After another death of a young child in a residential elevator, the CPSC Tuesday asked vacation rental platforms, AirBnB, Vrbo, and others, to take steps immediately to protect consumers. Small children can be crushed to death in a gap that may exist between the doors. Read more →
Manufactured housing, one of the most affordable types of housing available to low-income consumers, makes up 13 percent of the housing stock in small towns and rural America. However, the lower cost of buying a manufactured home often comes with higher interest rates and limited opportunity to refinance. Read more →
About one million sellers and buyers in home sales with a single agent are charged excessive commissions totaling several billion dollars annually, a report from the Consumer Federation of America shows. The report also examines the conflicts of interest of these double-dipping agents. Read more →
This week, I wrote the 100th issue of my newsletter Helpful Money Tips for You. To celebrate, instead of offering my usual 10 tips, I offered 100. To sign up to get my free newsletter, go to http://eepurl.com/gkZ6JH. You'll get it in your email. Read more →
Two companies that operated a massive phone operation that placed 1.3 billion deceptive fundraising charity calls to 67 million consumers have agreed to settle charges by the FTC and states. The defendants collected more than $110 million using mostly illegal robocall solicitations. Read more →
The executive orders that President Biden signed Wednesday on his first day in office include actions that will benefit consumers on student loans, housing, and the pandemic. Read more →
Like most people, I’m glad 2020 is gone. However, I know that we’re going to have a lot more of the challenging stuff that happened in 2020 continuing into 2021. Read more →
On Veterans Day, we honor the men and women who have served in the nation’s Armed Forces. If you’re considering donating to help veterans, make sure the charity or nonprofit you select is reputable. Read more →
The Nov. 3 election is coming up soon. Be sure and vote. So much is at stake this year. I’ve been a member of the League of Women Voters for decades. The photo is of me registering voters in 1968 at my neighborhood supermarket. Read more →
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order Friday against Sovereign Lending Group Inc., a mortgage lender in about 44 states and the District of Columbia. Sovereign offers mortgage loans guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Read more →