On the 4th of July, Americans typically celebrate the anniversary of their independence with parades, fireworks displays, family gatherings, beach trips, and more. Celebrations during the past two years have been dampened due to the covid-19 pandemic. However, this year the country has few restrictions so celebrations are picking up. Read more →

In states that allow high-cost loans, excessive interest rates can trap borrowers in a cycle of debt. Caps on interest rates and loan fees are the main way states can protect consumers from predatory lending. Forty-five states cap interest rates and loan fees for some consumer installment loans, depending on the loan size. Read more →

Only a small number of funeral homes allow consumers to look at their price lists on their websites so they can compare prices. Just 191 of 1,046 funeral homes or 18 percent in a survey posted their prices online, according to a report by the Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America. Read more →

July is one of the better months for sales. The 4th of July is a big shopping holiday so compare prices and see what bargains you can find. Also, be on the lookout the next few weeks because the back to school sales are coming up. Here are suggestions from DealNews.com on what to look for at the July sales: Read more →

Although the idea of Father’s Day was conceived in 1909 by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, to honor her father, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm, it wasn’t until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Read more →

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 →

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 →

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 →