Current Events in November 2013

Just over a month ago, we told you about “Yahoo Mail users in uprising over system changes.” The super-short capsule summary of the story is this: in October, Yahoo drastically changed its email service, and said the changes are wonderful improvements over the old standard. Actual Yahoo users looked at the changes and said, “Yuck. This is awful; please bring back our old email service.” Yahoo spokespeople reiterated, “No, really, they’re great changes and everyone loves ’em. You love ’em.” Customers re-reiterated, “No, actually, they’re awful and we hate them,” and so on.

And now, a month later, a corporate memo leaked out of Yahoo HQ reveals that Yahoo’s new email interface is so bad, Yahoo’s own employees don’t even like it.

The memo, signed by Jeff Bonforte, SVP Communications Products and Randy Roumillat, CIO, might actually have been written with the intention of being leaked to the media. Here’s what it actually said to Yahoo employees, though:

Hello Yahoos,

Earlier this year we asked you to move to Yahoo Mail for your corporate email account. 25% of you made the switch (thank you). But even if we used the most generous of grading curves (say, the one from organic chemistry), we have clearly failed in our goal to move our co-workers to Yahoo Mail.

It’s time for the remaining 75% to make the switch. Beyond the practical benefits of giving feedback to your colleagues on the Mail team, as a company it’s a matter of principle to use the products we make. (BTW, same for Search.)

Fair enough. Of course, a cynic could counter: as a company it’s a matter of principle to make products we actually want to use without being nagged into doing so. No matter; the Yahoo corporate message went on to list and dismiss some possible objections people might have to giving up their old email in exchange for Yahoo’s new offering, then continued:

 “First, it doesn’t feel like we are asking you to abandon some glorious place of communications nirvana. At this point in your life, Outlook may be familiar, which we can often confuse with productive or well designed [sic].”

True. By the same token, though: At this point in your life Yahoo may be different, which we can often confuse with better or well-thought-out.

“Certainly, we can admire the application for its survival, an anachronism of the now defunct 90s PC era, a pre-web program written at a time when NT Server terrorized the data center landscape with the confidence of a T-Rex born to yuppie dinosaur parents who fully bought into the illusion of their son’s utter uniqueness because the big-mouthed, tiny-armed monster infant could mimic the gestures of The Itsy-Bitsy Pterodactyl. There was a similar outcry when we moved away from Outlook’s suite-mates in the Microsoft Office dreadnaught. But whether it’s familiarity, laziness or simple stubbornness dressed in a cloak of Ayn Randian Objectivism, the time has come to move on, commrade [sic].”

We too are fans of overdone and somewhat hallucinatory metaphors which is why, when we read that, we imagined Yahoo executives as a starving but wily Coyote, futilely chasing the Road Runner of Relevancy through the Desert of Internet Popularity before running off the edge of the Cliff of Not Understanding What the Hell Ayn Rand has to do with Reluctance to Switch to an Inferior Email Product, and falling with a crash down into the Canyon of Cluelessness.

The Yahoo memo goes on to say: “Using corp mail from the Y Mail web interface is remarkably feature rich.” The next two paragraphs list various features along with reassurances that said features are wonderful and extremely popular. “We have been testing this feature with select users in and out of the company and the response has been fantastic: 'Whoa!', 'Amazing', 'Already in love with it. Woot!' and, my favorite, 'So nicely integrated that it appears as if it’s always been there. I already can’t imagine it not being there again'.”

How wonderful! If the new and improved Yahoo Mail is even half as fantastic as the corporate memo claims, we can’t imagine why only a quarter of Yahoo’s own employees have gone along with it, let alone Yahoo customers whose salaries and job security don’t require them to support Yahoo products.

Genetically modified grain, though controversial, is nothing new. But look out fish fans, genetically modified salmon is moving closer to supermarkets and your dinner table.

Environment Canada has granted a U.S. biotch firm, AquaBounty Technologies, permission to begin exporting genetically-modified (GM) salmon eggs from its hatchery on Prince Edward Island, Canada, to a site in Panama, where the eggs will be hatched and the resulting fish grown. 

AquaBounty says the eggs include a gene from the Chinook salmon that provides the fish with the potential to "grow to market size in half the time of conventional salmon." 

A Canadian environmental group called it "an alarming decision that sets Canada up to be the source of global environmental risk."

“We are extremely disappointed and alarmed that our government has approved the production of GM fish eggs. GM salmon egg production in Canada endangers the future of wild Atlantic salmon around the world,” said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. “It's simply crazy that the world’s first GM fish eggs are now going to be coming from Canada.”

“We’re devastated that Prince Edward Island is now officially the home of the Frankenfish,” said Leo Broderick of the Prince Edward Island (PEI) group called Islanders Say No to Frankenfish, “We don’t want our Island to be the source of this dangerous living pollution.”

It's the first time a government has approved commercial-scale production of a genetically-modified food animal, according to The Guardian. It opens the way for AquaBounty to begin ramping up production in hopes of winning entry into the U.S. market, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to reach a decision on salmon and 30 other species of fish soon.

"High risk"

The Canadian government made the decision despite admitting that the genetically-modified fish would present a "high risk" to wild Atlantic salmon if they escaped into the wild but said that wasn't likely to happen.

“There are strict measures in place to prevent the release of this fish into the food chain,” an Environment Canada spokesman said by email, The Guardian reported. “In Canada, no genetically modified fish or eggs are currently approved for the purposes of human consumption.”

The genetically-modified fish may not have smooth sailing in the U.S. Consumer groups are organizing against it and several major retailers have already said they won't carry it.

In May, Target became the latest large food retailer to pledge that it won't sell genetically engineered salmon. It joined nearly 60 other stores inlcuding Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods, Marsh and Hy-Vee.  

“There’s no room on our plates for genetically engineered seafood. Consumers don’t want it and price-competitive stores across middle America are refusing to sell it,” said Eric Hoffman food & technology policy campaigner with Friends of the Earth. "We need to see more big retailers take this kind of initiative. We're hoping that Safeway, which has become a real leader in seafood sustainability in other ways, and other major grocery stores turn the corner here and pledge to stay away from genetically engineered salmon."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is giving the “all-clear” to the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), at least when it comes to cardiovascular risk.

The agency says it is following the recommendations of expert advisory committees and removing certain restrictions on prescribing and use of medication after results from the Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiovascular Outcomes and Regulation of Glycemia in Diabetes (RECORD) clinical trial showed no elevated risk of heart attack or death in patients being treated with Avandia when compared to standard-of-care diabetes drugs.

In other words, these data do not confirm the signal of increased risk of heart attacks that was found in a meta-analysis of clinical trials first reported in 2007.

The actions “reflect the most current scientific knowledge about the risks and benefits of this drug,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Given these new results, our level of concern is considerably reduced; thus, we are requiring the removal of certain prescribing restrictions.”

Lifting the limits

The FDA’s actions include requiring modifications to labeling about cardiovascular safety, requiring changes to the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program, and releasing a postmarket study requirement.

Once the changes are final, rosiglitazone’s indication for use will no longer be limited to certain patients. The FDA anticipates that the new indication will state that the drug may be used along with diet and exercise to improve control of blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, an indication similar to other diabetes drugs currently available.

Once the changes to the REMS are finalized, health care professionals, pharmacists, and patients will no longer be required to enroll in the rosiglitazone REMS program to prescribe, dispense, or receive rosiglitazone medicines. Patients will also be able to receive rosiglitazone through regular retail pharmacies and mail order pharmacies.

The manufacturers of rosiglitazone drugs will be required to ensure that health care providers who are likely to prescribe rosiglitazone-containing medicines are provided training based on the current state of knowledge concerning the cardiovascular risk of these medicines.

The FDA is also releasing GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from the postmarket requirement to conduct a clinical trial, known as Thiazolidinedione Intervention with Vitamin D Evaluation (TIDE), comparing Avandia to Actos (pioglitazone), the only other approved drug in the thiazolidinedione class, and to standard diabetes drugs. The FDA has concluded that this trial is no longer necessary or feasible.

In 2010, in response to data from a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials that suggested an elevated risk of cardiovascular events in association with rosiglitazone use, the FDA announced it would restrict the drug to use in patients with type 2 diabetes who could not control their diabetes on other medications.

The agency also required GSK to convene an independent group of scientists to readjudicate key aspects of RECORD, which studied the cardiovascular safety of Avandia compared to standard diabetes drugs to provide clarity about the integrity of the study findings.

On June 5 and 6, 2013, the readjudicated results of RECORD, which were consistent with the original findings of the trial, were discussed at a joint meeting of the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

Committee members generally agreed that the readjudication was well conducted and provided reassurance that the original study findings were accurate. A majority of the committee members voted to recommend that the REMS for rosiglitazone be eliminated or modified to lessen restrictions to use.

In addition to Avandia, rosiglitazone is available in combination with other diabetes medications, including metformin under the brand name Avandamet and glimepiride under the brand name Avandaryl.

There have been some pretty good deals on new cars as automakers close out the 2013 model year and start cranking out 2014 models. But consumers looking for a good used car are finding some pretty attractive deals as well.

Automotive website Edmunds.com, which regularly tracks new and used car prices, reports the average used car sold by franchise dealers in the third quarter of 2013 was $15,617. That's down 2.8% from the second quarter and down 0.9% from the third quarter of 2012.

Though the quarter isn't over, some analysts think the used car market will show an even bigger decline in the final period of the year. The fourth quarter began, they points out, with a 17-day government shutdown that may have caused some consumers to postpone a planned purchase.

Others suggest that the used car market is simply bearing the brunt of the new car market's success.

Falling prices

"Now that the new car market has hit its stride, buyers are no longer drawn to used cars the way they have been in recent years," says Edmunds.com's Director of Used Car Analysis Joe Spina. "Used car prices will likely continue to decline in the coming months simply because there will be more of these vehicles sitting on dealer lots."

Even so, used cars still cost more than they once did. Despite little or no increase in the government's main inflation gauge, the average used car price is higher than it was before the 2008 financial crisis. The same can't be said for the average home price.

Where do you find the best deal on a used car? If you have a pre-determined make and model you're holding out for, chances are you're going to pay the market price. On the other hand, if you aren't that picky and just want the best deal, then consider the cars that no one else really wants.

Being flexible saves money

Industry data show vehicles bearing the Volvo, GMC and Chevrolet nameplates sat on used dealer lots longer than any other brand in the third quarter. Holding out for a Honda, Toyota or Lexus? Good luck. Those cars sold fastest in the third quarter so you can expect to pay more.

Where you buy may be just as important as what you buy. Buying a used car on Craigslist or other online platform may yield an attractive purchase price but may carry other risks. The car will come with no warranty and if it needs expensive repairs two weeks after you drive it home, you're on the hook.

A used car dealer may offer a little more safety, but not always. Dealers have window stickers telling you if the car comes with any kind of warranty. Most dealers will usually offer at least a 30-day warranty, covering needed repairs the first month you own the car. If the car is being sold “as is,” that could be a definite red flag.

Consumer protections

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Used Car Rule requires dealers to post a Buyers Guide in every used car they offer for sale. This includes light-duty vans, light-duty trucks, demonstrators, and program cars. Demonstrators are new cars that haven’t been owned, leased, or used as rentals, but have been driven by dealer staff. Program cars are low-mileage, current-model-year vehicles returned from short-term leases or rentals.

The Buyers Guide tells you if the car is being sold “as is” or comes with a warranty. If if has a warranty, it will tell you what percentage of the repair costs a dealer will pay under the warranty.

The Buyers Guide will also point out the major systems on the car that could cause you trouble and urges you to ask to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy it.

Check a trusted database service that gathers information for an independent and efficient review of a vehicle’s history. For example, the Department of Justice’s National Motor Vehicle Title Information System(NMVTIS) offers information about a vehicle’s title, odometer data, and certain damage history.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) maintains a free database that includes flood damage and other information so you can check a car's history by its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You also can search online for companies that sell vehicle history reports.

Spitting into a tube might be construed by some as bad manners but as the Food and Drug Administration sees it, it amounts to using an unlicensed medical device if the tube came from 23andMe, which for $99 and a tubeful of spit will provide you with your personal genome.

Millions of people -- including me -- have signed up for the service and, a few weeks after submitting our samples, received an amazingly complete batch of information "on 240+ health conditions and traits" in our genetic code.

I also ordered the kits for my family, thinking we could spend some cozy evenings around the fire comparing our risks of atrial fibrillation, Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer and other cheerful topics. So far, it hasn't been much of a conversation starter but, on the positive side, none of us found much of anything to worry about in the reports we received.

Perhaps the most interesting finding so far was the one that said that 3% of my DNA is Neanderthal in origin, putting me in ther 94th percentile of non-homo sapien ancestery among those of European lineage. This despite my relatively slight frame and lack of noticeable eyebrow ridge.

Oh, my genome also shows a lower than average risk of Alzheimer's, which is good, although my wife has a higher than average risk, so if you balance those out, we're roughly back at average, couplewise. 

Nanny state

The FDA's stated concern with all of this is not that we'll all waste $99 and a lot of time poring over results that may or may not mean anything but rather that we will be driven to drastic measures because of the findings.

As an example, the agency said, "if the BRCA-related risk assessment for breast or ovarian cancer reports a false positive, it could lead a patient to undergo prophylactic surgery, chemoprevention, intensive screening, or other morbidity-inducing actions."

Well, maybe, although when I told my internist that the 23andMe test showed I had a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, he scoffed and said the sample size was too small.

"Besides," he said, "A genetic predisposition is just that -- a predisposition. It doesn't mean you'll ever get it or that it will be severe. Just forget it." (The geneticist's answer to this, we're told, is that most doctors don't know much about genetics). 

The FDA's fear that a woman might be driven to having a prophylactic mastectomy because of her DNA results may be overstated, given the average physician's seeming aversion to genetic fortune-telling.

It's hard to imagine an oncologist agreeing to such a procedure without undertaking much more extensive testing and putting the patient through extensive counseling.

Nevertheless, for now, if you haven't already ordered your 23andMe kit, you'll have to get in line and wait for a possible change of heart by the FDA.

Heading into the holiday -- which is to say shopping -- season, consumers have a dimmer view of the economy.

The Conference Board reports its Consumer Confidence Index declined in November following a sharp 9-point decrease the month before. The Index now stands at 70.4 -- a 2-point drop from October. The Present Situation Index edged down to 72.0 from 72.6, while the Expectations Index slipped to 69.3 from 72.2 last month.

“Sentiment regarding current conditions was mixed, with consumers saying the job market had strengthened, while economic conditions had slowed,” said Lynn Franco, the Board's director of economic indicators. “However, these sentiments did not carry over into the short-term outlook. When looking ahead six months, consumers expressed greater concern about future job and earning prospects, but remain neutral about economic conditions. All in all, with such uncertainty prevailing, this could be a challenging holiday season for retailers.”

Ebb and flow

Consumers’ assessment of overall current conditions decreased slightly. Those claiming business conditions are “good” edged up to 19.9% from 19.5%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” increased to 25.2% from 23.0%.

Consumers’ appraisal of the job market was little changed. Those saying jobs are “plentiful” ticked up 0.2% -- to 11.8%, while those saying jobs are “hard to get” decreased to 34.0% from 34.9%.

Consumers’ expectations, which had decreased sharply in October, declined further in November. Those expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased slightly to 16.6% from 16.0%, while those expecting business conditions to worsen fell to 16.8% from 17.5%.

Jobs concerns

However, consumers’ outlook for the labor market was more pessimistic. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead fell to 12.7% from 16.0%, but those anticipating fewer jobs also decreased 0.9% -- to 21.7%. The proportion of consumers expecting their incomes to increase declined to 14.9% from 15.7%. Those expecting their incomes to drop rose slightly to 15.9% from 15.5%.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was November 15.

The partial government shutdown earlier this fall is still having an impact -- at least as far as the collection of data on new home construction is concerned.

Building permits authorizing the construction of privately-owned housing units shot up 6.2% in October -- to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,034,000.

Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) figures show this followed a rate of 974,000 in September and is 13.9% above the year-ago rate of 908,000.

Permits for single-family home construction were at a rate of 620,000 in October, while authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more totaled 387,000.

No construction data

Because of the partial shutdown of the government, there is no figures on new home construction, or housing starts. According to officials, “the lapse in federal funding affected the data collection schedule for the Survey of Construction, the source of data on new housing units started and completed.”

Data on housing units started in September, October and November will be released next month.

The full report is available on the Census Bureau website.

Home prices

Two measures of growth show home prices are continuing to head higher.

From the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), word that its House Price Index (HPI) rose 2.0% in the third quarter, the ninth consecutive quarterly price increase in the purchase-only index. It also marks the first time since 2009 that the national house price level is higher than it was five years ago.

“Overall, the housing market experienced another strong quarter, but price appreciation in the latter part of the quarter was relatively subdued,” said FHFA Principal Economist Andrew Elevenths. “Price increases in August and September of 0.4 and 0.3%, respectively, were notably below appreciation rates observed earlier this year and in late 2012.”

According to the report:

• The seasonally adjusted, purchase-only HPI rose in 48 states and in the District of Columbia during the third quarter. Top 5 in annual appreciation: 1) Nevada 2) California 3) Arizona 4) Florida and 5) Washington.
• Of the nine census divisions, the Pacific division experienced the strongest increase in the latest quarter, posting a 4.2% increase and a 19.2% increase since last year. House prices were weakest in the East South Central division, where prices increased 0.8% from the prior quarter.
• As measured with purchase-only indexes for the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S., third quarter price increases were greatest in the Stockton-Lori, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) where prices increased by 8.3%. Prices were weakest in the Virginia-Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA, where they fell 2.2%.
• Over the past year, only 1 MSA -- Winston-Salem, NC -- had a negative appreciation rate and 11 of the 20 MSAs with the highest appreciation rates were in California.
• The monthly seasonally adjusted purchase-only index for the U.S. has increased for the last 20 consecutive months.

The complete report can be found on the FHFA website.

Case-Shiller

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices show the U.S. National Home Price Index rose 3.2% in the third quarter of 2013 and is up 11.2% over the last four quarters.

In September, the 10- and 20-City Composites gained 0.7% month-over-month and 13.3% year-over-year. While 13 of 20 cities posted higher year-over-year growth rates, 19 had lower monthly returns in September than August.

Price growth in 19 cities slowed month-over-month from August to September. Las Vegas and Tampa showed the most weakness with their rates declining by 1.6%. Las Vegas went from a +2.9% monthly return in August to +1.3% in September, while Tampa decreased from +1.8% to +0.2%. Charlotte was the only city to lose value in September -- its first since November 2012. Detroit managed to take the lead with a monthly increase of 1.5%, but still remains the only city below its January 2000 level.

Looking at the September annual rates of change, 13 cities showed improvement versus their August year-over-year returns. Cleveland accelerated the most (from +3.7% in August to +5.0% in September), but it remains the second worst performing city with only New York trailing at +4.3%.

Twelve MSAs showed double-digit increases with Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco posting gains of over 20%. Las Vegas posted an impressive year-over-year increase of 29.1% in September, down marginally from 29.2% in August.

The full report is available on the S&P/Case-Shiller website.

Despite last-minute legal challenges, a new rule requiring country-of-origin labels on some meats are now in effect. The meat industry and the governments of Canada and Mexico are challenging the rule in court but, for now at least, it's the law of the land.

The country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requires that stores identify the country where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. It covers beef, chicken, pork, lamb and goat. Ground meats, deli and processed products are exempt.

The new labels are required to be much more specific than the old ones. They must say, for example, "Born in Mexico, raised and slaughtered in the U.S." 

The rule's backers say that consumers have a right to know where their next meal came from. The meat industry says it may cause other countries to shun American meat since they will have a harder time selling their products in the U.S.

Canada and Mexico are two of the biggest importers of U.S. meat and have challenged the rule through the World Trade Organization.

If you prefer the shine of incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent or LED alternatives, now’s the time to stockpile: on January 1, the manufacture of traditional 40- and 60-watt incandescent light bulbs in the U.S. ends, by federal law (the manufacture of 100-watt bulbs ended last year).

It will not be illegal for people to possess or use incandescents, nor will stores on January 1 be forbidden to sell any incandescent stock remaining on their shelves, but once those incandescent bulbs are gone, American stores won’t be able to buy or stock any more of them.

The rationale behind the incandescent ban is that incandescents require far more energy than compact fluorescent (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to emit the same level of illumination.

But opponents of the ban raise many objections, including the fact that CFL bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury — granted, probably not enough that discarding one single CFL bulb will cause any real problems, but enough that hundreds of millions of Americans using and eventually discarding billions of bulbs are likely to ensure horribly toxic pollution-contamination problems in the future.

Fans of incandescent lighting also point out that CFL or LED light is not identical to the illumination from an incandescent bulb. Flickering fluorescent lights can cause seizures in people prone to having them; studies have shown CFL bulbs can emit enough ultraviolet radiation to cause skin cancer;  and both LED and CFL bulbs emit light in the cooler ends of the spectrum, which renders colors differently.

(Disclaimer: as a personal matter, we’ve never liked CFL and LED light, which always struck us as bleak and depressing. LED lanterns are great to have on hand for emergency power outages, but for regular illumination we’ve laid in a decent-sized stockpile of traditional Edison incandescents.)

(Editor's note: We disagree with Jennifer. We have equipped our home and office with LED bulbs tuned to "natural daylight." Vast improvement asthetically. Also, they run much cooler, use less electricity and last indefinitely We have some LED bulbs that are five years old and have not had a single one burn out.)

Jayone Foods of Paramount, Calif., is recalling all date codes of Trader Joe’s Dried Seaweed Salad with Spicy Dressing (SKU 97677).

The product may contain traces of peanuts, an allergen not listed on the label.

The dried seaweed salad, packaged in a 3.5 oz. foil pouch and found in the grocery aisle at Trader Joe's, was sold nationwide.

Customers who have purchased the product and are sensitive to peanuts should to return it to Trader Joe’s for a full refund or dispose of it.

Customers with questions may contact Jayone Food, Inc., 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. PST, Monday-Friday at (562) 232-2754.

Intevation Food Group of Plover, Wis., is recalling approximately 156,924 pounds of frozen chicken fettuccine alfredo products.

The products contain egg, an allergen, which is not declared on the product label. There have been no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products

The products subject to recall include:

• 18-oz. trays of “OMAHA STEAKS, 2367 Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo,” bearing the establishment number “P-39949” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products were packaged and produced on various dates from May 11, 2012, through October 8, 2013, and were shipped to distributors in Nebraska for further distribution through retail and Internet/catalog sales. The products may also be identified by the case codes 9502367 or 9802367.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the Customer Care Hotline at (877) 789-7117.

One way to save money is to reduce the amount of interest you pay on your credit card balance. If you can pay 0% for a few months you can make speedy progress in paying down your debt.

While all credit card balance transfer offers need to be carefully considered, there appears to be a flurry of new offers for consumers to consider. Best of all, many of them extend to 2015, giving you plenty of time to make interest-free payments.

But understand this – these generous balance transfer offers almost always come with a balance transfer fee, which must be factored in when you weigh the potential savings. The cards below all have a three percent transfer fee, which tends to be on the low end.

The Citi Simplicity Visa Card is offering 0% on balance transfers and purchases for 18 months. After that, the rate could range from 12.99% to 21.99%. The card also advertises no late fee, no penalty rate and no annual fee. The balance transfer fee is $5 or three percent, whichever is greater. 

The Chase Freedom Card offers 0% for the first 15 billing cycles. At the end of that introductory offer the rate will range from 13.99% to 22.99%, depending on creditworthiness. You lose that 0% introductory rate, however, if you are late with a payment or violate any of the other terms and conditions. The balance transfer fee is $5 or 3% of the total, whichever is greater. 

The Discover It Card is offering 0% for 18 months on balance transfers and for six months on purchases. It has no annual fee and is currently offering new card holders a free FICO score with their first statement. It also promises late payments won't raise your interest rate. The balance transfer fee is $5 or 3%, whichever is greater. 

The Capital One Platinum Prestige Card is offering 0% until March 2015 on both balance transfers and purchases. The transfer fee is 3% but there is no annual fee. 

Time is money

Getting a 0% rate for just a few months – six months, for example – can severely cut into your savings if you must pay a balance transfer fee that's 3% or more. What makes the above cards more attractive is the longer period with no interest charges on the outstanding balances.

However, you are paying interest in the form of the balance transfer fee. It might amount to less than 1% or it might be more, depending on the size of your balance. Make sure you understand what your “real interest rate” is before moving forward.

Only one of the extended-period 0% card offers we analyzed also waived the balance transfer fee, making it an attractive offer. The Chase Slate Card is offering 0% for 15 months for both balance transfers and purchases. There is no balance transfer fee for transfers made in the first 60 days the account is open. After that, the transfer fee is 3%. There's no annual fee. 

Thanksgiving week has arrived and dedicated Black Friday shoppers are gearing up for the big shopping day, that for the most part begins the night before. There's no data to back this up but it's very likely that holiday meal plans have been changed this year so as not to interfere with early store openings.

What's left is to make final preparations to hit the stores and search for bargains. Here are some suggestions for making your outing more successful and less stressful:

Four suggestions

• Make a list and check it twice – Write down the names of everyone you are shopping for and, if possible, potential gift ideas for each one. It will help you focus attention on spotting bargains and keep you from the frustration of forgetting someone as you fight the crowds.
• Know where the deals are – More retailers are playing the game by announcing their Black Friday offers well in advance. If you haven't done so by now, check the multitude of sites that publish up-to-the minute Black Friday ads from major retailers. You'll find them simply by Googling “Black Friday.” Also, know when the stories are opening. There's no need to camp out but you don't want to be the last shopper through the door either.
• Think local – Yes, big box retailers get all the attention and most of the sales on Black Friday but local merchants also are offering deals, even if they don't have the big advertising budgets to promote them. But the Internet can clue you in. Web sites like LivingSocial and Groupon can connect you with deals from your nearby merchants.
• Boost your savings – Loyalty programs and gift cards can help you get more value from your Black Friday shopping -- sometimes in surprising ways. A regional convenience store operator, for example, is offering fuel rebates of up to $1 a gallon on gasoline for customers using its loyalty card.

If someone on your list wants a PlayStation 4, Thankshopping.com is promising to report this week on the best place to buy the game console. The site says it will post prices and retailers for the game on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Playstation 4 is Sony's latest generation game console released just in time for the holidays. It starts at around $579 with reviewers praising its improved graphics, interface and controller.

Find deals without leaving home

As we have pointed out previously, it isn't necessary to trek to the mall and fight the crowds in order to get a great Black Friday deal. Many retailers have been promoting “door-buster” deals all month on their websites. And there will be plenty more deals online on Black Friday for shoppers who prefer to stay home and shop from their computer.

The Craft Star, a QVC-TV style website that sells craft and homemade items, is promising a number of deals on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The owners of the site say anyone can enter to win free holiday gift products, with the giveaways beginning at 4 am Eastern time on Black Friday. On Cyber Monday, December 2, a giveaway valued at $20 will be featured every hour on the hour from 6 a.m. EST until 6 p.m. EST.

In addition, most major retailers plan online promotions throughout the day on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon be holding auctions to award additional spectrum space to wireless carriers, and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) says a recent study offers some valuable guidance for the commission.

The study -- Comparing Apples to Apples: How Competitive Provider Services Outpace the Baby Bell Duopoly -- concludes that unaffiliated wireless broadband service providers who compete against the “Baby Bells” offer products that are much more innovative and consumer-friendly.

"These findings reinforce our earlier analysis that placing limits on the amount of spectrum AT&T and Verizon can acquire in the upcoming auction of low frequency spectrum would strengthen competition and promote the public interest," CFA said in a statement. "The wireless broadband services offered by Sprint and T-Mobile match the 'Baby Bells' in their limited offerings, but their ‘unlimited’ services deliver lower cost and allow consumers to escape from the overage fees and contract locks that the Bells impose."

Significant differences

The study found statistically significant differences in the following attributes of broadband service:

• monthly bill
• cost per megabit
• download speed
• upload speed
• presence of a data cap
• type of data cap.

Comparing the wireless services offered by the Baby Bells to the other wireless service providers (Sprint and T-Mobile) CFA found that:

• Non-Baby Bell U.S. wireless broadband service providers offer much more attractive service than services offered by Baby Bell wireless broadband providers.
• Non-U.S. wireless broadband service providers offer much more attractive service than Baby Bell U.S. wireless service providers.

CFA said the argument fares quite well when careful comparisons are made about wireline broadband:

• Municipal wireline broadband service providers offer much more attractive triple play services than other wireline broadband service providers in the U.S.
• Non-U.S. wireline broadband service providers offer much more attractive triple play and broadband-only services than U.S. service providers.

CFA said findings that "the dominant incumbents charge more and deliver less attractive services reinforce our earlier conclusions that they are abusing their market power."

Since the Baby Bells already control a disproportionate share of the low frequency spectrum, rules that ensure a better balance in those spectrum holdings will be to the benefit of the consumer and the economy by strengthening competition in the wireless sector, the non-profit consumer advocacy organization concluded.

Many homeowners think that duct-cleaning is a rip-off and in many cases, they're right. The field is full of disreputable fly-by-night, operators who quote unrealistically low rates, do a poor job or both.

In the most recent example, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers today filed suit against Seabreeze Air, LLC and its owners and affiliated companies. They are accused of advertising their cleaning services for very low prices, only to significantly increase their prices once inside a customer’s home. 

“Along with misrepresenting their prices, the defendants also perform shoddy, incomplete work using inadequate tools that leave dust and debris in consumers’ ductwork and sometimes causes damage to homes,” explained Suthers. “Based on consumer complaints, defendants sometimes leave homes in worse shape than before service was performed.”   

According to the complaint, the companies advertised their services for as little as $34.95 in coupon books such as ValPak and online sites such as Groupon and Living Social. By marketing their services through Groupon and Living Social, consumers paid for vouchers upfront. When service workers were onsite, however, consumers were informed that additional charges would apply.

So if not Groupon and similar sites, how should a homeowner find a reputable and competent duct-cleaning company? The simplest and most reliable way is to ask the company that maintains your home's heating and cooling system to check your ducts and, if they need cleaning, recommend a competent firm to do the work.

Ducts get dirty

The simple fact is that ducts get dirty. This isn't surprising to anyone who regularly changes the filter on a home heating system. In just a month or two, the filter becomes clogged with dust, dirt, animal dander and other debris that can aggravate allergies and drive up your heating and cooling costs.

You can check the ducts yourself by using a flashlight or digital camera to look into the ductwork inside your home. If the ducts haven't been cleaned in a few years, chances are you'll see a hefty layer of gunk in the ducts.

A reputable duct cleaner will use a process called "agitation and collection" -- blasting the gunk loose with compressed air and collecting it by hooking up a giant vacuum to your home heating and cooling system.  

It won't be long before you have to buckle up when you ride the bus.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a final rule requiring lap and shoulder seat belts for each passenger and driver seat on new motorcoaches and other large buses. The rule is designed to reduce the risk of fatalities and serious injuries in frontal crashes and the risk of occupant ejection in rollovers.

"Safety is our highest priority and we are committed to reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our roadways," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. He calls the rule “a significant step forward in our efforts to improve motorcoach safety."

Reducing deaths and injuries

NHTSA data show that -- on average -- 21 motorcoach and large bus occupants are killed and 7,934 are injured annually in motor vehicle crashes. Requiring seat belts, the agency says, could reduce fatalities by up to 44% and reduce the number of moderate to severe injuries by up to 45%.

"While travel on motorcoaches is overall a safe form of transportation, when accidents do occur, there is the potential for a greater number of deaths and serious injuries due to the number of occupants and high speeds at which the vehicles are traveling," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "Adding seat belts to motorcoaches increases safety for all passengers and drivers, especially in the event of a rollover crash."

Three-year lead time

The final rule, which amends Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, applies to new over-the-road buses and to other types of new buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 26,000 pounds, except transit buses and school buses. Beginning in November 2016, newly manufactured buses will be required to be equipped with lap and shoulder belts for each driver and passenger seat.

Several companies have already begun voluntarily purchasing buses that include seat belts and the agency will continue encouraging the industry to speed the adoption of lap and shoulder seat belts prior to the mandatory deadline.  

The “Rachel from Cardholder Services” scam has apparently reached an end.

The final six of 10 defendants have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that they misled consumers with bogus claims that they would lower their credit card interest rates.

The settlement bans Emory L. “Jack” Holley IV, Lisa Miller, and the remaining corporate defendants from telemarketing and marketing debt relief services or assisting others in such conduct, prohibits them from misrepresenting any products or services, and imposes a partially suspended $11.9 million judgment.

False promises

The FTC filed its complaint in the case last fall, alleging that the defendants violated Section 5 of the FTC Act and the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by charging illegal up-front fees during telemarketing calls in which they made false promises to reduce the interest rate on consumers’ credit cards and save them thousands of dollars.

The defendants also were charged with making other misrepresentations, such as claiming that consumers who bought their services would be able to pay off their debts much faster as a result of the lowered credit card interest rates and making false claims about their refund policies.

The other four Key One defendants agreed to settle the FTC charges against them in June of this year. They allegedly participated in the scheme by opening merchant and bank accounts in their names for processing consumer payments obtained in connection with the deceptive sales of credit card interest rate-reduction and by providing substantial assistance, such as web pages, mail drops, customer service, and shipping of CDs with general debt and other financial information to consumers.

Permanent bans

Under the settlement Holley, Miller and the companies they control, will be permanently banned from all telemarketing, with extremely limited exceptions to allow them to engage in legitimate business activities. The settlement also bans them from advertising, marketing, promoting, offering for sale, or selling any debt relief-related products or services. Several of the defendants are repeat offenders, and this ban will permanently stop them from preying on consumers in financial distress.

The final order also prohibits the six from making any misrepresentations related to any financial product or service, and requires them to substantiate any claims they make to consumers in the future about the potential benefits or effectiveness of any product or service.

Finally, the order imposes a partially suspended judgment of $11.9 million jointly against the corporate and individual defendants. The defendants' assets, currently being held in receivership, will be paid to the Commission.

Make it five straight.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, dipped 0.6% in October -- to 102.1, the fifth decline in a row. That puts the index down 1.6% from where it stood a year ago and at the lowest level since December 2012 .

The numbers reflect contracts but not closings.

The weaker activity was not a surprise. “The government shutdown in the first half of last month sidelined some potential buyers,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “In a survey, 17 percent of Realtors reported delays in October -- mostly from waiting for IRS income verification for mortgage approval.”

Yun says there could be a bit of a rebound from this level, but adds, we “still face the headwinds of limited inventory and falling affordability conditions. Job creation and a slight dialing down from current stringent mortgage underwriting standards going into 2014 can help offset the headwind factors.”

Regional picture

Modest gains in the Northeast and Midwest were offset by declines in the South and West, with a greater impact in the high-cost region of the West, where tight inventory also is holding back contract offers. Yun says he expects generally flat home sales going into 2014, but continued growth in home prices from limited inventory conditions.

• The PHSI in the Northeast rose 2.8% to 85.8 in October, and is 8.1% above a year ago.
• In the Midwest the index increased 1.2% to 104.1, and is 3.2% higher than October 2012.
• Pending home sales in the South slipped 0.8% to 114.5 last month, and are 1.5% below the year-ago level.
• The index in the West fell dropped 4.1% in October to 93.3, and is 12.1% lower than October 2012.

Looking ahead

Yun said there are concerns heading into 2014. “New mortgage rules in January could delay the approval process, and another government shutdown would harm both housing and the economy,” he said.

NAR says annual existing-home sales should be nearly 10% higher this year than in 2012, totaling just above 5.1 million, with a comparable volume expected in 2014. The national median existing-home price for 2013 is projected to be 11% above last year, and then cool to a 5.0 to 5.5% increase in 2014.

In the U.S., we hear fast food being blamed for much of the nation's rising tide of obesity and diabetes but there are places where the problem is even worse -- and one of them is right next door, in Mexico. And now a leading Mexican authority on heart disease says it's time to declare an emergency. He's calling for mandatory screening of 18-year-old Mexicans to halt the epidemic of cardiovascular disease that's plaguing the country. 

"The Mexican diet is more dangerous than fast food chains," said Dr Enrique C. Morales Villegas. "It's a combination of fried food, junk food and soft drinks. The philosophy of life is around comfort. People eat too much and everyday they watch 4 hours of TV, spend 2 hours at the computer and do less than 10 minutes of physical activity."

Morales is the director of the Cardiometabolic Research Centre in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and insists that diet and a sedentary lifestyle are to blame for the problem. He wants the Mexican government to order a mandatory examination for every 18-year-old and to prescribe a regimen of diet and exercise for those who are found to have signs of heart disease.

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in Mexico rose by 9.5% in just one year, from 189,000 in 2009 to 207,000 in 2010. The latest Mexican National Survey of Health and Nutrition reveals that 73% of women, 69% of men and 35% of adolescents are overweight or obese.

"The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexico is one of the highest in the world and the problem is increasing in all age groups. Obesity begins in childhood and persists into adolescence and adulthood," Morales said.

The survey also found that diabetes is increasing in men, women and children of all ages, with an estimated adult prevalence of 14-16%.

An average of 31% of adults in Mexico have hypertension. Levels increase with age and two-thirds of 70 year-olds have hypertension. An average of 40% of Mexicans have high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).

Morales' remarks were prepared for delivery at a health conference in Mexico.