The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Trump administration repeals a clean water law, putting the drinking water for millions of Americans at risk

On Thursday, the Trump administration finalized its plan to repeal the Waters of the U.S. rule or WOTUS – an Obama-era rule that prohibits the dumping of industrial and agricultural pollution into sensitive waterways that provide tap water for more than 117 million Americans.

The repeal of the rule will remove protections for many small streams and wetlands, which were put in place in 2015. The rule determines which streams, rivers, and lakes are protected from pollution by the federal Clean Water Act and extends protection for millions of acres of wetlands that filter drinking water.

Small streams are where big rivers start, and the best science confirms that dirty streams lead to even dirtier rivers, said Craig Cox, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the Environmental Working Group. Millions of Americans drink water directly connected to 234,000 miles of small streams that will now be unprotected as a result of the repeal.

Consumer Reports replies to Impossible Foods’ criticism of its article on the company’s beef substitute burger

Photo: Sarah Stierch

On Monday, I went with a group of colleagues to a local restaurant for a meeting. The menu said you could get an Impossible Burger for $2 more in any of its burger options. Knowing I was going to post the Consumer Reports reply to Impossible Foods’s article about them, I wanted to try one. However, I was told the Impossible burger wasn’t available. The company hasn’t been able to keep up with production to meet all the new demand. Disappointing.

Here’s the Consumer Reports statement on Impossible Foods’ beef with its critique:

In response to Consumer Reports’ recent article “Meat Gets A Makeover” focusing on plant-based alternatives to traditional beef burgers, Rachel Konrad – Impossible Foods’ PR chief – published an inflammatory and misleading attack on the motivations and methods behind our coverage of the safety of a key ingredient in the Impossible Burger. Oddly enough, she seems out for blood about an article that very fairly compares several plant-based alternatives based on taste, safety, and environmental impact.

Processed meats cured with natural ingredients just as harmful as those cured with synthetic ingredients, Consumer Reports tests show

The terms “Uncured” and “No Nitrate or Nitrite Added” shouldn’t be allowed to be used on labels for meat processed with nitrates or nitrites from natural ingredients, such as celery powder, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Consumer Reports told the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wednesday. The groups urged the agency to revise its rule because the labels are misleading and may give consumers the false impression that these products are healthier.

Tests of deli meats by Consumer Reports show the labels are misleading. Consumer Reports tested 31 packaged deli meats – name brands and store brands – including chicken, ham, roast beef, salami, and turkey. It’s tests showed that nitrates and nitrites, which have been linked to cancer, are found in processed meats labeled “Uncured” or “No Nitrates or Nitrites Added” at similar levels to those prepared with synthetic curing agents such as sodium nitrite.  

“The ‘Uncured’ and ‘No Nitrate or Nitrite Added’ labels could make people think these meats are healthier, but our tests show they are not,” said Charlotte Vallaeys, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “Deli meats carrying these labels pose the same health risks as traditionally cured meats because the nitrate and nitrite levels are essentially the same.”

Facts and figures for Labor Day 2019

Source: WalletHub

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

What to look for in Labor Day 2019 sales

With summer coming to an end and the back-to-school shopping keeping people busy, it’s helpful to have information about Labor Day sales so you can get the best deals possible. During the Labor Day sales, you'll find lots of bargains. Look for reduced prices on clothing, appliances, computers, phones, electronics, and furniture.

WalletHub, a personal-finance website, has analyzed the Labor Day sales this year and offers information on the top deals:

Best labor day deals and sales

Dishwashers are the best items to buy in September, compared to the rest of the year.
 

2019’s 10 best Labor Day deals

1. Invicta Women's Watch – 50 percent off	6. Sealy Queen Mattress – 63.09 percent off
2. Kenmore Washer – 46.15 percent off	7. HP OfficeJet Printer – 33.34 percent off
3. Abbyson Giorgio Sofa Set – 50 percent off	8. Samsung Refrigerator – 33.34 percent off
4. Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera - 41.22 percent off	9. NordicTrack Elite Elliptical – 59.38 percent off
5. Women's Laguna Bike – 33.33 percent off	10. Samsung 65" Smart TV – 31.25 percent off

See WalletHub's report the “Best Labor Day Deals & Sales” for more information. The report has a listing of the amount of discounts dozens of stores are offering on clothing, appliances, computers and phones, electronics, packaged goods, furniture, toys, and other categories.

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

What to do about your virtual valuables as you get older

As consumers spend more time online and on their devices, they accumulate digital assets. Digital asset are something of value or significance created online or on a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. 

As consumers age, they may want to consider transferring their digital assets to someone else. They might also want to include something related to their financial life that they may need to refer to later. Examples of digital assets could include the funds in a PayPal account or the downloadable PDF for a yearly tax filing from online tax preparation software.  

Here are tips from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s blog to help you create a plan for your digital assets:

Women's Equality Day 2019 – Celebrating votes for women

From Visually.

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

Don’t eat undercooked beef or soft cheeses made from raw milk, consumer group advises, because inspection laws allow meat and poultry contaminated with salmonella to be sold to the public

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report Thursday describing an ongoing investigation into an outbreak of illnesses caused by a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Newport. Between June 2018 and March 2019, the CDC identified 255 cases in 32 U.S. states, which resulted in at least 60 hospitalizations and two deaths. The investigation is continuing, and agencies are recommending that consumers avoid undercooked beef and soft cheeses made with raw milk.

Consumer advocates are concerned that the outbreak may spread, because food safety regulators continue to allow companies to sell beef contaminated with the strain of Salmonella Newport in the outbreak, said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service has detected the outbreak strain, or “closely related” strains, in three samples at one or more Texas slaughter and processing facilities. However, under current regulations, the agency doesn’t consider beef containing these pathogens to be adulterated, or prohibit it from being sold to consumers.

iBuying costs sellers more, study shows

What is iBuying? iBuyers purchase homes from sellers at a lower than market price based on proprietary algorithms, pay the seller almost immediately, make any needed improvements, then re-sell the homes.

The total cost of using iBuying for home sellers is 13-15 percent of a home’s sale price, according to research by Collateral Analytics.

That compares to a 5-7 percent commission, plus the costs of any needed home repairs or preparation, for a seller working with a traditional real estate agent. In addition, iBuying sellers are freed from the uncertainty of selling their home.

How to reduce the amount of plastic you eat

That’s right, you read it correctly. Humans, like animals, are eating plastic. We’ve all read about dead animals found filled with plastic, but it’s important for humans to realize that they, too, are consuming plastic.

I recently wrote about how to reduce the amount of plastic we use in our lives. A Consumer Reports article, “How to Eat Less Plastic,” alerted me to the fact we need to go a step further and take a look at how much plastic we’re eating.

Research is just beginning on how many tiny particles of plastic people consume. One research review calculated that by eating, drinking, and breathing, the average American ingests 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles every year, with even more ingested if bottled water is consumed regularly, according to the article.