Does it matter that there are too many residential real estate agents? Yes, says a consumer group. More than 1.5 million residential agents, including brokers, compete for home sales usually totaling 5 to 6 million annually. The plethora of real estate agents comes with costs, according to a study by the Consumer Federation of America, that include: Read more →

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law a year ago, has many benefits for consumers. It began making corporations pay their fair share in taxes while investing more in helping the middle class such as creating good-paying jobs, combating corporate price gouging, slashing the deficit, lowering prescription drug costs, and reducing carbon pollution. Read more →

It’s frustrating to receive dozens, even hundreds of emails every day. But what if there’s no “unsubscribe” link and the emails won’t stop? People who set up “Free Membership” accounts with Experian to manage access to their Experian credit report information online had that experience. Read more →

The Food and Drug Administration has decided that food manufacturers can keep using phthalates, a class of toxic chemicals, in food packaging and food production equipment. It disregarded requests from health and environmental advocates to reconsider that decision based on evidence that phthalates in food are harmful to health. Read more →

Recently, I wrote about how private equity firms are buying health providers practices, including my gastroenterologist’s, and how they bleed money from the companies, then sell them for a big profit. In 2021, some of the top industries for private equity investment include healthcare, technology, and consumer products.  Read more →

Another big recall has been announced that deserves your attention. Sensio is recalling about 860,000 electric and stovetop pressure cookers. The pressure cooker’s lid can unlock and be removed during use, causing the hot contents to unexpectedly splash out, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Sensio has received 63 reports of incidents. Read more →

Another maker of inclined sleepers is refusing to recall its dangerous product. Stop using La-La-Me infant loungers because they don’t comply with federal safety standards for infant sleep products and pose a suffocation risk and fall hazard to infants, the CPSC warns. The lounger is an unsafe sleeping environment for infants. Read more →

It’s not surprising that men are succumbing to the same advertising on looking good that has enticed women to buy for decades. The average adult man in the U.S. uses 11 different personal care products every day, nearly twice as many as 20 years ago, according to a survey. The survey also showed that women use 13 products daily, up from 12 in 2004. Read more →

Consumers with poor credit pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more every year for basic auto insurance coverage required by state laws, new report shows. On average, a consumer with poor credit has to pay twice as much for auto insurance as a driver with excellent credit, even if everything else, including their driving safety history, are the same. Read more →

USASF Servicing is being charged with illegal practices that harmed consumers with auto loans including disabling vehicles, improperly repossessing vehicles, double-billing for insurance premiums, and failing to return millions in refunds, according to a lawsuit. The CFPB is seeking to return money to consumers, impose penalties, and stop future violations. Read more →