Current Events in August 2012

2013 Golf TDI Volkswagen has been tearing up the track the last few years, racing to become the world's largest automaker by 2018. It may just get there. 

The company reported today that it delivered 3.26 million vehicles worldwide from January through July, a 10.4 percent increase over the comparable period a year ago.

In the U.S., VW delivered 245,700 new cars and SUVs, a 34 percent increase.

“The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has grown global deliveries further despite the continued difficult market situation, above all in Western Europe,” Christian Klingler, Board Member for Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said in Wolfsburg.

More efficient

VW is also hard at work trying to wring more economies out of its design and manufacturing process. It's planning to reap massive savings from its new MQB architecture, which makes it possible to develop new models much faster and more cheaply.

One of the first models to benefit from the new shared architecture is the Golf. The seventh-generation Golf will lose 220 pounds and reduce its fuel consumption by 23 percent, VW said yesterday.

Most of the weight reduction comes from using stronger steel. Since the steel is stronger, it doesn't take as much of it, thus reducing the weight. The new Audi A3, which shares the same platform, has shaved 176 pounds. 

The new Golf is scheduled to be unveiled September 4. It won't be coming to the United States until at least late 2013, however.

The housing market continues on a plodding path to recovery. Despite near record low interest rates and beaten down home prices, sales of existing homes in the U.S. rose just 2.3 percent in July over June.

However, there is unmistakable progress. Sales were up 10.4 percent when compared to July 2011. Home values were up as well. The average sales price was 187,300 in July, 9.4 percent higher than in the same month a year earlier.

On a year-over-year basis, the market is in the midst of a double-digit recovery. National Association of Realtors (NAR) chief economist Lawrence Yun says the market should be farther along than it is.

Abnormal frictions

“Mortgage interest rates have been at record lows this year while rents have been rising at faster rates. Combined, these factors are helping to unleash a pent-up demand,” Yun said. “However, the market is constrained by unnecessarily tight lending standards and shrinking inventory supplies, so housing could easily be much stronger without these abnormal frictions.”

NAR reports July sales rose in every region but the West, where inventory is very tight. While a tight inventory reduces sales, it's actually a positive sign for sellers since it helps lift prices.

Given population and demographic demand, Yun said existing-home sales could be in a normal range of 5 to 5.5 million if all conditions were optimal. But they aren't all optimal. It's much harder these days to qualify for a mortgage, meaning there are fewer buyers in the marketplace.

“Sales may reach five million next year, but it will require more sensible lending standards and stronger job creation to push beyond that,” Yun said.

Distressed sales are down

Distressed homes -- foreclosures and short sales sold at deep discounts -- accounted for 24 percent of July sales, down from 25 percent in June and 29 percent in July 2011. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 17 percent below market value in July, while short sales were discounted 15 percent.

First-time buyers accounted for 34 percent of purchasers in July, up from 32 percent in June; they were also 32 percent in July 2011. Yun says that under normal conditions, entry-level buyers account for four out of 10 purchases but these buyers are typically the ones that can't qualify for a mortgage now.

All-cash sales slipped to 27 percent of transactions in July from 29 percent in June; they were 29 percent in July 2011. Investors, who account for the bulk of cash sales, purchased 16 percent of homes in July, down from 19 percent in June; they were 18 percent in July 2011.

Doing better financially? You are, according to one measure.

The CredAbility Consumer Distress Index says that for the first time since the third quarter of 2008, U.S. consumers have clawed their way out of financial distress.

Housing was the main driver of consumers’ improved financial condition this quarter, as late payments on mortgages hit a three-year low and housing costs dropped as more homeowners cut their payments by refinancing.

The average household also held a tighter rein on his household budgets, which helped drive the savings rate to a one-year high in June. Net worth also ticked up.

Tracking finances

The quarterly index, published by CredAbility, a nonprofit credit counseling and education agency, tracks the financial condition of the average U.S. household by measuring five categories: employment, housing, credit, how families manage household budgets and net worth. The index has a national score, a ranking of all 50 states and 77 of the largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).

A score below 70 indicates a state of financial distress, but U.S. households scored 71.3 in the second quarter on the Index’s 100-point scale. The 71.3 score is an increase of 1.4 points from the previous quarter and 4.6 points over the past year.

“Slowly but surely, consumers have worked to repair their finances during the past four years by paying down debt and better managing their credit, said Mark Cole, executive vice president of CredAbility. “They are more in control of their household budgets, increasing their savings even as gasoline prices have risen and the drought has started to affect food prices. While millions of people continue to battle unemployment, the majority of households with stable jobs and housing has made wise financial choices and are moving in the right direction.”

A closer look

On the local level, however, several major cities remain in financial distress, with three of the nation’s five largest MSAs in Florida topping the list. Orlando is the most distressed city, followed by Tampa-St. Petersburg, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., Las Vegas and Miami-Fort Lauderdale.

Among the 30 largest MSAs, the healthiest cities are Boston, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver.

Only 15 of the 50 states scored below 70. Nevada had the lowest score at 62.70, followed by Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan and Florida. Nevada and Florida are “battleground” states in the November presidential election.

The four other closely contested states -- Virginia, Ohio, Iowa and Colorado -- all scored above 70. The national highlights for the second quarter included the following:

• Mortgage delinquency rates continued to improve, with 6.55 percent of homeowners behind on their mortgage payments, a significant improvement compared to 7.64 percent in the first quarter. At the state level, California's delinquency rate fell from 6.82 percent to 5.88 percent during the quarter.
• The index's unemployment score improved by only one-half point, from 59.4 to 59.8, and continued to drag down the index.
• For the first time in three years, the score for the Credit category declined. Still, the index score for the Credit category is 86.7, indicating that households' credit is in far better shape now than at any time since 1996.

Orlando had the lowest score among all large MSAs in the housing category, largely due to a mortgage delinquency rate of 13.58 percent. Riverside-San Bernardino is the most distressed MSA in the unemployment category, though the region has seen a pickup of 11,000 jobs during the past year.

Major cities on the Eastern Seaboard and Texas laid claim to the households in the best financial health. Boston and Washington, D.C. were the only two cities that scored better than 77 while Dallas at 73.4 and Houston at 72.4 were among the top six.

Among the MSAs with a population of 2 million or less, Omaha had the highest score at 79.6 while four cities in California and Florida reported the highest levels of financial distress. Bakersfield had the lowest score at 62.6, followed by Fresno, Calif., at 62.7, Bradenton-Sarasota, Fla. at 63 and Jacksonville at 63.1.

In case you hadn't noticed, the price of gasoline is going down for the first time in more than a month. The national average price of self-serve regular, as measured by AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey, declined slightly both yesterday and today.

Today's average price is $3.716 a gallon, compared to $3.717 Tuesday. Monday's average was $3.720 a gallon.

That puts the current average less than a penny a gallon higher than it was seven days ago and may reflect the end of the marked escalation that took drivers by surprise early in the month. The average price today fell just below $4 in Illinois, where it had surged more than 40 cents in late July. Illinois prices are now down about seven cents in the last week.

The price is still climbing in California, but not by much. California prices escalated in the wake of a fire at Chevron's Richmond, CA, refinery in early August. Pump prices in the Golden State are up 33 cents a gallon in the last month but only by one and a half cents in the last week.

Unusual season

It's unusual for gasoline prices to rise as the end of summer driving season approaches but AAA's Avery Ash says this season has been unusual and that has affected the price of crude oil.

“Domestic supply and distribution issues have been the driving force behind rising pump prices the last several weeks as oil prices have drifted slightly higher and have provided some additional suppor,” Ash said. “For the first time since mid-May of this year, West Texas Intermediate crude oil has now settled above $90 per barrel every day for more than two weeks. This support for oil prices has been attributed to positive global economic data and continued geopolitical tensions with Iran.”

Oil prices rose again today as the Energy Information Administration reported that, once again, U.S. stockpiles of crude oil fell in the previous week. That suggests that this week's decline in gasoline prices could be short lived, or at least be so slight that motorists might not even notice it.

To help prevent the use of misleading, fraudulent and deceptive designations and certifications to promote financial services to senior citizens, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to create a ratings system for financial certifications and designations.

In support of this and other recommendations to address senior financial exploitations, the CFP Board included its Senior Americans Financial Exploitation Survey.

Widespread abuse

That survey found that more than half of the certified financial planner professionals who participated have worked with an older client who has been subject to unfair, deceptive or abusive practices in the delivery of financial advice or the sale of financial products.

"Older Americans have already given many years of hard work and dedication -- raising families, serving in the military, building businesses -- all to become one of our most financially secure generations," said CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller. "This survey reveals the pervasive financial abuse victimizing America's seniors. CFP Board applauds the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for its focus on this problem and urges the Bureau to take prompt action to reduce the use of misleading certifications and designations.”

In its letter, to the CFPB, the board noted that with more than 140 designations currently in use in the delivery of financial services, "senior investors are particularly vulnerable to confusion about professional designations and certifications." Financial designations vary significantly, according to the planners, and investors have no meaningful way of comparing their legitimacy, value or authenticity. “With no federal or consistent state regulation or oversight of certifications and designations,” they point out, “Americans -- especially seniors -- are left on their own to sort through the alphabet soup of letters at the end of a financial professional's name.”

The board urged the CFPB to take practical steps to reduce the misleading use of certifications and designations. Specifically, it recommended that the CFPB:

• Establish a rating system for professional certifications and designations by identifying qualitative and quantitative standards (based on best practices for certifications) against which certifications and designations can be evaluated. The rating system would rank designations from the highest tier to those that are so deficient that their use in marketing is presumptively misleading or deceptive.
• Communicate the rating system through an educational campaign to educate older Americans on how to use the system to evaluate the financial designations.

The CFP Board suggested that CFPB could use the standards upon which the CFP certification is based -- an accredited certification program that requires substantial education and experience, a fair, valid and reliable exam that measures competencies for the standard of practice, continuing education required to maintain competencies, high professional and ethical standards, and a rigorous enforcement process that includes revocation of the certification, evidence that revocation is implemented, and public notice of disciplinary actions -- as the model for the types of criteria that should be used to evaluate financial service designations.

CFP Board also urged the CFPB to support legislative and regulatory reforms to protect older Americans, including to:

• Encourage policies that support the delivery of financial advice to older Americans under a fiduciary standard of care;
• Encourage reforms -- on a state or federal level -- that would require those who work with seniors to meet baseline competency and ethical standards; and
• Address the use of misleading titles, e.g., financial professionals who hold themselves out as financial planners without meeting competency or ethical requirements, by encouraging the implementation of the Government Accountability Office recommendations to gather additional data on this consumer protection issue that affects older Americans.

"As the Bureau takes much-needed steps toward addressing deceptive and fraudulent financial practices targeting American seniors, CFP Board and its nearly 67,000 certified financial planner professionals hope to serve as valuable partners in the identification and prevention of such abuse," said Keller.

Three Website domain names engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android cell phone apps have been seized -- the first action of its kind. 

The three seized domain names -- applanet.net, appbucket.net and snappzmarket.com -- are in the custody of the federal government. Visitors to the sites will now find a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain name has been seized by federal authorities and educates them that willful copyright infringement is a federal crime. 

“Cracking down on piracy of copyrighted works – including popular apps – is a top priority of the Criminal Division,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer. “Software apps have become an increasingly essential part of our nation’s economy and creative culture, and the Criminal Division is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the creators of these apps and other forms of intellectual property from those who seek to steal it.” 

Thousands of apps involved 

During the operation, FBI agents downloaded thousands of copies of popular copyrighted mobile device apps from the alternative online markets suspected of distributing copies of apps without permission from the software developers who would otherwise sell copies of the apps on legitimate online markets for a fee. 

In most cases, the servers storing the apps sold by these alternative online markets were being hosted in other countries, and U.S. international law enforcement partners assisted in obtaining or seizing evidence stored on these servers. Nine search warrants were also executed in six different districts across the country as part of the operation. 

“The theft of intellectual property, particularly within the cyber arena, is a growing problem and one that cannot be ignored by the U.S government’s law enforcement community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Lamkin. “These thefts cost companies millions of dollars and can even inhibit the development and implementation of new ideas and applications. The FBI, in working with its various corporate and government partners, is not only committed to combating such thefts but is well poised to coordinate with the many jurisdictions that are impacted by such activities.” 

These enforcement actions are part of the efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about the risks they face if they take Reumofan Plus and Reumofan Plus Premium, products marketed as “dietary supplements” that have hidden drug ingredients that can cause serious and potentially fatal side effects.

Because of the possible risks, consumers should not buy or start using these products.

FDA is issuing an updated alert that these products contain undeclared active ingredients found in prescription drugs that should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional.

Earlier warning

Since June 1, 2012, when FDA first warned the public about the dangers of these supplements, the agency has received reports of fatalities, stroke, severe bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract (including the esophagus, stomach and intestines), dizziness, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), high blood sugar levels and problems with liver and kidney functions, as well as corticosteroid withdrawal syndrome.

“Consumers who are currently taking Reumofan Plus or Reumofan Plus Premium, or who have recently stopped taking it, should immediately consult a health care professional,” said Elizabeth Miller, Pharm.D., acting director of FDA’s Division of Non-Prescription drugs and health fraud.

Miller notes that because one of the drugs found in Reumofan products is a corticosteroid, it is not advisable to stop taking the supplements without medical guidance. Corticosteroids are drugs used to reduce inflammation. Sudden discontinuation could cause withdrawal syndrome and life-threatening suppression of the adrenal glands, which regulate a number of hormones and body functions. The risk of withdrawal syndrome depends upon a number of variables that must be assessed by a health care professional.

Reumofan Plus and Reumofan Plus Premium are marketed as “natural” dietary supplements for treatment of arthritis, muscle pain, osteoporosis (the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density), bone cancer and other conditions. The law defines dietary supplements, in part, as products that contain “dietary” ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs or other botanicals.

These products are manufactured in Mexico by Riger Naturals and sold widely on the Internet, as well as at flea markets and some retail outlets. FDA has worked with the Mexican Ministry of Health, which issued a health warning to the public and ordered Riger Naturals to recall the product.

Natural vs. unnatural

How do you know if a supposedly “natural” supplement actually contains potentially dangerous ingredients, especially when -- as is the case with the Reumofan products -- these ingredients are not listed on the label?

Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Division of Dietary Supplement Programs, says consumers should avoid products marketed as supplements that claim to have any effects that are the same as those of prescription drugs.

Fabricant says consumers should also be wary of products in which the important information on the label appears only in a foreign language. (Reumofan Plus and Reumofan Plus Premium are labeled in Spanish, but other versions of these products with labels in English may exist.)

According to Miller, unlike the premarket review that FDA conducts for prescription and some over-the-counter drugs, “people are often surprised to learn that the law doesn’t require FDA to ensure that dietary supplements are safe and effective before they go on the market. That’s why it’s important for consumers to have heightened awareness so they can avoid products with hidden dangers.”

FDA actions

After receiving reports of adverse events associated with Reumofan Plus, FDA analyzed the product in one of its laboratories and found that it contains the following drug ingredients:

• diclofenac sodium -- a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that may cause increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, as well as serious gastrointestinal problems.
• Methocarbamol -- a prescription muscle relaxant that can cause sedation, dizziness and low blood pressure, and impair mental or physical abilities to perform tasks such as driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.
• Dexamethasone -- a corticosteroid used to treat inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, which can increase the risk of infection, increased blood sugar levels, changes in blood pressure, damage to bones, psychiatric problems and adrenal suppression.

An FDA laboratory analysis of Reumofan Plus Premium found that it contains two of the ingredients listed above, diclofenac sodium and methocarbamol.

Serious consequences

Miller says the presence of dexamethasone means that people taking these supplements must work with their health care professional to slowly and safely taper off the drug. A person who abruptly stops taking corticosteroids after long-term use or after taking high doses runs the risk of suffering from withdrawal syndrome. This may include nausea, low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, fever, muscle and joint pain, dizziness and fainting.

Any of the drug ingredients found in Reumofan Plus or Reumofan Plus Premium can also interact with other medications a consumer may be taking and result in serious health consequences.

Fabricant suggests that consumers considering using a dietary supplement should think about consulting their health care professional or a registered dietitian first to see if the product is really needed and to help distinguish between valid and questionable information.

Royal Jordanian Airlines, EgyptAir, and Royal Air Maroc have been fined for violating the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) expanded airline passenger protection rules that took effect in January.

 Royal Jordanian Airlines violated the rule on full-fare advertising and the rule requiring the disclosure of fees for baggage and was assessed a civil penalty of $70,000. 

EgyptAir violated rules requiring the disclosure of fees for baggage and the inclusion of assurances in its customer service plan allowing consumers to cancel a reservation without penalty for 24 hours after they book a flight and was assessed a civil penalty of $60,000. 

Royal Air Maroc violated the rule requiring the disclosure of fees for baggage and was assessed a civil penalty of $60,000. 

Each carrier was also ordered to cease and desist from further violations. DOT discovered the violations during its review of carrier Websites to ensure compliance with its consumer protection rules. 

Fair treatment 

“Airline passengers deserve to be treated fairly when they fly, and that means knowing the full price of their trip, including charges for checking baggage, as well as being given the opportunity to cancel a reservation without penalty for 24 hours after booking,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. 

DOT requires all advertisements that include airfares to state the entire price to be paid by the consumer. Prior to a provision of the rule that took effect Jan. 26, advertised fares were not required to include certain government-imposed taxes as long as these additional charges were clearly disclosed in the ad. Under the new rule, all government taxes and fees must be incorporated into the fare. The rule applies to both U.S. and foreign airlines as well as ticket agents. 

Website searches 

Airfare searches made by the DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office on Royal Jordanian’s Website after Jan. 26 resulted in separate listings of base fares for outbound and inbound legs that did not include additional government taxes and fees. By failing to advertise the entire price of the flight when fares were first stated, the airline violated the full-fare advertising rule. 

Under a separate provision of the rule that took effect on Jan. 24, carriers must disclose to consumers booking a flight that they may have to pay baggage fees in addition to the basic ticket price. When consumers book a flight on-line, carriers must clearly and prominently disclose on the first screen that offers a specific itinerary that additional baggage fees may apply and tell the consumer where they can view the fees. The rule applies to all airlines selling air transportation in the United States, including foreign carriers. 

Airfare searches on Royal Jordanian’s Website made by the Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office after April 11 found that the airline failed to disclose on the first screen in which it offered a fare quotation for a specific itinerary that additional airline fees for baggage may apply and where consumers could see those fees. 

Searches made on EgyptAir’s Website after Jan. 24 found that the airline also failed to make this disclosure and instead referred customers to the airline’s baggage overview pages for more information without clearly indicating whether additional baggage fees would apply to the fares displayed. 

A review of Royal Air Maroc’s Website after Jan. 24 found that it contained a menu option which linked to the airline’s baggage fee policies, but that there was no reference to these policies on the website’s first screen in which a fare quotation for a specific itinerary was offered. The placement of the baggage fee policies did not make it clear whether additional baggage fees might apply to the fares displayed and therefore was not sufficient to comply with the requirement of the rule. 

DOT requires carriers to include a commitment in their customer service plans allowing customers’ reservations to be held at the quoted fare without payment, or canceled without penalty, for at least twenty-four hours after the reservation is made if the reservation is made one week or more prior to a flight’s departure. 

A review of EgyptAir’s Website after Jan. 24, found that the airline failed to include this commitment in the contents of its plans.

In the world of eating out, you have your casual diners, your every-now-and-then-food enthusiast, and your hardcore foodie types. But the one thing they all have in common is a way to find and keep up with the eateries that fit their taste and pocketbook.

Way back when — which was really just a few years ago — it was a bit harder to know where the best restaurants and eateries were. A person either had to count on word of mouth to find a good place, see some sort of advertisement or review in the newspaper, or run into that ambitious restaurant owner who talks you into entering his establishment when you walk by.

Today it's a lot easier to find out where the hot spots are through a bevy of new smartphone apps that do everything from allowing you to see restaurant deals in real time, to making reservations and inviting friends to come dine with you, like Foursquare for example.

Foursquare

The company, founded by two buddies and based in New York City, gives the user suggestions on where to eat based on their preferences and past restaurant choices.

For example, if you've been frequenting a lot of Chinese restaurants, and you saved each location in the app, it will tell you about that new Szechuan place that just opened up by your house.

Foursquare will also give you deals and discounts for all the different types of eateries you've been visiting, and it will help you coordinate a restaurant dinner party, or simply let your friends know where you’re eating and invite them to join you for a bite.

And of course there's a review component to the app, so anybody can be a food critic with a built-in audience whenever they feel like it.

This past June, Foursquare relaunched the app after the company redesigned some of its features and highlighted its social media usage. 

Although some of its initial user numbers have slightly decreased since the relaunch, it's still one of the more popular free food apps for Androids, iPhones and iPads.

Around Campus

The Around Campus app has a very specific area of usefulness, as it gathers all of the restaurant and bar deals from college campus planners and relevant Internet sources.

The app is ideal for the college kid with little to no money, or those people who happen to live in or near a college town.

The company says there are over 300 campuses that currently access the service, and the app almost serves as a personal deal expert that does all of the legwork for you by consolidating coupons and cheap places to eat.

The app also allows you to keep abreast of other businesses in the area that may be frequented and helpful to the average college student.

Around Campus is free to access and available on iOS and Androids, and with  new restaurants popping up by the second, these types of apps can only help consumers decide what's best out of a sea of choices.

Big eaters

According to research conducted by the National Restaurant Association, the entire restaurant industry will rake in nearly $632 billion before the year is over, which shows people are still eating out in droves, despite the economy, and app makers can barely keep up with the growing consumer interest.

Many of the app makers are competing with each other and trying to separate themselves by creating a unique service niche that has yet to be thought of by other companies.

Thryve

Thryve is one of those apps that provide a niche service. Its creators made the app to serve as a nutritional coach to help you avoid foods that your body has a low tolerance for.

Users keep track of what they're eating and document how each food item made them feel.

Afterwards, the app suggests other foods to both eat and avoid, so if you that particular beverage or vegetable is making your stomach churn, the app will lead you to other options so you can hopefully enjoy your meal instead of feeling discomfort.

Another useful electronic assistannt that focuses on health is Nutritionix. It helps users eat a little better by providing useful menu information for popular eating locations. Although it's really a database and not an app, Nutritionix can still be accessed on your mobile device.

So if you would like to check the nutritional information of a particular restaurant you're going to, the app will individually breakdown each item, just in case you wanted to know what's really in that cheese dish at Red Lobster.

Mobilecious

Mobilecious is pretty cool too. For those who have immersed themselves in the food-truck craze, this nifty little app could turn into your best friend.

Simply use it to find the particular food truck you crave in real time, and you can also check out what's on each truck's menu. The app also lets you know all of the RV's deals and coupons that are being offered.

Moblilecious can be downloaded for free, and is only available for the iPhone and iPad.

If you're one for an upscale dining experience, and live in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York, Blackboard Eats may be just right for you.

The app uses staff members from the food magazine Gourmet to make suggestions, and provides deal offers, reviews and helps users find certain types of restaurants or cuisines. The app is free and can be accessed on both the Android and iOS.

All of these apps are great for foodies as well as the person who just loves to restaurant-hop. It doesn't matter if your taste-buds crave a laid back meal in a moderately priced restaurant, or a high-end dish that requires dressing up a little.

Either way, it's certainly easier than driving around aimlessly searching for the perfect place to eat.

Somehow online dating has become so normal, that offline dating almost seems like a novelty. This is the thinking and marketing approach many dating sites like Match.com are now using, with its newly developed social mixers called “The Stir.”

The Stir events, which have been heavily advertised on television, are organized gatherings of Match.com subscribers, and the events include Happy Hour get-togethers, cooking classes, bowling parties, and Tequila tastings.

The online dating site has starting rolling out these events in twenty U.S. cities earlier this summer, including areas like New York, and San Francisco. Match has said the events will be coming to more cities in the near future.

So far, general Internet chatter about the social mixers has ranged from great to less than satisfactory.

Some people attending the mixers said the events were more or less glorified bar scenes, and many who showed up seemed to be completely different from their profile picture and background information. However, others said they felt the mixers were a good experience and they felt comfortable knowing everybody in the room was already single and looking to meet someone.

A few female Match subscribers said they didn't meet their soulmate during one of the events, but they met other women subscribers that eventually became friends.

Not just Match

Match.com isn't the only dating site that's marketing the possibilities of offline dating. Companies like howaboutwe are also trying to get their subscribers to meet-up for a date or just hangout face-to face.

Here's how it works: The site sends profiles to subscribers so you can communicate virtually with someone you're interested in. Once you get to a level of comfort you set up an in-person meeting.

Unlike other online dating sites, where actual dates also transpire, howaboutwe's main purpose is to establish in-person meetings, instead of its members speaking online and hoping a date will soon happen.

This site is also new so our readers have not yet commented on how useful howaboutwe is, but overall customer reviews throughout the Internet haven't been all that great.

One user said that although the site is being promoted on television, and seems very popular, the number of paid users on the website is relatively low.

Since many people that are signed up only have free access to the site, paid users aren't able to have many of their messages read. A good portion of the people they're interested in aren't forking over the necessary amount of bucks to have full access.

Testing the waters

Prices to join the site range from $36.99 for a one month subscription, to $119.88 for one year access, which may cause some people to simply use the free features just to test the Internet dating waters without jumping in.

And they have a right to be cautious, as according to a study published by the University of Rochester, many subscribers are let down by their Internet connections once they meet in person.

The authors of the study found that virtual exchanges and Internet flirting can lead one to be idealistic as it pertains to finding a lasting romantic connection.

“People with strong beliefs in romantic destiny (sometimes called soulmate beliefs) are especially likely to exit a romantic relationship when problems arise, the authors wrote. “And to become vengeful in response to partner aggression when they feel insecure in the relationship.”

But that doesn't stop other companies from providing off-line dating services.

This grouper's not a fish

Sites like Grouper, that match people according to their Facebook profiles, have also thrown their hat in the circle of online/offline dating.

The way it works is, once two people are virtually connected they are told to each bring two more friends along on the first outing.

This makes it a three-couple date, which theoretically diminishes any awkwardness associated with a blind date. Because let's face it, even though you've been chatting with someone online for months on end, doesn't mean you really know who the person truly is.

Once you have your two friends gathered, and come up with $20 each — the cost of going on the set-up date — Grouper picks the location, and springs for the first round of drinks for you and the whole group.

The selected venue locations are currently only in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.

On the other end of the dating scale, you have old-fashioned offline dating companies like Selective Search, which says it’s an upscale boutique, personal matchmaking firm.

According to the company website, 48 percent of its clients need only three meetings with a person before a true connection is made, and 34 percent said they meet their ultimate love on the very first date.

These numbers sound a bit padded, but a large amount of people, who can afford it, still use these traditional matchmaking services over online dating sites.

One-on-one

In theory, companies like Selective Search provide a more one-on-one specialized service, and tend to be a better filter against those who misrepresent themselves when trying to meet somebody.

Kenneth, of Chicago, used Selective Search, and initially was completely dissatisfied with the nationwide company. Here's what he wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review: 

“I thought I would meet women I would want to marry (and vice versa) and would be a huge improvement over Match.com. So I went to Barbie to find the 'one'. The cost? $20,000 for seven introductions and one year of service.”

He also wrote: “Girls see all of the SS advertisements, simply sign-up online, and then my 'personal recruiter' picks out a couple of hotties and hopes it will stick! You know what that is? Match.com with a middleman at 100x the cost,” he wrote.

Apparently, Selective Search caught wind of Kenneth's complaints and tried to make things better. Almost four months later Kenneth wrote:

“It's been a few months and SS has done a good job trying to make things right. They gave me a new matchmaker and she has set me up with a couple of women. None of them have worked out but I appreciate SS going the extra mile to make me happy.”

As with any dating service — whether it be on or offline — you should really not only do your homework before signing up, but also hold the company responsible for not living up to its claims.

Also, be careful not to pour all of your hopes into making a romantic connection through a matchmaking service. Many times people make plans to marry, have kids and live happily ever after before ever meeting someone.

Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, Shouldn't you meet the right person first, then develop the planning and decision making?

Making the decision first — before actually meeting that special someone — can lead to a bad relationship result.

Remember, neither fulfillment or happiness is synonymous with marriage or a heavy relationship, right?

Finding the right food isn't easy but it can help keep your family healthy while also keeping your budget under control and supplying a helpful nudge to the environment, according to researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

With one in four Americans receiving federal nutrition assistance and obesity driving an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, there's no shortage of reasons for families to do what they can to eat right and stay fit.

EWG offers some help with Good Food on a Tight Budget, its new science-based shopping guide of the top 100 foods that are healthy, cheap, clean and green.

“Putting good food on your family’s table on a $5-or-$6-a-day budget is tough, but it’s possible,” said co-author Dawn Undurraga, EWG nutritionist and registered dietitian. “When shoppers fill their grocery carts with the foods on EWG’s lists, they’ll be doing something good for their health and the environment, meanwhile lowering their grocery bills and exposures to the worst chemicals.”

Tips from the guide:

• Raw cabbage is a top-ranked vegetable based on nutrition and price. At less than a dime a serving, it’s cheaper than potatoes and can be served as a salad, stuffed, or used in sandwiches, stir-fries, stews and soups.
• Carrots, bananas, frozen broccoli, pears and watermelon receive high marks for nutrition and ring up at less than 30 cents a serving.
• Pears have even more fiber, potassium and folate – and fewer pesticide residues – than apples.
• Parsley packs a nutritional punch as potent as kale for a quarter of the cost.
• Roasted turkey topped the list of animal sources of protein. Hot dogs ranked dead last.

“Eight in ten low-income families cook dinner at home most nights, but many are struggling to afford the ingredients to make healthy meals,” said Laura Seman, senior manager of program development and evaluation for Cooking Matters, a national program that helps families at risk of hunger get the most from their food resources. “Practical tools like Good Food on a Tight Budget can help families stretch their food dollar in a healthy way.”

Highlights from the guide:

A class-action lawsuit accuses major hotels and online travel sites of price-fixing. The suit alleges that the defendants conspired to secretly create and enforce Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) agreements to thwart competition on hotel room prices, especially from price-cutting online retailers.

Named in the suit are Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline's Booking.com, and the nation's largest hotel operators including Hilton Hotel, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, and Marriott International.

The lawsuit was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of hotel-room purchasers nationally.

The complaint contends that the defendants' unlawful conduct caused plaintiffs and other class members to overpay for their purchases of room reservations and seeks to represent all consumers who have purchased hotel rooms from the online retailer defendants.

Created an illusion

"The large online travel sites, working with hotel chains, have created the illusion that savvy consumers can spend time researching hotel rates online to find good deals," said Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman, the Seattle law firm representing the consumers. "The reality is that these illegal price-parity agreements mean consumers see nothing but cosmetic differences and the same prices on every site."

According to the complaint, online travel sites account for as much as 50 percent of hotel bookings in the United States and traditionally operate under one of two models. Under the agency model, online retailers charge a service fee to a hotel operator on a transaction basis for booking customers, and that customer pays the hotel directly at a rate set by the hotel.

Under the merchant model, online retailers purchase rooms outright at a negotiated rate from the hotel, and then resell the rooms to consumers at a higher price, increasing or decreasing margins depending on competitive influences.

New model

More recently, a new model has emerged that has cut into the traditional online retailers' profits, the complaint contends, and has led to the creation of the RPM agreements. In this model, known as the Wholesale Model, third-party companies buy up unsold blocks of rooms at the last-minute and resell them to smaller price-cutting online retailers, eroding the profits of the traditional online retailers.

Knowing hotels cannot afford to lose access to online distribution networks, the suit charges that online retailers devised an illegal scheme, extracting agreements from the hotels that online retailers may not sell rooms below the RPM rates -- even through the wholesale model -- on penalty of termination and as a condition of doing business through the online retailers, the lawsuit contends.

The complaint states that the online retailer defendants often use terms like "best price guarantee" to create the impression of a competitive market, but in truth these are nothing more than a cover for the price-fixing conspiracy. "The cold fact is that there are no 'best prices' but instead there is only a fixed price that all the defendant online retailers tout in unison," Berman added.

"We have abundant information that points to the existence of written or verbal agreements between the online retailers and hotel companies about the existence and enforcement of RPM agreements," Berman noted.

For example, in published statements, a spokesperson for Sabre Holdings which operates Travelocity admitted it uses RPM agreements "so that the customer can have the confidence that they will get the best rate and they don't have to go on 18 different sites," Berman said.

The suit alleges that the defendants' activities violate both the federal antitrust laws, as well as California's Cartwright Act. 

More than one-third of all U.S. adults over 20 are classified as obese.

Many are among the millions of Americans who have found that diet, exercise and medication alone have not proved sufficient to shed the unwanted and unhealthy pounds. Sometimes, years of failed dieting have made things worse, altering the patient's metabolism.

Bariatric surgery, once considering a risky and extreme response to long-term obesity, is increasingly viewed as a more mainstream option and is getting better results. Weight loss of 100 pounds or more is not uncommon.

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, about 220,000 people underwent bariatric surgery in 2009 in the United States -- up from about 13,300 procedures in 1998.

Evolution

The surgery itself has evolved over the years. The first bariatric procedure was performed by surgeon A.J. Kremen, in 1954 and was called the intestinal bypass, because it linked the upper and lower parts of the small intestine to allow food to pass by the middle section, where most of the calories are absorbed.

Early procedures were marked by serious side effects. In 1966, Dr. Edward E. Mason performed the first gastric bypass at the University of Iowa. Known as vertical banded gastroplasty, it used surgical staples to close off a portion of the upper stomach, making the patient feel full after eating a small amount of food. It was refined over the years to resolve complicating side effects.

By the late 1990s the surgery attracted a number of celebrities. Rosanne Barr, Carnie Wilson and the Today Show's Al Roker all underwent some form of bariatric surgery and lost significant weight.

Improved quality of life

New research shows that people who have bariatric surgery to treat obesity report an overall improvement in quality of life issues after surgery, from their relationships to their medical conditions.

“We thought there would be more negative reactions to the surgery, but the response was very positive,” said Arizona State University professor Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, co-author of the research report. “Most people had improvements in chronic health problems.”

The researchers collected data from 213 patients ranging in age from 26 to 73 years old, with an average age of 50, through a self-selected sample of participants in an online support group.

Medical conditions improved

The patients reported improvements in conditions ranging from diabetes and heart disease to high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Weight loss among participants averaged 95 pounds per person while the range of weight experiences was wide -- from a gain of 80 pounds, which is atypical according to the researchers, to a weight loss of 260 pounds.

The people who elected to have the surgery said they did so to improve relationships with family and friends. On that count, they said it worked. They also reported being less depressed.

“This provides evidence that overcoming the stigma of being overweight, as reflected by negative reactions of others, can lead to greater satisfaction among relationships with family and friends, and in social life in general,” said Doris A. Palmer, co-author of the paper and a doctoral student in the School of Social and Family Dynamics sociology program at ASU.

Not for everyone

But bariatric surgery is not for everyone. The surgery is riskier for those over age 55 who have complicating health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

It's also not for people who are not obese. If you don't have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater, you don't need it. You just need to go on a diet and get more exercise.

With student loan debt mounting, the last thing a college student needs to do is run up a lot of credit card debt on top of it.

In fact, when Congress reformed credit card laws in 2009, it specifically regulated how credit cards could be marketed to college students. But that doesn't necessarily mean a college student shouldn't have a credit card.

Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of Card Hub, says a credit card in the hands of a college student can be a positive experience, as long as they're smart and choose the right card.

Build inexpensive credit

In looking for the right credit card, he says a student’s top priority should be to build credit as inexpensively as possible. As a result, Card Hub’s selections for the Best Credit Cards for College Students in 2012 -- which were developed after analysis of over 1,000 credit card offers -- includes mostly cards without annual fees.

The only thing better than a card with no annual fee is a card that provides rewards. Students who are confident that they will be able to pay their credit card bills in full each and every month should focus on finding cards that, on average, provide more than one percent cash back on all purchases.

Three cards fit that bill nicely. The Citi Forward Card for College Students provides five points per $1 spent on entertainment and at restaurants. It provides one point per $1 in spending on everything else, 100 bonus points each month you stay below your credit limit and pay your bill on time, and 1,000 bonus points for signing up for paperless statements during the first three months.

The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One pays 1.25 percent cash back on all purchases when you pay your bill on time and no fee for foreign transactions, great for students studying abroad.

The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card for College Students pays five percent cash back on supermarket, drugstore, gas station and utilities purchases for 6 months and one percent thereafter. It also pays two percent on rotating spending categories and one percent on everything else.

Do a little homework

“There are a number of attractive student rewards credit cards on the market and deciding between them necessitates considering their value through the prism of your lifestyle,” Papadimitriou said. “It’s tempting to simply opt for whichever card offers the most points, miles, or cash back, but if earning them necessitates signing up for rotating spending categories when you know you’ll forget to do so, or the best rewards aren’t being linked to the things you spend the most money on, another card might be preferable.”

Gone are the days of credit card marketers signing up students at football tailgate parties. Thanks to the CARD Act, consumers under age 21 have to jump through a number of hoops to get a credit card. If you're going to go to all that trouble, you might as well get a card that works to your advantage.

Nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with “connected” Wi-Fi technology to enable vehicles and infrastructure to “talk” to each other in real time to help avoid crashes and improve traffic flow are now on the roads of Ann Arbor, MI

It's all part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) year-long second phase of the Safety Pilot, the largest road test to date of connected vehicle crash avoidance technology.

“Today is a big moment for automotive safety,” said Transportation Secretary LaHood. “This cutting-edge technology offers real promise for improving both the safety and efficiency of our roads. That is a winning combination for drivers across America.”

Ground-breaking test

Conducted by University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), the road test, or model deployment, is a first-of-its-kind test of connected vehicle technology in the real world. The test cars, trucks and buses, most of which have been supplied by volunteer participants, are equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication devices that will gather extensive data about system operability and its effectiveness at reducing crashes.

According to DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), V2V safety technology could help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of four out of five unimpaired vehicle crashes. To accomplish this, the model deployment vehicles will send electronic data messages, receive messages from other equipped vehicles, and translate the data into a warning to the driver during specific hazardous traffic scenarios. Such hazards include an impending collision at a blind intersection, a vehicle changing lanes in another vehicle’s blind spot, or a rear collision with a vehicle stopped ahead, among others.

“Vehicle-to-vehicle communication has the potential to be the ultimate game-changer in roadway safety -- but we need to understand how to apply the technology in an effective way in the real world,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “NHTSA will use the valuable data from the ‘model deployment’ as it decides if and when these connected vehicle safety technologies should be incorporated into the fleet.”

Follow-up test

The model deployment is the second phase of DOT’s connected vehicle Safety Pilot, a major research initiative managed by NHTSA and the Research and Innovative Technologies Administration (RITA) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office. Earlier this year, DOT released data from a series of “driver acceptance clinics” conducted during the first phase of the Safety Pilot.

The study revealed that an overwhelming majority of drivers (9 out of 10) who have experienced V2V technology have a highly favorable opinion of its safety benefits and would like to have V2V safety features on their personal vehicle.

“Many significant advances in roadway safety resulted from the collaborations between government, industry, and academia,” said Gregory D. Winfree, RITA Deputy Administrator. “The deployment today is the culmination of years of cooperative research on forward-thinking technology designed to save lives and prevent injuries on America’s roads.”

The information collected from both phases of the Safety Pilot, and other key research projects, will be used by NHTSA to determine by 2013 whether to proceed with additional activities involving connected vehicle technology, including possible rulemaking. 

Senior citizens are enjoying longer lives and and doing better physically than did previous generations, although -- for some -- an increased burden in housing costs and rising obesity may compromise these gains, according to a comprehensive federal look at aging.

The report, Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being, tracks trends at regular intervals to see how older people are faring as the U.S. population grows older.

In 2010, 40 million people age 65 and over accounted for 13 percent of the total population in the United States. In 2030, the number and proportion of older Americans is expected to grow significantly -- to 72 million, representing nearly 20 percent of the population said the report, by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

Comprehensive report

Older Americans 2012, the sixth report prepared by the Forum since 2000, provides an updated and accessible compendium of indicators, drawn from official statistics about the well-being of Americans primarily age 65 and older. The 176-page report provides a broad description of areas of well-being that are improving for older Americans and those that are not. Thirty-seven key indicators are categorized into five broad areas -- population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. This year's report also includes a special feature on the end of life.

Highlights of Older Americans 2012 include:

• Increased labor force participation by older women -- Participation of older women in the labor force has increased significantly over the past 40 years. In 1963, 29 percent of women aged 62-64 worked outside the home; in 2011, that had increased to 45 percent. In 1963, 17 percent of women aged 65-69 were in the labor force; in 2011, that had increased to 27 percent. For women 70 and older, 6 percent worked in 1963, increasing to 8 percent in 2011. Some older Americans work out of economic necessity. Others may be attracted by the social contact, intellectual challenges or sense of value that work often provides.
• Declines in poverty, increases in income since 1974 -- Older Americans are in better economic shape now than they were in 1974. Between 1974 and 2010, the proportion of older people with income below the poverty thresholds (less than $10,458 in 2010 for a person 65 and older) fell from 15 percent to 9 percent. The percentage with low income (between $10,458 and $20,916 in 2010 for people 65 and older) dropped from 35 percent to 26 percent. There were also notable gains in income over the period, as the proportion of people 65 and older with high income ($41,832 and above in 2010) rose from 18 percent to 31 percent.
• Increased housing problems -- The most significant issue by far is housing cost burden, which has been steadily increasing over time. In 1985, about 30 percent of households with householders or spouses age 65 and over spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities. By 2009, the proportion of older people with high housing cost burden reached 40 percent. For some multigenerational households, crowded housing is also fairly prevalent.
• Rising rates of obesity -- Obesity, a major cause of preventable disease and premature death, is increasing among older people. In 2009-2010, 38 percent of people age 65 and over were obese, compared with 22 percent in 1988-1994. In 2009-2010, 44 percent of people age 65-74 were obese, as were 29 percent of those age 75 and older.
• More use of hospice -- The percentage of older people who received hospice care in the last 30 days of life increased from 19 percent in 1999 to 43 percent in 2009. The percentage of older Americans who died in hospitals dropped from 49 percent in 1999 to 32 percent in 2009. The percentage who died at home increased from 15 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2009. In 2009, there were notable differences in the use of hospice services at the end of life among people of different race and ethnicity groups.

Current iPhone owners can use the product's video FaceTime feature if they are accessing the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection. But when Apple issues the next update of its iOS, the iPhone will be capable of making these video calls using their carrier's cell signal.

All of a sudden carriers could see a big jump in bandwidth demand from iPhone users. AT&T has let it be known that, once the new operating system is out there, only AT&T iPhones on a shared data plan will be able to use the carrier signal for video calls. Those still on the older, unlimited data plans will have to continue using Wi-Fi.

Data drain

The reasoning is understandable. Those on a shared data plan have a fixed amount of bandwidth to use during each billing cycle. AT&T doesn't really care how customers use it.

But customers on the grandfathered unlimited data plans could significantly increase network demands if they are able to make unlimited video calls. While it's not hard to understand AT&T's reasoning, the public interest group Public Knowledge says it doesn't make it right. In fact, the group says it might not even be legal.

"By blocking FaceTime for many of its customers, AT&T is violating the FCC's Open Internet rules,” said John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge. “These rules state that mobile providers shall not 'block applications that compete with the provider's voice or video telephony services.' Although carriers are permitted to engage in 'reasonable network management,' there is no technical reason why one data plan should be able to access FaceTime, and another not.”

Cutting into revenue

Bergmayer says “over-the-top” communications services like FaceTime are a threat to carriers' revenue, but the companies should respond by competing with these services and not by engaging in discriminatory behavior. AT&T says it isn't an issue because all iPhone users can continue to use Wi-Fi for FaceTime.

FaceTime is Apple's system for two-way video calling, allowing users to talk to each other face-to-face from an iPhone, iPad or Mac. The calls are made over an Internet connection and most of these connections are wired and unlimited. Cell networks are more limited and carriers, in recent years, have begun to look for way in which to limit usage as the proliferation of smartphones has greatly increased data demand.

Over the summer both Verizon Wireless and AT&T have moved to shared data plans, requiring all new customers to choose a measured amount of bandwidth that they can use during a billing cycle. Both companies hope to eventually eliminate most grandfathered unlimited plans, requiring these customers to move to a shared plan when they purchase a new subsidized phone.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) earlier this year raised the alarm over student debt, noting that the toll of outstanding student loans is now over $1 trillion.

Who owes this money and how are they ever going to pay it back? A researcher at the University of Wisconsin has found that the student debt burden falls heaviest on students from middle-income families.

Upper income students don't need loans. Low-income students have a number of aid opportunities. But researcher Jason Houle says for many middle-income students, loans are the only form of student aid available to them.

Middle-income squeeze

Houle calls it the “middle-income squeeze.” The families of these young adults make too much money for their children to qualify for adequate financial aid benefits, but not enough to afford the rising costs of tuition, room and board, and additional university fees.

In his study, Houle found nearly 41 percent of all students left school with some student loan debt, and the average debt among those students was more than $22,000.

“Young adults from middle-income families are at the highest risk for student loan debt,” Houle said. “As tuition costs continue to rise and outpace inflation, students increasingly use loans as the primary means of financial aid.”

Among those who left school with student loan debt, Houle found that on average young adults from middle-income backgrounds, whose families earned between $40,000 and $59,000 annually, owed over $6,000 more in student loan debt than their low income peers whose families made less than $40,000 per year.

Similarly, students from somewhat more affluent middle-income backgrounds, whose families made between $60,000 and $99,000 annually, racked up nearly $4,000 more in student loan debt than young adults whose families earned less than $40,000 per year.

Pell grants go mostly to lower-income students

Over 90 percent of all Pell Grant recipients come from families with annual incomes of less than $40,000.

“Young adults whose families make just over $40,000 are less likely to qualify for such student aid packages, and tend to suffer a disproportional burden of student loan debt,” Houle said.

Houle looked at other factors besides income. He sound that students whose parents had less than a college degree were also at a higher risk of accumulating student loan debt. African American students were also significantly more likely than their white peers to rack up student loan debt. In addition, he found that young adults with single parents or step families were more likely than students whose biological parents were together, to incur student loan debt.

As college graduates struggle to find high-wage jobs in today’s economy, inflated student loan debt forces young adults to begin their careers at an increased risk of default and penalties for missed payments. Bankruptcy is not an option for students struggling to pay off their student loans, which, Houle said, makes student loan debt a very unique and dangerous liability.