You have until midnight today to score Black Friday bargains and some stores have sales that run for more days. A lot of the deals are online, so you don’t have to go to the store. Lots of people were out when I went to the mall where the Black Friday item I was looking for wasn’t available. Read more →

Holiday spending during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. The NRF expects that online and other non-store sales will increase between 11 and 15 percent. Read more →

Many of things you may buy for the holidays, such as toys, laptops, and phones, have chips in them. Since there’s a global chip shortage, prices are going up, and items with chips will probably be harder to find. Scammers are taking advantage of these shortages and are trying to sell items in short supply. Read more →

myCharge is recalling about 67,000 powerbanks. The powerbank’s lithium-ion battery can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards. myCharge has received 30 reports of the powerbanks overheating, resulting in seven injuries and/or property damage to household flooring, walls, and furniture.  Read more →

Black Friday sales are already starting, so what you need to do is start watching the ads and continue to compare prices. While 2021 might be a more “normal” year than 2020, Black Friday 2021 will be more like last year than previous years. Read more →

Looking for a Memorial Day bargain? Start looking now. The sales start well before the last Monday of May, which is May 31 this year. Last year, shopping was scaled back due to the pandemic. This year, check with local stores if you’re planning to shop in person. Read more →

For three years, people have reported losing more money on romance scams than on any other fraud type identified in Sentinel, a fraud database. In 2020, reported losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million, up about 50 percent from 2019. Read more →

First, I received emails from my credit union that $1,500 then $2,300 were possible fraudulent charges. I called and sure enough, a scammer from Sweden was trying to charge those amount to my credit card. The credit union flagged the fraudulent charges, and the money was never charged to me. Read more →

Verizon is recalling about 2.5 million Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspots. The lithium ion battery in the hotspots can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. Verizon has received 15 reports of overheating, including six reports of fire damage to bedding or flooring and two reports of minor burn injuries. Read more →

Consumer Reports is launching CR Recommended, a program to bring Consumer Reports recommendations easily to consumers before they buy autos and other products. When consumers shop online, at a dealership, or in a store, they’ll see a “CR Recommended” mark for products. Read more →