It’s not surprising what last year’s top consumer complaint was. I’ve seen it many times as No. 1 on annual consumer complaint lists. It’s auto sales and repair. “Consumers rely on cars to get to work, school, doctors’ appointments and more,” said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America. Read more →

Whether you’re remembering a loved one who passed away in their service to the country, going to a parade, visiting a cemetery, having or attending a barbecue, shopping, or working, I hope your Memorial Day is going well. Many people also see the Memorial Day weekend as the beginning of summer and are enjoying outings and picnics. Read more →

Remember when 125,000 Peloton Tread+ treadmills were recalled after the death of a child and dozens of incidents of children, pets, and objects being pulled under the rear roller? The CPSC and Peloton have finally agreed on a rear guard repair for the recalled Tread+ treadmill. It eliminates possible entrapment near the treadmill’s rear roller. Read more →

An “investment opportunity” extremely popular on the social media platform WeChat stole millions from the Chinese community in the United States. Social media posts urged people to “invest” in various household goods and electronics, promising returns of 20-40 percent in one to three months. But it was really a scam. Read more →

This huge recall is getting a lot of media attention and it surely is adding to Peloton’s financial problems as people head back to the gym after staying home during the covid-19 pandemic. The company is recalling about 2.2 million exercise bikes, Model No. PL01, because the bike’s seat post assembly can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards. Read more →

Although Mother’s Day is highly commercialized, I like remembering my mom on this special day and I enjoy visiting with my daughters over WhatsApp. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to travel to Spain again in May. Since my birthday is May 4 and my daughter’s is May 23, we have so much fun celebrating our birthdays plus Mother’s Day in May in Spain. Read more →

No. What ended on Thursday was the covid health emergency on public health and safety measures in the United States. In addition, the World Health Organization recently ended the covid related global health emergency. The U.S. ended the covid health emergency because Republicans would no longer support funding for it. Read more →

Paying off student loans is a big job, especially since it usually takes most people years to achieve it. Consumers need to beware of debt relief companies that promise quick loan forgiveness. Scammers claim they’ll help you, for a fee, but their schemes often leave you deeper in debt. The FTC has stopped two student loan debt relief schemes. Read more →

This recall is so large, it even made one of the national news programs recently. Stanley Black & Decker is recalling about 2.2 million DeWALT, Stanley and Craftsman fiberglass sledgehammers in the United States and an addition 53,000 in Canada. The sledgehammer head can loosen and detach unexpectedly during use. Read more →

It’s helpful for consumers to take a look at complaints that are received by agencies and organization to know what to watch out for in their financial lives. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau monitors consumer complaints to determine risks in consumer financial markets and to prioritize agency action. In 2022, the CFPB found: Read more →