Current Events in February 2015

Marin Mountain Bikes is recalling 2014 Marin MBX 50 and Tiny Trail bicycles because the handlebars can loosen or separate.

This recall involves Marin 2014 model MBX 50 and Tiny Trail boys and girls bicycles with 16-inch knobby tires. The single speed bicycles have high-rise handlebars and training wheels.  

The boy’s bicycles were sold in red and have serial number HA14980XXXXXX. The girl’s bicycles were sold in purple and have serial number HA14982XXXXXX. Serial numbers are printed on a foil label affixed to the underside of the base of the down tube. “Marin” is printed on the seat and the downtube. “Tiny Trail” or “MBX 50” is printed on the bicycles chain guard.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycle and contact Marin for a replacement handlebar stem.

Consumer Contact:

Marin Mountain Bikes at (800) 222-7557 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.marinbikes.com and click on “Recalls/Safety” for more information.

It's been a long time coming but effective tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, if you own your cell phone outright you can move from one carrier to another.

That sounds pretty simple but it has taken a long time and a lot of wrangling by regulators, wireless carriers and their lobbying organization. There are also lots of conditions that apply.

What do we mean by unlocking? Cell phones and wireless devices like tablets have traditionally been "locked" so that consumers are tied to their carrier for the term of their contract.

But now, if you now have a phone on -- let's say -- the Verizon network, you can switch to AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint or any of a number of others.

That's assuming that you have paid for your phone and fulfilled your contract. Chances are you haven't, since most smartphones -- which cost hundreds of dollars -- are owned by the wireless carrier until you have lived out your contract, typically two or three years long.

There also some plans, like Verizon's Edge, that let you buy your phone on the installment plan. To switch carriers, you must have paid off the full amount due on that plan.

If you haven't met these conditions and are just dying to switch carriers anyway, you will have to pay an early termination fee (ETF), typically a few hundred dollars. (You may want to think twice about this. You don't want to go to a lot of trouble and expense dumping Carrier A only to find that other carriers don't work well in your location either, a not uncommon condition).

It's also possible that you bought an "unlocked" phone, which puts you that much closer to being able to wave good-bye to your current carrier. Many BlackBerry fans, for example, have bought the new Passport and Classic phones outright, since they are not yet being offered by the major carriers.

Next step

So assuming you have met all those conditions mentioned above, what's next? First, make sure your carrier has agreed to the new unlocking rules. This new procedure is not a law, it's just a statement of principles incorporated into the "Consumer Code for Wireless Services" that major carriers have agreed to follow. 

At the moment, carriers signed on to the code are:

Last week, when we reported how hackers had breached a database containing the records of 80 million current or former Anthem insurance customers, we also included a “pre-emptive scam warning” alerting you to the fake emails or text messages which scammers were certain to start sending out in Anthem's name.

Sure enough, the scam artists of the world immediate started producing so much Anthem-themed malware and phishing bait that the Better Business Bureau and Anthem itself have both posted warnings about it.

To clarify: Anthem has not emailed anybody about the hacking, and it hasn't called anybody either. Therefore, if you get any email supposedly from Anthem about the hacking, you should delete it at once. And if you get a phone call from someone purporting to be an Anthem representative wanting to discuss hacking-security matters with you, hang up. That wasn't a genuine Anthem representative reaching out to you; that was a scammer.

Anthem posted a scam alert on its “Investor relations” website:

“Individuals who may have been impacted by the cyber attack against Anthem, should be aware of scam email campaigns targeting current and former Anthem members. These scams, designed to capture personal information (known as “phishing”) are designed to appear as if they are from Anthem and the emails include a “click here” link for credit monitoring. These emails are NOT from Anthem.”

The scam alert went on to say that “Anthem is not calling members regarding the cyber attack and is not asking for credit card information or social security numbers over the phone.”

When Anthem starts contacting certain customers about the hacking, these communications will be done through the old-fashioned U.S. Postal Service – no electronic communication at all. Nor will Anthem ask thse customers for any personal information. Indeed, Anthem's online scam-email warning includes this bold-print statement:

Anthem will contact current and former members via mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service about the cyber attack with specific information on how to enroll in credit monitoring. Affected members will receive free credit monitoring and ID protection services.

Every computer device is vulnerable to malware, and every Internet connection is hackable. In other words, any “smart” device (read: anything computerized and connected) is vulnerable, including smartphones, smart TVs, and smart cars.

Indeed, the problem with vehicles is bad enough that security researchers already rate cars not according to their fuel efficiency or engine power, but by how easily hackers might gain control of their key systems, including steering and braking.

The safety and security of smart vehicles on public roads is also of obvious interest to members of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, so this week, committee member Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts released a staff report titled Tracking & Hacking: Security & Privacy Gaps Put American Drivers at Risk.

Last year, Markey's office asked 19 different vehicle manufacturers about their cars' vulnerability to hackers. Sixteen of them responded, and the results comprise the bulk of Markey's report. The statement his office released this week says in part that:

“The responses from the automobile manufacturers show a vehicle fleet that has fully adopted wireless technologies like Bluetooth and even wireless Internet access, but has not addressed the real possibilities of hacker infiltration into vehicle systems. The report also details the widespread collection of driver and vehicle information, without privacy protections for how that information is shared and used.”

Driving history

In other words: hacking, or unauthorized access, isn't the only potential problem with such vehicles – there's also the huge amount of information made available to authorized agents of the manufacturers. Or, in the dry language of congressional press releases: “Additional concerns came from the rise of navigation and other features that record and send location or driving history information.”

If consumers are worried about privacy or hacking-security matters, can they vote with their wallets, and buy vehicles without such vulnerabilities? Not necessarily; the report's summary lists its eight major points, with the first one being: “Nearly 100 percent of vehicles on the market include wireless technologies that could pose vulnerabilities to hacking or privacy intrusions.”

How big of a problem is car hacking, anyway? Nobody knows; the summary's second highlight says that “Most automobile manufacturers were unaware of or unable to report on past hacking incidents.”

The rest of the summary is just as discouraging. The report notes that “Automobile manufacturers collect large amounts of data on driving history and vehicle performance” – another way of saying “Whoever made your car knows exactly when and where you drive and park it.”

The report also says, “A majority of automakers offer technologies that collect and wirelessly transmit driving history data to data centers, including third-party data centers, and most do not describe effective means to secure the data.”

Translation: Whoever made your car not only knows exactly when and where you drive and park it, but makes it easy for hackers to know all this, too.

Markey's full report is available in .pdf form here.

The snow can get to you and you might be thinking it's time to pack it up and head where it's warmer. It doesn't matter if it's around the block or to a warm weather destination, if you're planning to sell  your home April is the best month, according to a Consumer Reports survey of 300 real-estate agents.

If you don't make the deadline of April, try and put your home up for sale sometime in Spring, the second-best home-selling period.

Know this though -- before you start to renovate don't overdo it. In other words don't knock yourself out. Frequently, people put so much money out for upgrades they burn off nearly all the equity of their home.

If you are going to improve and put a lot of money into the renovation, make sure it's an upgrade that will make a difference in the price you can expect.

"Just because a house has new counter tops and a brand-new master bath doesn't mean you've made more square footage in your house," said Pat Vredevoogd Combs, past president of the National Association of Realtors and vice president of Coldwell Banker AJS Schmidt in Grand Rapids, Mich. said  "Compared to houses down the street with the same amount of square footage," the prices will be basically the same, she says.

Location, location ...

Erik H. Reisner, managing partner of Mad River Valley Real Estate in Vermont, said he recalls a situation where one homeowner owned a $400,000 house in a $400,000 neighborhood.

The owner "did a ton of renovations and additions" and then listed it for $700,000. Guess what happened? Yes it was difficult to sell and the homeowner took a loss.

Square footage often will equal a higher home value, but pay attention to how an addition affects the yard. A yard is a major purchase point for buyers and if the size of the yard is diminished it won't matter what you have done on the inside.

Just remember, as in art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what  may be perfect for you and your family may not be so great for everyone else. In other words, don't sink a lot of money into something that nobody else will want.

Here's yet another reminder how very few people actually bother reading the “privacy policy,” “terms and conditions,” or other dense piles of documentation that come with any software or electronics purchase nowadays: this past weekend, the topic of Samsung's smart TV privacy policy started trending on social media and generating fresh headlines in mainstream news media, after the Daily Beast published a Feb. 5 article noting that “Your Samsung TV is spying on you, basically.”

That's not a lie, nor an exaggeration, and it's not even a secret. Samsung openly says as much in its online “Privacy Policy—Smart TV Supplement”:

You can control your SmartTV, and use many of its features, with voice commands.

If you enable Voice Recognition, you can interact with your Smart TV using your voice. To provide you the Voice Recognition feature, some voice commands may be transmitted (along with information about your device, including device identifiers) to a third-party service that converts speech to text or to the extent necessary to provide the Voice Recognition features to you. In addition, Samsung may collect and your device may capture voice commands and associated texts so that we can provide you with Voice Recognition features and evaluate and improve the features. Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.

Not a new policy

Translation: If you use Voice Recognition, there are people who will listen to recordings of what you say, so they can convert it into text. Those people will be able to hear whatever you say, so don't say anything around your television that you wouldn't want strangers to hear.

This is not a new policy from Samsung, though. In early January, Chris Hoffman at the How-To Geek blog held it up as a bad example, in an article titled “Smart TVs are stupid: why you really don't want a smart TV.”

After first listing and describing various software problems found in typical smart TVs, Hoffman noted that “Some smart TVs come with features like voice commands, but if you dig into their terms and conditions, you might find some really scary language.” To demonstrate, he then quoted that one sentence from Samsung's privacy policy:

Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.

The walls have ears

So if you have anything private to discuss, don't talk about it while you're at home. At least not within hearing distance of your TV. But if you must have a private conversation at home, you could try taking a tip from old black-and-white movies about life in totalitarian countries: when members of the resistance discussed sensitive matters, they'd do so in whispers while playing loud music on the radio, so the Secret Police couldn't hear them.

Perhaps you needn't do anything so drastic. Samsung's privacy policy does say that “You may disable Voice Recognition data collection at any time by visiting the 'settings' menu,” although that “may prevent you from using all of the Voice Recognition features.” However, disabling Voice Recognition still won't prevent Samsung's smart TV from collecting at least some data about you:

If you do not enable Voice Recognition, you will not be able to use interactive voice recognition features, although you may be able to control your TV using certain predefined voice commands. While Samsung will not collect your spoken word, Samsung may still collect associated texts and other usage data so that we can evaluate the performance of the feature and improve it.

In fairness to Samsung: it might be that the company is not unique in making smart TVs that eavesdrop on their owners, only unique in admitting it. As Cnet noted, the privacy policies of companies such as LG and Philips don't offer any information specifically about smart TVs and their capabilities—and in 2013, LG was involved in a privacy-related controversy after its smart TVs were accused of knowing too much about their owners.

It might even be that “smart TVs” and “privacy as we know it” simply can't co-exist. After all, a voice-recognition system by definition can only work if it can hear whoever is speaking. And even if technology somehow allowed for a completely self-contained computerized voice-recognition system, no other human involvement at all, your smart TV still has all the security weaknesses inherent to anything with an Internet connection.

It's been a turbulent weekend for TurboTax — and for state-level taxpayers in general. As of press time, residents of all 50 states are once again allowed to use TurboTax to file their state tax returns, but who knows? That could change as suddenly as this whole mess began.

It all started last Thursday night, when the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced that it would stop accepting returns filed with TurboTax, since scammers using TurboTax had filed fraudulent returns in the name of actual Minnesota taxpayers.

Intuit, which produces TurboTax, initially responded to Minnesota's announcement by establishing a toll-free number affected taxpayers could call. That hotline opened for business at 8 a.m. Central time, Friday morning. Less than an hour later, Intuit announced that it was temporarily suspending e-filing via TurboTax in all 50 states.

However, Intuit's self-imposed nationwide ban lasted less than a day; by Friday evening, Intuit had resumed processing tax returns, presumably with stronger anti-fraud measures in place.

No way to know

But how many fraudulent returns went through before Intuit strenghtened its security? There's no way of knowing. Massachusetts responded to the news by temporarily halting tax refunds out of fear that some of those refund requests might be fraudulent. Revenue commissioner Amy Pitter said that the state currently had about 160,000 tax refunds in the pipeline, and needed to make sure those refund requests were all legitimate.

Massachusetts isn't the only state to delay refunds so it can look for fraudulent returns. On Friday, revenue commissioners from multiple states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kentucky, Connecticut, Vermont, Utah and North Dakota all said they would delay state tax refunds in order to look for fraud.

Although tax refunds are being delayed, all states are accepting tax returns via TurboTax. Even Minnesota's Department of Revenue ended its brief ban on Saturday at 3 p.m. Central time.

Janelle Tummel, a spokesperson for Minnesota's DoR, said that “We took this step after Intuit implemented new 'targeted security measures.' We will continue reviewing returns and will remain in contact with the company.” Tummel also said that Minnesota residents who already filed their state taxes through TurboTax need not do anything; the state will contact you if anyone discovers a problem with your return, but otherwise your tax return will go through as it normally would.

Marriott and other hotel chains have given up, at least for now, on their attempts to block personal wi-fi hotspots after learning the hard way, through a stiff fine in Marriott's case, that blocking lawful wireless communications is illegal.

But are there times when there should be an exception? Prison officials would like to be able to block cell phone transmissions but are running into the same legal roadblocks as the hotels despite the deadly security threat they say cell phones pose.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it has made it a "top priority" to end illegal cell phone and wireless use in prisons but says that existing cell phone blockers are not only illegal but impractical for institutions as large as a modern prison.

The FCC says it is working with state corrections departments to develop new technology. State officials say an answer can't come too soon.

"It's a constant security issue we're facing on a daily basis," said Kenneth Lassiter, deputy director for operations for the North Carolina prison system, in a report aired by WNCN-TV. 

Cell phones are the No. 1 security threat in the state's prisons, Lassier said. They're smuggled in by the hundreds and used to arrange drug deals, escape attempts and criminal activities by inmates' associates who are still on the outside.

"One cell phone is too many cell phones," Lassiter emphasized to WNCN, which reported that in 2005 only about 30 or so phones were confiscated in prisons across the state, but by 2012 that number jumped up to more than 850.

Inmate Facebook pages

It's not just cell phones. In Tennessee, WSMV-TV found more than 100 inmates operating their own Facebook pages, displaying photos and videos of drugs, cash and parties while they are behind bars, even though inmates aren't supposed to have Internet access.

The photos and videos show inmates claiming to be using drugs, smoking, hoarding snacks, giving each other tattoos, and in one photograph, burning clothes inside a cell.

"Anyone who sees those videos, they're going to be sickened by it. They're going to be angry," said Verna Wyatt, executive director of Tennessee Voices for Victims, an advocacy group for crime victims.

In North Carolina, WNCN reported that convicted murderer Rivera Peoples posted pictures and video, showing off the contraband iPhone he somehow got in prison to operate his Facebook page.

In one video an inmate sitting beside Peoples in the prison yard can he heard saying, "I believe I'm smoking better than everybody."

The video shows the inmate asking people how much money Peoples has collected while in prison. Peoples responds, "I'm a thousand, definitely a thousand."

"Call capture" solutions

Rather than trying to block -- or "jam" -- cell phone transmissions from prison, the FCC says it is working on "call capture" solutions, which rely on cell base stations to capture and block calls to and from numbers known to be associated with imprisoned inmates.

Whether or not that solution is superior to cell jamming is irrelevant, the FCC says, since it does not have the authority to waive laws prohibiting cell jamming. Congress would have to amend existing law to make that permissible.

The FCC also argues that jamming all cell phones near and inside a prison would block access to 911 and other essential services by prison staff, visitors and others.

Also, the FCC says jammers can interfere with other communications devices.

"State communications officials have expressed concern about jammers bleeding interference outside the prison and disrupting police and firefighter frequencies which are close to cell phone frequencies, the FCC said in a position paper. 

While the issue is debated, business proceeds as usual on cellblocks across the country. 

New car sales surged in the U.S. in January, increasing 14% over last January and totaling 1.15 million units. Consumers also paid more for their new rides.

Analysts at Kelley Blue Book estimate the average transaction price in January rose to $33,993, up 5.2% over last year.

“Lower gas prices are helping with what has already been a growing market for truck and utility vehicles,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “In turn, these vehicles are driving increases in average transaction prices across the industry, especially among the domestic automakers.”

The analysts note another factor driving sales – more credit available for auto loans. Specifically, there is more money available to consumers with poor credit – so-called subprime loans.

Ally Bank to get more aggressive

In a conference call last week the new CEO at Ally Bank, Jeff Brown, suggested his bank had been too conservative in the past and promised to increase the subprime portion of the bank's auto lending portfolio.

“Where we have underachieved, holistically, is we probably didn’t take enough credit risk the last two or three years,” he said.

Making more loans to consumers with ify credit isn't just being generous. For lenders, there are huge financial incentives to do so.

Deja vu

If you'll remember back to the housing bubble, there was a huge demand for mortgage backed securities. Mortgages were bundled and sold to investors who prized the interest income – at the time thought to be very stable.

Before the bubble popped almost anyone with a pulse could qualify for a mortgage, whether they could afford a house or not. Mortgage brokers cut corners and played fast and loose with the truth when it came to the applicants' income and job stability. When the whole house of cards tumbled it very nearly brought down the world's financial system.

Some are worried the same thing is happening now with auto loans. Car loans, in particular subprime loans, have been bundled like mortgages were and sold to Wall Street investors. The New York Times reports so many financial heavyweights have gotten into the game of securitizing auto loans that the total has grown 302% since 2010.

Other economists say the systemic risks from an auto loan bubble popping is much less than the housing crash experience. They point out that, unlike houses, automobiles are more easily repossessed and resold, reducing losses to investors.

What about consumers?

However, no one is really talking about the risk to consumers who are being lured into car purchases they really can't afford. What happens to them when they default and lose their means of transportation? Their risk increases when new and used car prices keep going up while their incomes don't.

“Car buyers tend to shop with a monthly payment in mind. As a result, we are continuing to see them turn to leasing and longer loan lengths as strategies to keep payments down and make vehicles more affordable,” said Melinda Zabritski, senior director of automotive finance for Experian.

But that can be a problem – stretching out the loan means you are paying it off more slowly. Meanwhile, the value of the vehicle is going down faster than the loan balance.

How to avoid the trap

Here's how to avoid that trap. Just follow the long-established rule of auto financing that states you should be able to make a 20% down payment, finance for 4 years and have a monthly payment that doesn't exceed 10% of your gross monthly pay.

Purchasing a vehicle for $33,000 should require a down payment of $6750. That means financing $27,000 for 4 years at a prevailing interest rate of 4%, giving you a monthly payment of $609.

To afford the average new car or truck, you would need a monthly gross income of $6090, or $73,080 a year.

If the numbers don't work, it's probably wise to shop for a cheaper car.

Reverse mortgages are a source of growing frustration, particularly among baby boomers and their families, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has found, an observation confirmed by the constant stream of complaints to ConsumerAffairs by homeowners.

“Consumer complaints tell us that the complex terms of reverse mortgages continue to be misunderstood,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “As more baby boomers choose reverse mortgages to tap into their home equity, they need to understand the unique terms and features of this product."

The CFPB has issued a series of tips to help homeowners. 

Many complaints show a mismatch between consumer expectations and the way the product functions, the CFPB said. Many consumers, for example, struggle with understanding how quickly their loan balance will go up and their home equity will fall. The top complaints about reverse mortgages included:

Distress about the inability to add new borrowers to an existing loan. Reverse mortgages prohibit spouses, heirs, and dependents from taking over the loan. This is because loan amounts are, in part, calculated using a borrower’s age and the loan repayment is triggered when the last borrower moves out or dies. This can be a problem for surviving spouses and children. Family members complained to the CFPB about not being able to be added to the loan so they could keep the home.

Frustration with runarounds when trying to pay off the debt. When the borrower dies, heirs can sell the home, repay the loan balance, or pay 95 percent of the property’s assessed value. Consumers complained that loan servicers do not provide a clear process to allow them to settle the debt. Consumers also complained about appraisal delays, improperly performed appraisals, and inflated home values so they would have to pay more. Others complained about a lack of response from loan servicers, including unanswered calls, and a lack of response to written requests.

Struggles with foreclosure due to issues with property taxes and homeowners’ insurance. Reverse mortgages require no monthly mortgage payments but borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. A previous CFPB report found that nearly 10 percent of reverse mortgage borrowers are at risk of foreclosure because they have failed to pay these expenses. Consumers who complained to the CFPB described unsuccessful attempts to halt foreclosure proceedings by paying overdue taxes. Others insisted that their loan servicers had determined incorrectly that their taxes were overdue. Sometimes these inaccuracies were due to a failure by loan servicers to keep accurate records.

Protecting loved ones

Because many consumers do not understand the long-term financial impact of reverse mortgages, the CFPB is issuing an advisory to help reverse mortgage borrowers. The advisory highlights three ways consumers who are the borrowers on the loan can help plan so that their surviving heirs are not harmed:

Verify who is on the loan. If two borrowers took out the reverse mortgage, they should check with the reverse mortgage company to make sure its loan records are accurate.

Plan ahead for the non-borrowing spouse. For consumers who took out a HECM reverse mortgage in the name of only one spouse before August 4, 2014, they should contact their loan servicer to find out if the non-borrowing spouse may qualify for a repayment deferral. If not, they should make a plan in the event the borrowing spouse passes away first.

Couples with enough remaining equity could consider taking out a new reverse mortgage, but they will incur new loan fees. Some surviving spouses may also be able to pay off the reverse mortgage, or take out a traditional mortgage, perhaps with another family member. Many will need to plan for where they will live after the home is sold to repay the loan.

If the loan was originated after August 4, 2014, new changes to the HECM program will allow the non-borrowing spouse, meeting certain conditions, to remain in the home.

Plan ahead for other family members living in the home. Consumers should make sure any children or other family members living in the home know what to expect when the reverse mortgage is due. If those members want to keep the home, the borrower should contact their reverse mortgage company to have them explain their options. They can also contact a HUD-approved housing counselor to explore their options:

Dish Network's Sling TV goes national today, with a major addition to its previously announced line-up: programming from AMC Networks, including hit shows "The Walking Dead" and "Mad Men" as well as offerings from BBC America, BBC World News, IFC, Sundance TV and WE tv.

“We flipped the switch this morning opening up Sling TV to all consumers, and we’re giving them something they’ve been asking for: AMC,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV.

AMC will be included in the “Best of the Live TV” core package for $20 per month. Sling TV will announce the launch date as well as additional information regarding package availability of the AMC Networks channels in the coming weeks.

Sling TV is Dish's big toe in streaming video, a way to position itself as something more than a satellite TV service, something that is starting to look a bit dated as video entertainment increasingly moves to the Internet.

Streaming services are aimed at "cable cutters" and "cable never" -- mostly younger consumers who are getting rid of their cable TV subscriptions or have never signed up in the first place.

Sling TV’s “Best of Live TV” core package delivers ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel, CNN, El Rey and Galavision.

This package additionally features access to WatchESPN and an array of Video-On-Demand entertainment. Customers can choose to tailor their entertainment experience with optional “Sports Extra,” “Kids Extra” and “News & Info Extra” add-on packs, each priced at $5 per month. In addition to live channels and VOD entertainment, Sling TV customers have access to content from Maker Studios.

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured December 9, 2014, to January 14, 2015, 2015 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured December 9, 2014, to January 20, 2015, and 2015 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured December 9, 2014, to January 16, 2015, and all equipped with Goodyear P255/65R18 Fortera HL tires.

These vehicles are equipped with tires that may experience tread cracking. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or Less."

If the tire treads crack, a loss of tire pressure and possible tire failure may result, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tires that were manufactured within a specific date range, free of charge. This manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 15025/15067. Note: This recall is for Goodyear P255/65R18 Fortera HL tires installed as original equipment. For tires that were purchased as replacement equipment, see recall 15T-002.

NOTES:

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

FCA US (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured January 1, 2013, to November 19, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience unintended side curtain and seat air bag deployment during vehicle operation.

If the air bags deploy unexpectedly during vehicle operation, it can increase the risk of personal injury and increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will re-flash the occupant restraint control module software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on March 26, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R05.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

You may not win Park Place but you could be lucky and win about $23,000. If you live in France.

It's Monopoly's 80th anniversary and to commemorate, Hasbro is issuing a handful of special sets in France with real euros in place of the usual colorful paper money.

There will be 80 special sets; 69 will be complete with five 10-euro notes and five 20-euro notes, another 10 will come with five 20-euro, two 50-euro and one 100-euro bills, and one set will be all cash. That comes out to  20,580 euros -- or about $23,650 in American money.

I know the big question is whether we will see the same limited edition here in the States. Mum is the word on that and Hasbro hasn't pulled a Chance card yet for the U.S.

The 80th anniversary edition is out in the U.S. It has  a vintage-styled board, cards and money, wooden houses and hotels along with classic tokens from across the decades such as the lantern and money bag. No real money though.

Monopoly editions come in a variety of versions from a make-your-own game board, which allows you to customize all the game equipment and rules to your liking, to San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell who has the most expensive Monopoly set, a $2 million game with a golden board and diamond-studded dice.

Monopoly can be traced back to the early 20th century. The earliest known version of Monopoly, known as The Landlord's Game, was designed by an American, Elizabeth Magie, and first patented in 1904 but existed as early as 1902.

Some stats on Monopoly from Hasbro:

• More than 275 million sets have been sold worldwide.
• Monopoly is available in 111 countries in 43 languages.
• The longest game on record lasted for 70 days. That was on terra firma; Monopoly has also been played underwater and in a treehouse.
• There are 32 houses and 12 hotels in a standard Monopoly set.
• A Monopoly board has 40 spaces, including 28 properties. Yes, that includes the railroads.
• The lowest rent in Monopoly? Mediterranean Avenue with no houses.  It'll cost you $2 to land on it. The most expensive? Boardwalk with a hotel, worth a cool $2,000. Wouldn't it be nice to be a hotel at that bargain price.
• In 2008, more than 3,000 people played the game at the same time, a record.

Just a heads up – Valentine's Day is closing in fast. If you haven't thought of something for your significant other, time is slipping away.

Like all the second-tier holidays, Valentine's Day is a much bigger deal than it was in the past. It simply can't be ignored. Or, you can ignore it at your peril.

Fortunately, there are plenty of businesses around to help you express your affection. You can send balloons, stuffed animals and even pajamas. But the time honored, old school method of saying “I love you” is by sending flowers.

When the recipient is out of town, it requires finding a local florist – not that hard to do in the age of Google and Yelp. But there are also a number of firmly established “middle men” who will take your order and then find a local florist to fill it.

Among the most popular of the online flower delivery companies are FTD.com, 1-800-Flowers, Proflowers, Just Flowers and TeleFlora. All five have rolled out Valentine's Day promotions.

FTD.com

Long before the Internet, and even before telephones were widespread, florists figured out a way to use the telegraph to place orders between flower shops. FTD gets its name from Floral Telegraph Delivery and today, the same principal more or less still applies.

FTD.com connects member florists across the U.S. and in a number of other countries. Once at the site you can shop for an appropriate gift, pay for it and send it.

FTD.com's current Valentine specials include a Red Rose Bouquet of 18 red roses. Add a clear vase for $9 more.

To show your passion you can step up to purple. The Casual Elegance Bouquet is a collection of lavender roses, purple gilly flowers and purple double lisianthus. It starts at $59.99 and goes up to $94.99.

The Memorable Moments Rose & Calla Lily Bouquet is a classy contrast of red and white and includes a vase. It starts at $49.99 and goes up to $79.99.

Not sure what to send? The website will make suggestions, based on the things you have searched for. And to find a gift in your price range, you can also search for gift ideas by prices.

To read our readers' reviews of FTD.com. click here.

1-800-Flowers

The company that became 1-800-Flowers first had to acquire the phone number 1-800-356-9377. It did so, from a trucking company, in 1981 and changed its name. After struggling, it eventually was purchased by a floral company that engaged in unrelenting marketing, turning the company into one of the most recognized brands in the flower delivery business.

Like FTD, 1-800-Flowers doesn't actually deliver your flowers – it places the order with an affiliated florist in the town where the flowers are to be delivered. Its Valentine specials include a classic bouquet of red roses in a red vase and a box of chocolates for $71.99. The flowers-only go for $49.99.

Expressions of Pink includes roses, lilies, and carnations arranged inside a classic vase. This bouquet comes in 3 sizes, starting at $59.99 and going up to $79.99.

One dozen roses of varying hue also make a nice gift. 1-800-Flowers provides a number of different options – from flowers only at $39.99 to bundling the roses in a red vase, with a bear and box of chocolates for $56.99.

Prefer tulips to roses? That works, too. A bouquet of red and pink tulips starts at $34.99 and goes to $61.99 when you double the flowers and include a vase.

To read our readers' reviews of 1-800-Flowers, click here.

ProFlowers

If you're stumped about what to send, ProFlowers can make some helpful suggestions. Its website will show you what the best sellers have been so far.

Its Hugs and Kisses bouquet contains 20 ruby red tulips and 20 deep blue iris. ProFlowers calls it one of the most popular bouquets because it captures the many moods of the heart, with the sensual blue of the iris balanced by the heat and passion of the red tulips. It starts at $29.99.

The Valentine's Day Spectacular is an eye-catching collection that starts at just $29.99. It's made up of a collection of Stargazer lilies and regal blue iris. It's bold in every sense of the word.

ProFlowers says all its flowers are shipped under a field-to-door system. That means the plants from directly from the grower to your door. They arrive ready to bloom and are guaranteed fresh for at least 7 days.

If you would like something a bit more lasting than a cut bouquet of flowers, you might consider a Hot Pink Romance. It's an arrangement of hot pink tulips and hyacinth in a chic hatbox container with a fashion-forward pink and gold Ikat-inspired design. The bulbs arrive potted, just peeking above the soil, and should bloom in 2-3 weeks, the company says.

To read our readers' review of ProFlowers, click here.

JustFlowers

Los Angeles-based JustFlowers has been around since the late 1990s, working with gift basket vendors around the country. It specializes in a full line of live plants it is making part of its Valentine's promotion. My Pretty Violet is a basket of violets that comes in 3 sizes. The arrangement starts at $49.99 and goes up to $69.99.

In The Palm of Your Hand is a potted palm plant. It too comes in 3 sizes – small, medium and large. The small starts at $59.99 and the large is $79.99. For all of its live plants, JustFlowers notes that the actual plant will be delivered by a local florist and may differ from the picture, so keep that in mind.

JustFlowers' also has a full complement of Valentines flower arrangements, including the classic Love Roses. It's a bouquet of a dozen red roses, starting at $74.99. Double the roses to make a bigger statement and pay $129.99.

Its Pink Mist floral bouquet is an arrangement of different types of flowers, but all with a pink theme. It comes in 3 sizes, starting at $44.99 and going up to $64.99.

To read our readers' reviews of JustFlowers, click here.

Teleflora

Teleflora is a service organization affiliated with more than 13,000 member florists throughout the U.S. and Canada, with an additional 20,000 affiliated florists outside North America. Its website offers up a variety of Valentine gifts available through those individual florists.

Judging from its website, tulips may be emerging as a strong competitor to roses this year as the classic floral gift. Simple yet beautiful. Teleflora's Radiantly Red Tulips Valentines bouquet comes in a clear vase with 30 long-stemmed flowers.

The longer the stems, the higher the price. The standard size is 14 inches and goes for $42.95. The premium bouquet contains tulips with 19 inches of stem. It sells for $102.95.

Teleflora's Swirls Of Love bouquet is made up of red and pink roses, along with hot pink carnations and accented with fresh lemon leaf. It's delivered in a stylish Swirls Of Love vase and starts at $99.95.

The Sweethearts Forever bouquet is a customizable gift, starting at $77.95 for six red roses in an attractive red glass vase. You can increase the number of roses and add balloons, a stuffed animal and chocolates, pushing the price well over $100.

Like most of the sites, Teleflora will make other gift suggestions, based on the items you have viewed. To see our reader's reviews of Teleflora, check here.

Analyzing reviews

When reading various online reviews of how these services perform, keep in mind that consumers are more likely to post when things go wrong than when they are satisfied, and no one gets it right every time. Still, reviewing a particular company's performance can help you spot potentially troubling trends.

Specifically, note the date when a negative review is posted. If it is around a holiday like Valentine's or Mothers Day – and if there happen to be a lot of complaints around that time – it could be a sign that the system has difficulty meeting heavy demand.

As noted earlier, consumers can use search engines to locate a florist in the town where the recipient lives. By calling a local florist, you can communicate with the florist who will fill the order directly, relay specific instructions and ask questions. Local florists will usually take a credit card over the phone.

Other options

Of course, no one says you have to send flowers on Valentine's Day. Sometimes homemade gifts are the most thoughtful and express the most emotion.

Here's a wall hanging that someone made for their sweety, forming a heart and the word “love” out of a piece of rope. To make it you use a thick, natural fiber rope and soak it in a mix of 1-1/2 cups warm water, 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornstarch, 1 cup crafts glue, and 1 teaspoon salt. Shape the rope into a word and a frame, laying the design on a piece of plastic wrap. Use light-gauge wire to add stability and to form tight letter shapes.

Also, Pinterest has no shortage of do-it-yourself Valentines gifts.

One final word of advice – don't procrastinate. Decide early, especially if you are sending flowers or other gifts out of town. Last minute orders just increase the risk that something could go wrong.

Whatever your Valentines plans, make them early, show some originality and make them express your true feelings and you'll come out smelling like a rose.

If you'd planned on using TurboTax to file your taxes this year, you might need to make other arrangements. Minnesota's state Department of Revenue announced last night that it would no longer accept any tax returns filed through Intuit's TurboTax software, because scammers were apparently using it to file fraudulent returns in the names of legitimate state taxpayers.

The Minnesota DoR posted this announcement on its website:

“Some Minnesota taxpayers have recently found that when they log in to TurboTax to file their tax return, they see that a return has already been filed. Due to this potentially fraudulent activity, we have stopped accepting tax returns submitted using TurboTax. We are still accepting returns filed with Intuit professional preparer products (Lacerte, Intuit Tax Online, and ProSeries).”

The announcement also said that, starting this morning at 8 a.m. Central time (9 a.m. Eastern), Minnesota taxpayers affected by the suspension could call Intuit at 1-800-944-8596 to ask for assistance.

But by Friday morning the problem had grown even worse. Around 9 a.m. Central time, Intuit announced that it was temporarily disallowing e-filing in all states, after at least 17 state tax departments in addition to Minnesota's reported noticeable increases in the number of fraudulent-return complaints they received.

For what it's worth, Intuit's blog post announcing the temporary suspension says “Intuit believes that these instances of fraud did not result from a security breach of its systems and that the information used to file fraudulent returns was obtained from other sources outside the tax preparation process.”

Intuit also said that affected customers who call 800-944-8596 will get “direct access to specially trained identity protection agents who will provide comprehensive support and filing assistance. In addition, Intuit will provide identity protection services and free credit monitoring, as well as provide access to all versions of its software or to the assistance of one of Intuit’s credentialed tax experts who will prepare taxes for affected customers at no expense.”

As of press time, there's no indication if or when Intuit will lift its TurboTax e-filing ban, or if other revenue departments will join Minnesota in disallowing TurboTax at the state level.

Good-bye, Verizon. Hello, Frontier. That's the message today for millions of telephone and Internet customers in three of the nation's biggest states -- California, Texas and Florida.

Verizon is casting off its terrestrial services in those states, raising $10 billion that it can spend on its wireless -- you know, cell phone -- business, which is growing much faster and doesn't require stringing and maintaining all that nasty wire and fiber optic cable.

This is turning into a habit for Verizon. It has cast off quite a bit of its wireline business in recent years, with Frontier picking up the pieces. Or at least most of them.

Customers in Connecticut recently went through a similar transition when AT&T abandoned them to Frontier. How's that been working out? Well, here's what Constance of Roxbury, Conn., had to say in a recent ConsumerAffairs review: 

"We always had good service with AT&T and then they sold our telephone/voicemail service to a company called Frontier. What a disgrace -- this new company and the customer service," she said, complaining of problems with her Caller ID and voicemail. "Trying repeatedly to call Frontier Customer Service and they say they will put in a complaint; however, cannot assist me at this time."

Constant interruptions

Kathy of Putnam, Conn., is equally unhappy with the turn her Internet service ha taken.

"I was switched over to Frontier from AT&T after a buyout. This was in November 2014. My Internet service was horrible from the day of the switch. Constant interruptions and then no service at all," she said. "I called and stayed on hold for at least 40 minutes. I was initially told I needed a new modem, and that they would ship it "immediately". A week later still no modem but a bill showed up!"

This, of course, is not quite the way Verizon tells it.

“Our long-standing strategy has been to consistently invest in our networks, improve our customers’ experience, and develop new products and services while delivering profitable growth," said Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. "These transactions will further strengthen Verizon’s focus on extending our industry leadership position in our core markets and return significant value to our shareholders.”

You might think that California, Texas and Florida would be "core markets," but maybe not.  

"Selling wireline operations in California, Florida and Texas to Frontier will concentrate Verizon’s wireline operations on the East Coast. Verizon will focus on further penetrating the market for its FiOS business across a contiguous footprint in Eastern states," the Verizon announcement of the deal said. That means the Washington-Boston corridor, apparently.

In other words, it shrinks Verizon back to its roots. The company started out as Nynex after the 1982 AT&T divestiture. Its current footprint closely resembles Nynyx and BellAtlantic, the old D.C.-area "Baby Bell."

The operations Frontier will acquire consist of all of Verizon’s local wireline operating territories in California, Florida and Texas, including about 3.7 million voice connections, 2.2 million high-speed data customers, including approximately 1.6 million FiOS Internet customers.

How's your septic tank doing these days? It's probably not something you will be discussing at the next dinner party but it is something you may want to investigate.

That's because almost half of all household septic tanks failed inspections and more than half of those failures were due to people not de-sludging their tanks.

Did you know that you should periodically inspect your system and pump out your septic tank? If your septic system isn’t maintained, you might need to replace it, costing you many thousands of dollars. A malfunctioning system can contaminate groundwater that might be a source of drinking water. And if you sell your home, your septic system must be in good working order.

Some septic tank basics:

To prevent buildup, sludge and floating scum you will need to do periodic pumping of the septic tank. You should do the pumping every 3-5 years. Systems with electrical float switches, pumps, or mechanical components need to be inspected more often.

You -- or, more likely, someone you hire for the job -- want to look for leaks and look at the scum and sludge layers in your septic tank. If the bottom of the scum layer is within 6 inches of the bottom of the outlet tee or the top of the sludge layer is within 12 inches of the outlet tee, your tank needs to be pumped.

If you are like me you may not be sure where your septic tank is. Your tank, drainfield and reserve drainfield should be clearly designated on the “as-built” drawing for your home. If you aren't sure where that is you can go to your local land records and find it. You can also see exactly where your property line is in case you have neighbor issues.

You might also see lids or manhole covers for your septic tank. Older tanks are often hard to find because there are no visible parts. An inspector/pumper can help you locate your septic system if your tank has no risers.

Septic scams

Beware of septic tank scammers. Some makers of septic tank additives claim that their products break down the sludge in septic tanks so the tanks never need to be pumped. Don't bet on it. You should still have the tank inspected -- and probably pumped -- regularly. 

The most obvious septic system failures are easy to spot. Check for pooling water or muddy soil around your septic system or in your basement. Notice whether your toilet or sink backs up when you flush or do laundry.

Economists looking for a solid jobs report may just have it with the January report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Not only were 257,000 jobs created last month, but those who are working earned more money.

According to the report, the surge in jobs was led buy advances in retail trade, construction, health care, financial activities and manufacturing.

While the unemployment rate ticked up 0.1% -- to 5.7% -- analysts say that suggests more people are looking for work.

Nearly as important as the increase in new payroll positions is the fact that average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 12 cents -- to $24.75, following a decrease of 5 cents in December. Over the year, average hourly earnings are up 2.2%.

Where they're hiring

Job gains occurred in retail trade (+46,000), construction (+39,000), health care(+38,000), financial activities (+26,000) and manufacturing (+22,000).

Employment in other major industries, including mining and logging, wholesale

trade, transportation and warehousing, information and government, showed little

change over the month.

Who's working

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers (18.8%) increased in January, while jobless rates for adult men (5.3%), adult women (5.1%), whites (4.9%), blacks (10.3%), Asians (4.0%) and Hispanics (6.7%) showed little or no change.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged in January at 2.8 million. These individuals accounted for 31.5% of the unemployed. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed is down by 828,000.

The full January employment report is available on the Labor Department website.