Most consumers are confused about the new rules related to compensation for realtors in the home buying transaction and the changes are generating lots of headlines. The new rules offer great new opportunities for consumers to save money. How realtors are paid has always been confusion and, while valuable, home... Read more →

About a dozen times I’ve written about price gouging being one of the biggest drivers of inflation, along lamenting about how politicians weren’t talking about it. President Biden took up the topic recently, and Kamala Harris, vice president and the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, announced it Friday as part... Read more →

And, again, history repeats itself. The nation’s leading residential solar energy financing lenders are using predatory methods including undisclosed profit arrangements with their preferred installers and expensive financing with hidden fees as a standard practice to target consumers for financial exploitation, according to a new report. Read more →

The National Association of Realtors settlement of a class action lawsuit, scheduled to be carried out by August 17, requires realtors to obtain buyer signatures on home buyer contracts. The $418 million settlement did away with the traditional agent’s commission of 5-6 percent, which should lead to more negotiation, more competition, and lower costs. Read more →

California often has among the most beneficial laws for consumers. On July 1, these four bills will become law in the state: Capping security deposits -- Until now, landlords have been allowed to require a security deposit equal to as much as three months’ rent. Instead of landlords being allowed to require a security deposit equal to as much as three months’ rent. Read more →

Not surprisingly, auto sales and repair issues continue to perplex consumers. The Consumer Federation of America released its annual report surveying consumer complaints made to 33 state and local government agencies across the country. Read more →

A friend on Facebook tricked me with with a tale of a move across the country, a new line of work, and a rural lifestyle. I thought, wow, that’s an interesting thing to do. Then, it dawned on me, April fools. I don’t know how I feel about being tricked on social media. I usually write about a few of my favorite April Fools’ Day jokes on April 1. Read more →

Planning ahead, I decided to try to see what I could find that was new for an Easter lunch that with fit in my new, low-fat Dean Ornish meal plan. I found Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels, mashed potatoes, and green beans at Trader Joe’s. At Safeway at the end of a long shopping trip, I found some hot cross buns. Read more →

Homeowners could pay less to sell their homes after a realtors’ group agreed to cut commissions to settle lawsuits filed against it. On Friday, the National Association of Realtors agreed to pay $418 million in damages and to eliminate its rules on commissions. The $418 million agreement will make it easier for home buyers to negotiate fees with their own agents. Read more →

Winter is far from over with heavy rains causing extensive damage in California and Nevada this week. At least three people died from fallen tree incidents in northern California on Sunday and more than 200,000 households remained without power Monday night. Dealing with the aftermath of flooding, wind damage, or other storm destruction isn’t easy. Read more →