt can break during use and cause the resistance trainer’s flexible cord to quickly and unexpectedly retract and hit an exercise partner who is holding the other end,... Read more →
Wendy's has agreed to remove sugary soda from its children's menus. The move, which is already in effect, was hailed by MomsRising.org, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, all of which have been urging the chain to improve the nutritional quality... Read more →
January is National Radon Action Month. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging Americans in all areas of country to test their homes for radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas. “Many people don’t realize that radon is the second cause of lung cancer after smoking,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.... Read more →
With the lowest gas prices in six years and favorable interest rates likely to drive auto sales up significantly in 2015, WalletHub, a personal finance website, offers a report on “2015's Most and Least Risky States for Drivers’ Wallets.” What kind of financial risks do drivers take when they take... Read more →