I wrote the following article for Presidents’ Day 2011. It’s worth repeating during the dreadful presidential campaign we’re having this year where some candidates are preaching hate. What’s so amazing about it is that it talks about how many of the founding fathers were immigrants. And how many people in... Read more →

It’s been a busy week here as a consumer journalist. Thursday I wrote about Moneygram agreeing to pay $13 million to settle charges related to how its wire transfer service was used in schemes to defraud consumers. Then, later in the day, federal and state regulators announced Morgan Stanley agreed... Read more →

IKEA is recalling about 840,000 IKEA ceiling lamps in the United States and about 427,000 in Canada. The plastic retaining clips that attach the glass shades to the lamp housings can break and let the glass shades fall, posing a laceration hazard, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission... Read more →

It’s Valentine’s Day, a day for lovers, partners, and spouses to honor and acknowledge the one they love and their relationship. Many Americans probably be saying those three magic words – “I love you” – often on the special day for lovers. However, a recent survey shows that Americans like... Read more →

Nearly 55 percent of consumers will celebrate Valentine’s Day, spending an average of $146.84 on flowers, jewelry, candy, clothing, and more, up from $142.31 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $19.7 billion, according to a survey for the National Retail Federation. When it comes to the top gifts... Read more →

More Americans want to be told “I love you” daily than people in other countries, according to a poll of 12,654 people by EliteSingles. Americans want to hear “I love you” daily three times more than Europeans. The survey shows: 73 percent of Americans want to be told "I love... Read more →

Scammers are always lurking, and Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate love, is no exception. With an increase in online dating, flower sales, and weekend getaway deals — there’re many ways to get cheated. The Better Business Bureau Northwest is warning consumers about slick deals that could steal their identity,... Read more →

Photo: Alexander Torrenegra Urber has agreed to pay $28.5 million to about 25 million riders to settle two class-action lawsuits. It also agreed not to use certain language in safety-related advertising as well as the term “Safe Ride Fee.” A judge from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District... Read more →

Photo: Jenix89 Morgan Stanley will pay a $2.6 billion penalty to resolve federal claims over its sale of residential mortgage-backed securities. The amount is the largest in a series of settlements with Morgan Stanley entered into by members of the mortgage-backed securities working group, which totals about $5 billion. As... Read more →

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is taking steps to improve checking account access because the bureau is concerned that consumers are being sidelined by the lack of account options and by inaccurate information used to screen potential customers. The bureau sent a letter recently to the 25 largest retail banks... Read more →