The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Equifax to pay up to $700 million for 2017 data breach

Equifax has agreed to pay $575 million, and possibly up to $700 million, as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 states and territories. The settlement alleges that the credit reporting company’s failure to take steps to secure its network led to a data breach in 2017 that affected about 147 million people.

In its lawsuit, the FTC alleges that the Equifax data breach exposed millions of names and dates of birth, Social Security numbers, physical addresses, and other personal information that could lead to identity theft and fraud.

As part of the proposed settlement, Equifax will pay $300 million to a fund that will provide affected consumers with credit monitoring services. The fund will also compensate consumers who bought credit or identity monitoring services from Equifax and paid other money as a result of the 2017 data breach. Equifax will add up to $125 million to the fund if the $300 million isn’t enough to compensate consumers for their losses.

Baby boomers contemplate things big and small

Summer is in full gear and baby boomers are writing about topics ranging from retirement to tick bites.

Topics include:

• The best places in the United States for boomers to retire.
• How to remove ticks and prevent getting bitten.
• The difficulty in operating small switches and buttons and reading the directions about them.
• Why using cell phones and computer screens all day long interrupts our lives.
• How to use hypnotherapy to reduce pain rather than pain medication. 
• How a toddler sitting naked in a puddle reminded a boomer of an event that happened more than a century ago.

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting reports on these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #605. Click here to get the links to the articles. And, be sure to give us your opinions on these topics. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

15-inch MacBook Pro laptops being recalled by Apple due to fire hazard

Apple is recalling about 432,000 15-inch MacBook Pro laptop computers in the United States and about 26,000 in Canada.

The batteries in the recalled laptop computers can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Apple has received 26 reports of the laptop’s battery overheating, including five reports of minor burns and one report of smoke inhalation, as well as 17 reports of minor damage to nearby personal property.

Three-prong adapters sold as part of World Travel Adapter Kit being recalled by Apple due to electric shock risk

 

Apple is recalling about 814,000 three-prong wall adapters included in Apple AC World Travel Adapter Kits in the United States and about 81,000 in Canada.

Apple has received six reports from other countries of wall plug adapters breaking and consumers receiving shocks, including two reports of consumers who were medically evaluated and released without need for further medical treatment. No reports of incidents or injuries were reported by U.S. consumers.   

The three-prong AC wall plug adapters can break and expose the metal portion of the adapter, posing an electric shock risk.

Do you pay hidden fees?

Every month as part of my Comcast TV package, I pay Comcast $10 for sports programs that I never watch. That’s $120 a year. It’s so irritating.

Most of the 3,480 Americans who wrote to Consumer Reports over the past 13 months, as part of the organization’s “What the Fee?!” campaign, are angry about the growing number of fees showing up on their bills.

More stories keep coming every day, said Anna Laitin, director of financial policy at Consumer Reports. “The stories show just how many fees people face, and how frustrating people find them.”

At least 85 percent of Americans have encountered an unexpected or hidden fee over the past two years for a service they’d used, according to a Consumer Reports survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults. And two-thirds of them say they’re paying more now in surprise charges than they did five years ago. Almost everyone – 96 percent – finds them annoying.

USB charging cables are being recalled by Target due to shock and fire hazards

Target is recalling about 90,000 heyday 3-foot lightning USB charging cables.

The metal around the cord can become electrically charged if it contacts the USB wall charger plug prongs while charging, posing shock and fire hazards.

Target has received 14 reports of the cables smoking, sparking, or igniting, including two reports of consumer finger burns.

Top 100 most frequently asked questions

Recently, when I visited Madrid, my granddaughter called her mom and asked her if the dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty. I laughed, but then I thought that the question must be one of the most popular questions ever that is asked over and over and over again.

We began brainstorming and came up with 99 additional questions that must be asked hundreds of times a day in America and throughout the world.

The most frequently asked questions are:

1. How are you?
2. How’s your family?
3. What’s new?
4. Do you know ____________?
5. Is this seat taken?
6. What would you like to drink?
7. Would you like cream or sugar (in your coffee)?
8. Who won the game?
9. Do you remember ________________ (a person from the past)?
10. Who will be there?
11. What do you do (for work)?
12. Are you dating anyone?
13. Where are you from?
14. Can I buy you a drink?
15. What’s your phone number?
16. Would you like to have coffee?
17. What’s your favorite song?
18. What’s your favorite movie?
19. Who’s your favorite star?
20. When’s your birthday?
21. What would you like to do?
22. Do you want to come in for coffee (after a date)?
23. Have you been tested for STDs?
24. Do you have a condom?
25. What are your hobbies?
26. Where did you go to school?
27. Will you marry me?
28. Where would you like to live?
29. Who was that?
30. Where are you going to go to college?
31. What are you going to major in?
32. What do you want to do (for a career)?
33. Have you read _______________ (a book)?
34. Who said __________(quote)?
35. Where are you going?
36. Can you come to the party?
37. Is she (or he) your friend?
38. Do you work here?
39. How much will I be paid for the job?
40. When's the meeting?
41. Where's the meeting?
42. Is the boss in a bad mood?
43. What's he (or she) like to work for?
44. How was work?
45. Will you take out the garbage?
46. Did you take out the garbage?
47. How was school?
48. When are you going to clean up your bedroom?
49. Where have you been?
50. Why were you late?
51. Do you know what time it is?
52. Are you ready?
53. What would you like for dinner?
54. What time is dinner?
55. Is a minute (or two minutes) in the microwave enough?
56. Would you like a sandwich?
57. Is this too old (to eat)?
58. Who’s coming to dinner?
59. When will the repairman be here?
60. Are we out of toilet paper?
61. Where are my _______________ (shorts, dress, shoes or other items)?
62. What’s on TV?
63. Did you let the dog (or cat) out?
64. Did you mow the lawn?
65. Do you remember when we _____________ (took a trip or did an activity)?
66. Is it broken (object or body part)?
67. Are we there yet?
68. How far is it to ______________ (place or town)?
69. Is that a _______________ (brand name)?
70. Where did you get that _____________ (shirt, dress, or shoes)?
71. How much does it cost?
72. Does this make me look fat?
73. Do you like this?
74. Does this look good on me?
75. Did you get a haircut?
76. Will you pick up my suit from the dry cleaners?
77. Can I speak to your supervisor?
78. Where are my keys?
79. Where are my glasses?
80. Where’s my cell phone?
81. Where did I park my car?
82. Is that a parking spot?
83. What’s the weather?
84. Do I need a coat?
85. Do I need an umbrella?
86. Have you voted?
87. Is the plane on time?
88. Can you recommend a restaurant?
89. Do you have any vacancies?
90. Do you mind if I smoke?
91. Have you met the new neighbors?
92. How are the schools (in that neighborhood or city)?
93. What’s that bulldozer doing down the street?
94. What’s the population of _______________ (city, town, or country)?
95. Why are you giving me a ticket, officer?
96. Can I see your new car?
97. Would you call me an Uber?
98. How many likes did I get?
99. Am I oversharing?

That’s my list. Did I miss any?

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer

FTC top officials have conflicts of interest with tech and other corporations

Most top officials at the Federal Trade Commission become lawyers and lobbyists for major technology companies after they leave the agency or bring Silicon Valley conflicts with them when they arrive, a Public Citizen report found.

The report shows that most of these officials – 63 percent or 26 out of 41 – have revolving door conflicts of interest involving work on behalf of the technology sector. These conflicts help explain the FTC’s chronic reluctance to strictly enforce consumer protection and antitrust laws against Big Tech, Public Citizen, a public interest organization, said.

The FTC is charged with consumer protection and antitrust enforcement. In recent decades, the agency has taken a light approach to enforcement, especially against Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook, Google, and Uber.

Workstations recalled by Knape & Vogt due to injury hazard

Knape & Vogt is recalling about 76,000 sit-stand office workstations.

The workstation can malfunction, causing the gas cylinders to separate and forcefully discharge, posing an injury hazard. 

Knape & Vogt has received two reports of the gas cylinder separating from the workstation. In one case, the cylinder discharged from the unit resulting in damage to the drywall in an office.

Crowdfunding scheme operator who failed to deliver charged by FTC

The operator of a crowdfunding scheme who told consumers he was raising money to develop a high-tech backpack and other products, but failed to deliver any of the products and instead used most of the funds for himself, is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission.

In its lawsuit, the FTC alleges that Douglas Monahan and his company iBackPack of Texas, raised more than $800,000 from consumers through four crowdfunding campaigns. Monahan falsely claimed the funds would be used to develop products such as the “iBackPack,” which would include batteries for charging laptops and phones, cables, and a Bluetooth speaker.

“If you raise money by crowdfunding, you don’t have to guarantee that your idea will work,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But you do have to use the money to work on your idea – or expect to hear from the FTC.”