The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What baby boomers have on their minds

As my yard is bursting into spring, I’m reading the articles of my baby boomer blogging buddies that are bursting with ideas on their blog sites.

Their recent posts include:

• Solutions to ease neck and shoulder tension.
• Comments on the Democratic presidential candidates.
• Which companies have the cheapest car insurance.
• What to say when your sister is dying.
• Whether people leave home when they grow up and don’t come back, or they never leave, or they do leave, but return to retire.
• How to make quick chicken soup from chicken broth to help with healing.

Carol Cassara of Heart•Mind•Soul writes about these articles in Best of Boomer Blogs #594. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers enjoy hearing from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer

Pedestrians: Pay attention when crossing the street and don’t eat pizza

As a careful driver, I’m very respectful of pedestrians. I know they have the right of way in the crosswalk and can cross at any corner, even if a crosswalk isn’t painted there. I always stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

However, I’m becoming impatient with pedestrians who stroll across the street, look at their cell phones, and eat pizza.

Yes, eat pizza. This week, a young woman began crossing the street carrying a pizza box. I was poised to make a free right turn, which is legal in Washington state, but I waited for her instead trying to beat her through the crosswalk.

I’ll be darned if she didn’t open the pizza box, take out a slice, and begin eating it as she crossed. I was dumbfounded. I didn’t honk. Next time, I’m going to lay on the horn.

Thousands of pedestrians killed each year

In 2016, 5,987 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This averages to one crash-related pedestrian death every 1.5 hours.

How to improve your finances during Financial Literacy Month

It’s a good time during April’s Financial Literacy Month to take a look at how you handle your finances.

What is financial literacy? It’s knowing how to manage your personal finances.

How are Americans doing with financial literacy? In a survey of 1,500 people, respondents estimated that lacking knowledge about personal finances cost them an average of $1,230 in 2018, according to a study by the National Financial Educators Council.

What can you do to improve your financial literacy?

Take a look at your finances.

If you don’t have one, you need a budget. It’s a financial plan that will help you reach your goals. To develop a budget, you’ll need to keep track of your spending. Write down what your fixed monthly expenses are such as car payments and rent or mortgage payments. Determine what your periodic expenses are. They include items such as vacations and tax payments. Then you’ll need to track your variable expenses – food, clothing, transportation, and entertainment, costs that probably change every month.

What are the best and worst cars to buy in 2019?

Photo: EurovisionNim

The Consumer Reports 2019 Top Picks in cars list includes six new winners – the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Ascent, and BMW X5, and three Toyotas – the Yaris, Prius, and Avalon.

The all-new Subaru Ascent is Consumer Report’s Top Pick in the midsized SUV category. Its smooth power delivery, comfy ride, functional interior, and suspension performance that rival some luxury cars helped put it to the top of the pack, said Jake Fisher, senior director of Automotive Testing at Consumer Reports. The top luxury SUV, the BMW X5, is among the best SUVs that CR has ever tested, Fisher said.  

“The Ascent really impressed in our rigorous tests and is a great all-around performer,” he said. “It’s a highly functional and comfortable three-row vehicle that will appeal to many families.”

Toyota led all the automotive brands with four Consumer Reports Top Picks for the second consecutive year. The Prius earned Consumer Reports Top Pick honors for a record 16th time, this year including in the newly created Hybrid/Electric Car category. The fourth-generation of the pioneering hybrid gets 52 mpg overall in Consumer Reports’ fuel economy tests, and maintains an outstanding track record for reliability and owner satisfaction, Fisher said. The Camry is the top midsized sedan for second straight year. This is the second time that the Yaris has been a Top Pick; the first time it made the list was in 2017. The Avalon is on the list for the very first time.

Honda recalls vehicles because car wash soap damage may cause them to catch fire

Photo: Kelvin Eng

Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are recalling about 106,683 Ridgeline sport utility trucks because they could catch fire after being washed in a car wash.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019 Ridgeline trucks, the acid from car wash soaps could cause the fuel pump feed line to crack. The damage increases the chances the trucks will catch fire.

The recall is expected to begin on March 7.

Honda is notifying owners, and dealers will repair and replace the fuel pump at no cost to owners.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Toyota and Fiat Chrysler recalling about 3.3 million vehicles due to faulty airbags

Toyota is recalling 1.3 million vehicles in North America and Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles worldwide.

The air bag inflators can explode when deployed and scatter metal fragments, which can strike, injure, and even kill vehicle occupants.

Toyota’s announcement Wednesday includes 1.3 million vehicles in the United States.

Fiat Chrysler agrees to pay $800 million to settle charges of emissions cheating

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Robert Bosch agreed Thursday to settle charges related to “defeat device” software intended to circumvent emissions standards for air pollutants. Bosch, a parts supplier, supplied and programed the software used by Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen in diesel vehicles.

The two agreements, to be filed later this month, will provide compensation for consumers who purchased or leased Fiat Chrysler vehicles containing illegal defeat devices and more than $172.5 million to 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Fiat Chrysler and Bosch attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of American consumers, and pollute their way to the bank, said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Nearly 1 million Ford vehicles are being recalled due to air bags that can explode and scatter metal pieces

Photo: IFCAR

Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles throughout the world, with 782,000 of them in the United States, to replace air bag inflators that can explode when deployed and scatter metal fragments, which can strike, injure, and even kill vehicle occupants.

The maker of the air bags involved in the recall is Tokyo-based Takata, one of three major manufacturers of air bags. It provides air bags and other components to automakers around the world.

Included in the recall are the:

Best wishes on Election Day to us all

If you haven’t voted yet, be sure and do it. So much is at stake. Americans have the opportunity to tell a racist, sexist, anti-consumer, anti-environmental president that we don’t want his toxic policies any more.

I’m hoping for a Blue Wave. We must undo the harm that President Trump and his cronies are doing to the nation’s consumer and environmental laws. I’ve written article after article on this. Some examples of Trump’s terrible policies are:

• Allowing oil and gas companies to drill in the Arctic.
• Relaxing car pollution rules.
• Extending the life of dirty coal power plants.
• Weakening protection for student borrowers harmed by for-profit colleges.
• Allowing coal ash to be dumped into streams.
• Allowing association health plans that have a history of offering inadequate coverage, even scams.
• Weakening of chemical and pesticide regulations.

See the Brookings Deregulatory Tracker for more information on the Trump administrations deregulatory program.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

New York sues Exxon Mobile for misleading investors on climate change costs

 

Photo: Ben P L

Exxon Mobile Corp. is being sued by the state of New York for allegedly misleading investors on the risk that climate change regulations posed to its finances.

For years, Exxon told investors that it was accounting for the likelihood of stronger regulation by applying an increasing cost of emissions to its business planning and investment decisions, according to the lawsuit. However, Exxon did less than it claimed, deceiving investors on the company’s true financial exposure to climate change regulations.

Exxon marketed the company as a secure long-term investment and sought long-term investors such as life insurance companies and pension funds.