The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is looking at how consumers can get better customer service from big banks. Consumers have the right under federal law to get timely responses when they ask for information about their accounts at large institutions. Read more →

The CPSC is warning consumers not to use infant rockers for sleep due to suffocation risk, after 14 deaths were reported in Fisher-Price and Kids2 infant rockers. At least 13 infants died between 2009 and 2021 in Fisher-Price rockers and at least one infant died in a Kids2 rocker in 2009. Read more →

Charles Schwab Corp. will pay a record $187 million to settle charges that it didn’t tell clients about the hidden costs of its robo-advising product, which was allocating client funds in a way that would be less profitable for them. The cash in the portfolios would cause clients to make less money even while taking on the same amount of risk. Read more →

Hisense USA is recalling about 55,200 French door refrigerators with ice maker in the United States and 78 in Canada. The refrigerator’s door hinge can break causing the door to detach when the consumer tries to open the French doors, posing an impact injury risk to the consumer. Read more →

Coca-Cola and Pepsi promote their products through exclusive marketing agreements called “pouring rights” contracts from 124 or 87 percent of the 143 public universities in the United States with at least 20,000 students. A new study looked at 38 contracts that had enough information to assess their overall value to the universities. Read more →

The majority of the cars in the top 10 of Consumer Reports’ 2022 Brand Report Card rankings are made by Japanese automakers. Six Japanese brands are among the top-10 in the rankings that shows which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on Consumer Report’s testing and member surveys. Read more →

Every year during open enrollment, I warn people about the problems of signing up for a Medicare Advantage plan. Instead of getting health care through Medicare, with Medicare Advantage private organizations provide the service. It can be offered through an insurance company, an HMO, or a preferred provider organization. Read more →

It’s summer and people are having vacation fun – swimming, picnicking, hiking, traveling, wine tasting, and more. While shopping may not be high on many people’s lists, they should take some time to investigate the sales. There are lots of deals in June – you just need to know what to look for. Read more →

Electrolux is recalling about 367,500 Frigidaire and Electrolux Side-by-Side, Top Freezer, and Multi-door refrigerators in the United States and about 7,180 were in Canada. The ice level detector arm in the ice maker can break into pieces and fall into the ice bucket, posing a choking risk. Read more →

Bank of America will pay $10 million for processing illegal, out-of-state garnishment orders against customers’ bank accounts. It froze accounts, charged fees, garnished funds, and sent payments to creditors based on court orders that should have been processed under state laws where the consumers lived. Read more →