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A Bad Option Is Now Worse

With more and more people losing their jobs, home values falling, and prospects for a quick economic recovery pretty much out the window, bankruptcy is becoming a looming possibility for hundreds of thousands of consumers. Unfortunately, since the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Law, it's an even worse option than before. Read more...

Unemployment Line Is Getting Longer

Ouch! The number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time shot up by 27,000 last week, as the economy begins the feel the first effects of an on-rushing recession. That means the number of people now receiving unemployment benefits is the highest level in 26 years. It also means than many consumers are starting to eat into savings. Read more...

Take Two Aspirin And Call Me Next Year

Once upon a time, consumers had a much more casual, and open relationship with their family doctor. Getting an appointment was never a hassle, and if you were really feeling under the weather, they would even come to you! Family doctors no longer make house calls and the process of getting in to see one is more complicated than in the past. Patients may not like it and, it turns out, doctors aren't crazy about it either. And for that reason, the family doctor is becoming a vanishing breed. Read more ...

A Bit Too Selective

Online relationship site eHarmony.com claims to be well known for its very choosy standards when it comes to matching up members. In fact, their propensity to reject almost anyone who doesn't fit the "wholesome" mold led to creation of a rival dating site, whose members appear in its ads proudly proclaiming that they had been rejected by eHarmony. Now, the State of New Jersey has decided eHarmony has been a bit too selective. Read more ...

Another Downside Of Gift Cards

Thinking of giving gift cards this year? Consider carefully where you buy them. What are the chances the retailer will still be in business when the recipient wants to use your gift? It's an especially relevant question in these days and times. For example, bankrupt electronics retailer Tweeter tried to stop honoring all gift certificates this week, prompting several attorneys general to intervene. Read more...

How Low Will It Go?

When are low prices not good news? When they're falling like a rock and pose the threat of deflation. That's like inflation's mirror image, when prices sink lower month after month. What's wrong with that you ask? The car you still owe $12,000 on is now worth $8,000. Or the house you purchased with no money down for $400,000 is now worth $285,000. We're not there yet, but October's Consumer Price Index set off alarm bells in some quarters. Read more...

See You In Court

We get lots and lots of complaints from consumers about their cell phone company. Not any company in particular – all of them. We also get lots of complaints about credit card companies. But unfortunately for these consumers, they have very little power to respond because there's a service agreement in place that has a mandatory arbitration clause, that in essence takes away their right to sue. But because of the shift in political winds blowing through Washington, that may be about to change. Read more...

Must-See TV

Do you turn on TV first thing in the morning, and only turn it off before going to bed at night? Do you plan your evenings around the prime time line-up? Far be it for us to judge, but there are some researchers out there who would describe you as unhappy. Read more...

Hey, Get Your Own Bailout!

That $700 billion "bailout" approved by Congress last month, now officially known as "TARP" money, is being sliced and diced, with everyone lining up to get a piece. $350 billion has already gone to purchase stock in banks, but Congress would like to use some of it to prop up General Motors for another couple of months. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says "no way." Seeming to draw a line in the sand, he told Congress today if it wants to save Detroit, it can come up with the money to do so. Read more...

Some Advice For The First Family

Among the pressing questions Steve Croft asked President-elect and Mrs. Obama on 60 Minutes Sunday night was about the "dog" issue. Had the family decided on what kind of dog to get? The question has sparked America's imagination since Obama mentioned at his victory rally election night that his daughters are getting a new puppy when they move into the White House. We can only hope it doesn't come from a pet store. Read more...

Unemployment's One-Two Punch

The nation's unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in October, but in all likelihood will go much higher as a steep recession sets in. Economists are expecting the jobless rate to jump to 7.5 percent by the middle of next year as more major companies follow Citigroup's lead in slashing payrolls. Finding yourself in the unemployment line may present you with two problems; not only do you need to find new income, you may need to find health coverage as well. Read more...

Kicking People When They're Down

There may be honor among thieves, but you'd be hard pressed to find it among scammers. They're often the lowest of the low, preying on people's vulnerabilities in good times or bad. And when hard times come along, they quickly figure out how to play that to their advantage. The foreclosure rescue scam, for example, usually results in distressed homeowners losing their house. Do people need to save money on prescription drugs? If so, there's a scam for that. Read more...

Hard Times

If there were any remaining doubt that the U.S. has suddenly slipped into a recession, Citigroup's announcement today that it's laying off 53,000 people sort of put an exclamation point on it. It's prompted New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to gently suggest that Citi execs forego their annual bonuses this year. And not only has a recession begun, the nation's top economists say it could last a while. Read more...

Playing It Safe

How do you time the housing market bottom? Very carefully. While it might seem like a good time to jump into the housing market and snap up bargains, inexperienced buyers should tread lightly. What looks like a good deal at the moment might not be. Read more...

The Burden Of Proof Is Now On China

China has complained that the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a little too quick to criticize its failings in the area of product safety. But that was before last summer's problems with tainted infant formula, that killed or injured a number of Chinese babies. And before the scandal spread to other food products that contained milk, which turned out to be tainted with melamine. The FDA has finally cracked down, stopping Chinese products at the border until they can be shown to be melamine-free. Read more...

Hello, $2 A Gallon

Last July 4th weekend, when you were paying close to $4 a gallon to fill up for that trip to the beach, you probably expected to pay even more on the trip home. After all, there were plenty of soothsayers predicting $5, $6, even $10 a gallon in the future. Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, expect that you'd be paying around $2 a gallon when you filled up for the annual Thanksgiving Day drive to Grandma's? To be honest, neither did we. Read more...

Bucking The System

An End Run Around The Credit Freeze

While the federal government has pumped billions of dollars into commercial banks, in hopes of thawing the credit freeze, money has been slow to start moving through the financial system. Large corporations are first in line, while small businesses might be months away from even getting a meeting with their banker. But for small companies in need of credit to maintain their business operations, there are some workable options. Read more...

'Tis The Season To Be Frugal

Consumer confidence plunged in October as the credit crisis unfolded. For the nation's retailers, the timing couldn't have been worse. A meltdown in January would have been much preferable, since January is a lousy month anyway. But the start of the fourth quarter is, for all practical purposes, the start of the holiday shopping season – a time when retailers make most of their profits for the year. Consumers are already telling pollsters they plan to cut back on holiday spending. We know, they say that every year, but one retail analyst says this year, they really mean it. Read more...

Passengers' Rights Get Grounded

Airline passengers, angry after being stranded on the tarmac during weather delays, pushed the government to place limits on how long they could be held captive on the ground. The government responded by doing what it's best at – appointing a commission. Well, the commission issued its report this week and if you're one of those angry passengers, you're probably not going to like it. Read more...

The Dismal Science

There's new evidence those predictions of a rapid escalation in the nation's unemployment rate are coming true. It's all there in the numbers, as the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week to 516,000, the highest level since the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks. More people losing their jobs is especially bad news, as it could upset those newly announced plans to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. And speaking of foreclosures, there were more of them last month. Read more...

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Credit card customers may have noticed some changes since the credit crunch hit in full force in September. Many lenders have toughed up the key conditions of their credit card agreements. Interest rates have jumped for consumers who don't make on-time, minimum payments. It's one of the downsides of the current credit crisis. Of course, the crisis does have an upside. Since credit card companies are more reluctant to lend you money, they're sending out fewer of those new credit card offers that go straight into your shredder. Read more...

Under Water

Major mortgage lenders announced plans this week to work with distressed homeowners to prevent them from falling victim to foreclosure. While that's a positive step for the future, it does nothing to help those who are already in the process of losing their homes – and there continues to be many of them. Last month 279,561 struggling borrowers received foreclosure filings, according to RealtyTrac. And a growing number of homeowners now owe more than their homes are worth. Read more...

Well, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

Remember back in September, when Congress was told it had to absolutely, positively pass that $700 billion bailout so the government could buy up toxic debt securities and get credit flowing again? It did, costing some lawmakers their seats in the last election, and guess what? That plan has now been scrapped. In fact, the government hasn't bought any toxic debt to speak of. Now there's a new plan. And yeah, half that $700 billion has already been spent. Read more...

Broadband From Your Electrical Outlet

Four years ago the Federal Communications Commission approved a technology allowing the transmission of broadband Internet service over electric utility cables. It sounded like a simple concept – and a way to get broadband service to hard to reach rural areas – but it remains largely unproven, because no one has really tried it on a large scale. Now that's about to change. Read more...

Information, Please!

A public interest group is running TV spots highlighting deficiencies in health coverage, with people in the ads explaining how their lack of adequate coverage resulted in bankruptcy. It's scary stuff, because all these people had insurance and they thought they had the right kind of coverage. They didn't. Where are you supposed to learn about health insurance policies, and which ones are right -- and wrong -- for you? One place to start is the Insurance Information Institute. Various states may also have Web sites with useful information, but many don't have such a good track record when it comes to dispensing insurance advice. Read more...

Have A Banana...And A Good Night's Sleep

There may be greater consequences to short-changing yourself on sleep than falling asleep at meetings. According to a report in the November 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with future risk of heart disease. In addition, a combination of little sleep and overnight-elevated blood pressure appears to be linked to an increased risk of the disease. On the other hand, loading up on potassium can apparently help keep your blood pressure in check. Read more...

Getting A Good Workout

If "bailout" was October's buzzword, "workout" may be the word for November. With access to $700 billion in federal cash, banks are not only being encouraged to make new loans, but use some of that cash to modify the terms of some present borrowers. If the present financial crisis boils down to a problem with housing, then reducing the number of foreclosures just might to the first step toward getting the economy back on track. Read more...

An Apple A Day

We note that Starbucks' quarterly earnings are down 97 percent. When the economy hit the rocks in the third quarter, all those latte-addicted consumers must have headed for McDonalds, where the coffee is a lot cheaper. The one company that seems oblivious to the economic downturn, however, is Apple Computer, and it has very little to do with computers. The iPhone is keeping Apple in the pink, thanks to both consumers and businesses. Read more...

A Billion Here, A Billion There…

Remember that $85 billion taxpayer loan to AIG in September? It's now $150 billion. The government has been handing over fistfuls of cash to keep the insurance giant from going under. On Monday the company reported it lost $24.7 billion in the third quarter alone. And Uncle Sam shouldn't put his check book away just yet, because here come the car companies. Read more ...

Keep Those Earphones Away From Your Pacemaker

People with pacemakers can't be too careful. For example in the early days of microwave ovens, you used to see signs in some restaurants warning people with pacemakers that a microwave was operating on the premises. Even though there's little evidence that microwaves play havoc with pacemakers, there's another everyday device that might be cause for concern. Read more ...

What Is It About "Recall" That You Don't Understand?

When the Food and Drug Administration put out a recall notice earlier this year for the blood thinning drug heparin, made with contaminated ingredients from China, it was pretty serious business. Hundreds of severe reactions, and even deaths, have been linked to the contaminated drug. So how is it that batches of the drug still appear to be on the market more than nine months later? That's what federal authorities, and some irate physicians, want to know. Read more ...

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

Does anything go on the Internet? Apparently not. Craigslist, which serves as a way for almost anyone to promote their services, now has one big exception, thanks to 40 state attorneys general. Read more ...

Not Exactly A Hopeful Start

The government's latest response to the foreclosure crisis is something called the Hope for Homeowners Plan, which launched last month to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes. The plan was to help as many as 400,000 homeowners avoid foreclosure by refinancing into lower-rate FHA mortgages. So how's it going? Well, fewer than 100 homeowners signed up in the first month.

Another way to reduce foreclosures is to draw more buyers back to the market, and while there have been a few encouraging signs in recent weeks, buyers still appear unconvinced that the market has bottomed. Read more ...

Looking For A Lifeline

First it was banks, now it's the car companies. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all say they need a federal bailout in order to survive and a new president and new Congress have already sent strong signals that help is on the way. But its not just the car companies that are in danger of going under – the thousands of dealers who sell their products appear to be hanging by a thread too. Read more ...

Graphics by Marisa Lisante. Photos, unless otherwise noted, by iStock.

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