A survey of 142 funeral homes shows that nearly a quarter fail to tell consumers about their options for simple cremations. The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule requires price disclosures on a list and verbally. In addition, 22 percent are advertising prices for simple cremations that don’t include the cremation... Read more →
When using cleaners and other household products, it’s important to use the amount recommended. Using more pours money down the drain and can be bad for your appliances, your belongings, and the environment. Colleen Tressler, consumer education specialist for the Federal Trade Commission, offers these tips that are good for... Read more →
The new iPhone 7 will go on sale Friday. If you plan to buy one, where should you buy it and what plan should you select? WalletHub, a personal-finance website, is offering its “iPhone Savings Report” to help consumers examine the different pricing options and find the best deal. It... Read more →
Bridgepoint Education, a for-profit college chain that told students they could pay off student loans for as little as $25 a month, is being required to discharge all outstanding private loans the institution made and refund loan payments already made by borrowers. Loan forgiveness and refunds will total more than... Read more →
In this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs, Tom Sightings from Sightings Over Sixty tells us what we have in common in retirement, other than the fact that we don’t work anymore. Sightings reports we share: wondering whether we should relocate, stretching our retirement income the best we can, traveling, working... Read more →
Photo: IFCAR General Motors is recalling 3.6 million vehicles after a death was reported due to an airbag software defect. In the recalled vehicles, driving conditions can cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module – a small computer that can tell what the vehicle is doing and controls the... Read more →
Fifteen years ago, on Sept. 11, I was just beginning a vacation in Spain and Portugal with my daughters. It was frightening to be so far from home and not know what was happening. Here’s the account of my vacation that appeared in The Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune on Oct.... Read more →
There’s nothing quite like being a grandparent. It’s right up there, just after the joys of being a mom. In 1970, Marian McQuade initiated a campaign to establish a day to honor grandparents. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a federal proclamation, declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as... Read more →
The telephone woke me Thursday, and I was pleased to hear my granddaughter say, "Hi, grandma." "Hi, Cecilia," I replied. Just waking up, I was confused when she said she'd been in a car accident and broken her nose. Also, it seemed like she'd developed a slight accent since I'd... Read more →
Photo: Laimerpramer Thousands of Wells Fargo Bank workers spurred by aggressive sales goals opened about 2 million accounts for consumers without their permission, transferring funds from authorized accounts and often racking up fees or other charges for customers. Wells Fargo will pay restitution to victims and a $100 million fine... Read more →