Current Events in May 2015

FCA Chrysler is recalling 43,750 model year 2006 Dodge Viper and Jeep Wrangler and Liberty vehicles manufactured July 1, 2005, to July 31, 2006.

The springs within the clutch pedal position switch that prevents the vehicle from starting unless the clutch pedal is pushed down may break. As a result, the vehicle may not be started when the clutch pedal is pushed down or the engine may crank and start without the clutch pedal being pushed down causing the vehicle to lurch unexpectedly.

An unexpected movement could increase the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the clutch ignition interlock switch, free of charge. Parts are currently unavailable. Owners will be mailed an interim notification beginning in June 2015, and receive a second notification when remedy parts are available.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R13.

General Motors is recalling 3,690 model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibus manufactured April 10, 2012, to August 2, 2012.

The console transmission gear selection indicator in the affected vehicles may not illuminate the shift position selected. As a result, the driver could inadvertently select a transmission position other than the intended one, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the transmission gear selection control module, free of charge. The recall began on April 20, 2015.

Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 12162.

Since the financial crisis of 2008, fewer people have purchased homes and more, either by necessity or choice, have rented their homes. With demand increasing faster than supplies of available property, rents have skyrocketed, especially in expensive housing markets.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, rents are up a staggering 14.8% year-over-year, according to the real estate site Zillow. Nationwide, rents are up just under 4%.

Make Room, a non-profit group focusing on rental affordability, estimates more than 11 million families, or 1 in 4 of the 42 million U.S. renter households, spend at least half their income on rent. It bases its claim on an analysis of U.S. Census data.

Little left over

With half of income going to pay the rent, that leaves little for the rest of life's necessities, such as groceries, health care and child care.

The rental situation in the U.S. is a crisis, the group says, and is getting worse.

“The lack of rental homes is pervasive and affects working families, seniors and children across America, said Angela Boyd, vice president of advocacy at Enterprise Community Partners. “No community – be it urban, suburban or rural – is immune.”

The analysis of 2013 Census data finds rent shock is most severe in Florida, New Jersey, California and New York. In those states, 30% of renters pay at least half of their income toward housing costs, including rent and utilities.

But even in traditionally more affordable markets in Ohio, Alabama, Maine and Tennessee, the group says about a quarter of the people renting their homes pay more than half their income to do so.

Credit and finances a barrier to buying

A recent Zillow report shows buying a home is becoming a much better deal in more and more housing markets. But the company says a survey of renters found half reporting that either their credit or finances prevented them from becoming homeowners.

Eighteen percent said they can't afford taxes, maintenance and other costs associated with homeownership, while 13% said they don't have enough savings for a down payment. About a quarter said they struggle, as it is, to pay their rent.

The survey also showed that 82% of renters are long-term renters, and 57% are long-term renters who have lived for a long time in the same home. Under normal circumstances, these are the people that eventually become first-time home buyers.

Not simple math

"If the buy versus rent decision were about simple math, we'd likely have millions more homebuyers in the market, because the equation is tilted heavily in favor of buying," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries.

Humphries says there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to buying or renting, but says the survey demonstrates that a lot of renters who might be better off financially as homeowners are still shut out of the market.

Among the top 35 metro areas in the U.S., the Dallas-Fort Worth market showed the fastest rate in which a home buyer reached the break-even point over renting – 1.2 years. Indianapolis and Detroit were next at 1.3 years. The national average is 1.9 years.

Technology innovator Elon Musk has taken a step that may provide a boost to the still-developing solar energy industry.

Musk – whose most notable venture is the Tesla car company – has unveiled a new battery backup system for the home. What makes this system different is that it can be powered by solar energy or conventional fuel sources, or both for that matter.

Called the Powerwall, the collection of lithium-ion battery modules will store electricity generated from solar panels, the provide energy when the sun goes down. Or if connected to the grid, the batteies can charge during non-peak hours when electricity is less expensive, then provide power to the home at times when the utility charges a premium rate. 

The Powerwall can also replace the backup generators that provide power during outages caused by storms or other disasters.

The powerwall will come in 7 and 10 kilowatt-hour sizes and will retail for around $3,500. But if you want the get full value from one of these systems in your home, you'll need a set of solar panels to collect energy.

From sunlight to electricity

The sun's energy is converted into electric energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells – the dark material you see in large solar panels. According to NASA, some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results and that can be turned into electric current.

It may seem like modern technology but solar cells have actually been around for a long time. The process was discovered in 1839. Early in the 20th century Albert Einstein described the nature of light and the photoelectric effect on which photovoltaic technology is based, helping him win a Nobel prize in physics. The first photovoltaic module was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954.

The process has advanced over the decades, getting a big boost from the U.S. space program, which used solar panels to provide electricity for orbiting space craft and satellites.

When you electrically connect a number of solar cells to one another and mount them in a support structure, you get what is known as a photovoltaic module, which can produce electricity at a certain voltage, depending on how much light hits it.

When several modules are linked together and placed in a series of frames, it becomes a solar array. That's what you see on residential rooftops.

Currently it is estimated only about 600,000 U.S. homes are equipped with solar systems, but there are plenty of companies – 5 in particular – ready and willing to install one for you.

Dividend Solar

San Francisco-based Dividend Solar was founded in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and in many ways that event shaped the firm from the start. At the time the founders were working at Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch – one firm that went bankrupt and one that very nearly did.

The lesson they took away from that economic catastrophe was how misaligned interests between stakeholders can create negative economic and social outcomes.

“With that in mind, and recognizing the vast opportunity represented by distributed energy, Dividend Solar was formed,” the company says on its website.

A big part of Dividend Solar's approach lies in financing. It not only provides the product to consumers but offers a means to pay for it.

Last September Dividend Solar launched a full-service solar loan platform that offers qualified homeowners a $0 down payment loan option, along with energy production guarantees, system warranties and performance monitoring.

"The solar financing market is remarkably mispriced," Steve Michella, CEO and co-founder of Dividend Solar said at the time of the launch. "We're looking to maximize the economic benefits for both homeowners and investors, and make solar an investment – not just another monthly expense."

The direct lending platform is called the “EmpowerPortal.” On one end investors looking for attractive yields on their money can make attractive investments in large-scale residential solar. The portal pairs up these investors with individual homeowners who want to add solar as a home energy source.

The company says the solar loans are secured by stable, energy-producing assets and backed by creditworthy homeowners, quality-driven installers and top-tier equipment.

"Our model benefits every member of the solar value chain – homeowners, investors and installers – all while furthering the adoption of clean, renewable energy," said Eric White, President and Co-Founder of Dividend Solar.

In fact, reducing upfront costs for the consumer has become a standard part of just about every provider's business model. The reason is simple; if a consumer had to pay thousands of dollars upfront in order to save $80 or so each month on their electric bill, that would be an extremely hard sell.

Different providers have different plans but they can include $0 down purchase; $0 down lease; Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), where the provider owns the equipment but sells the electricity to the homeowner; and a low down payment plan.

Of course, if you would like to pay in full up front, nearly all providers will be happy to accommodate you. The U.S. government also provides a tax credit on qualified solar installations, allowing a homeowner paying in full to recoup some of the expense.

Vivint Solar

Vivint Solar is currently operating in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C. Like Dividend, it has a way for customers to get a system installed on their homes without upfront cost.

That's because the company owns, installs and maintains the solar panels. The homeowner agrees to purchase the solar energy the system produces. However, the rate for electricity is significantly lower than what an electric utility charges.

Homeowners may also lease a system from Vivint, paying a fixed fee keyed to the system's expected energy output. The lease agreement offers a protection to the homeowner so that the company pays them if the leased system fails to meet a guaranteed energy production level.

Vivint Solar says its customers pay up to 30% less each month for electric power. With no upfront costs, it says consumers can pocket the savings from Day One.

The company markets its products, in part, through door-to-door sales. According to several consumers posting reviews at ConsumerAffairs, the sales presentations win high praise – sometimes the reviews of the installations don't.

Verengo Solar

Like it's competitors, Verengo has developed ways to reduce the costs and offers installation options with no upfront cost from the homeowner.

“People have the conception that solar is expensive, and maybe too expensive for them,” said Ken Button, Verengo Solar Plus President. “A lot of what we do is provide different financing methods so that we have a way for anyone to go with solar.”

The company offers 3 price options in California and New York. There is a $0 down option, which carries an inflation payment increase ranging from 1.5% to 2.9%.

There is a low down payment option – ranging from $250 to $5,000 – that gives homeowners the option to lock in the monthly electric rate.

The fully prepaid option carries a larger out-of-pocket expense but lets homeowners prepay for power for up to 25 years. The company also says that option delivers the highest reduction in electric bills.

Verengo installs equipment produced by 5 primary suppliers; Hyundai Solar, Rene Solar, Trina Solar, Yingli and LG. Verengo says Hyundai Solar is its premier solar panel partner. They are the largest and one of the oldest PV cell and module manufacturers, a division of Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The company makes a point of telling prospective customers it uses its own employees to install residential systems, not independent contractors – a persistent source of problems within the industry. Verengo says it installs its systems within 1 to 2 days.

SolarCity

SolarCity is one of America's largest solar power providers and has been around since 2006.

It serves customers in 17 states, plus Washington D.C., with over 45 operations centers. In addition to residential customers, SolarCity provides solar installations to more than 400 schools, government agencies and well known major corporations.

It also offers a number of financing plans, including both a $0 down purchase and a lease.

SolarCity has already announced plans to incorporate Tesla's Powerwall home battery into its system. The fully-installed system stores electricity generated from the home's solar power system, using that power to automatically provide backup power during utility grid outages.

SolarCity’s battery backup service replaces natural gas generators with zero-emission storage technology. The turnkey battery backup service includes permitting, installation and ongoing monitoring.

“The combination of solar power generation and battery storage will make the utility grid safer and less susceptible to service interruptions, and will also lower the cost to expand and maintain the grid,” the company said in a release. “SolarCity’s energy storage rollout supports efforts already underway in multiple states to integrate aggregated storage capacity with existing grid resources.”

SolarCity began taking orders for the system late last week and said it would begin installation by October.

Sungevity

Sungevity (an Authorized Partner) is a solar energy provider based in Oakland, Calif., but doing business in the Netherlands and Australia as well. It offers customers the ability to get into solar energy without upfront costs through a lease option, introduced in 2010.

If aesthetics are an overriding concern, Sungevity (an Authorized Partner) took steps last year to address that for its prospects in Southern California and the Bay Area. Its Instant iQuote system taps into 3-D models of individual homes throughout those areas, showing how the houses will look with different arrays installed.

The company also has proprietary software to design solar panel installations for individual homes.

Sungevity (an Authorized Partner) and European battery maker Sonnenbatterie scooped Elon Musk's announcement by a few days, announcing in late April a battery partnership of their own. Sungevity (an Authorized Partner) will offer Sonnenbatterie's energy storage systems to its network of customers in the U.S. and Europe starting in the second half of this year.

The firms say customers who participate in the program will consume more of their own solar energy, enjoy reduced costs and have access to backup power during outages.  

Concussions are a serious issue for high school football players and not just during games. A new study finds that more than half -- 57% -- of high school and college football player concussions studied occurred during practice.

The researchers say their findings should be a call for action.

"Concussions during practice might be mitigated and should prompt an evaluation of technique and head impact exposure. Although it is more difficult to change the intensity or conditions of a game, many strategies can be used during practice to limit play-to-player contact and other potentially injurious behaviors,” the authors of the study said.

Thomas P. Dompier, of the Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention Inc., and his team collected data from over 20,000 athlete seasons to see how much of an effect concussions had on athletes from youth to college levels. An athlete season is defined as one player participating in one season of a sport.

High school most dangerous

The study found that high school players were much more likely to suffer concussions than youth- or college-level players. 

There were 1,198 concussions reported during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Of this number, 141 (11.8%) occurred at the youth level, 795 (66.4%) occurred at the high school level, and 262 (21.9%) occurred at the college level. At each level, concussions accounted for 9.6%, 4%, and 8% of all injuries, respectively.

While 53.9% of concussions happened during games at the youth level, roughly 57% of all concussions at the high school and college levels happened during practice.

“The rate of concussion in youth players was generally not different from those in high school and college players compared with other injuries. However, football practices were a major source of concussion at all three levels of competition," the researchers said. 

The study was published by JAMA Pediatrics and is available to the public. 

It's not enough that millions of Americans are struggling under $1.2 trillion in student loan debt. They often must must try to avoid getting taken by bogus offers of relief.

Any offer of relief can be very tempting for someone who has run out of options. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says this has drawn the attention of numerous scammers who make big promises in return for big fees, but deliver nothing but disappointment.

Madigan has filed suit against five companies she says charged student loan borrowers hundreds to thousands of dollars in upfront fees with false promises. She says the promises suggested that the debt load could be reduced, or forgiven entirely, under programs endorsed by President Obama’s administration.

The suits were filed against:

• Consumer Financial Resources LLC, of Texas, which operated as Student Loan Resolve
• Federal Student Loan Alliance LLC, based in California
• Interactiv Education LLC, based in Florida, that operated as Direct Student Aid
• Chicago-based Nationwide Student Aid
• Student Consulting Group Inc., based in Georgia, that solicited consumers as University of One and Help Assist Me Default Resolution Services

The approach

The lawsuits paint a picture of a highly deceptive approach. The state says the companies run heavy marketing campaigns, claiming expertise and offering loaded-down borrowers several options to ease their debt burden.

In reality, Madigan alleges, the companies she named in the suit try to persuade desperate people to pay as much as $1,250 upfront for services she describes as “bogus.” These often include enrolling in loan forgiveness programs for public service employees, including teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters and employees of non-profit organizations.

In many cases, she says, the companies hold out the possibility of complete debt relief without even looking at borrowers’ individual situations, to determine whether they are eligible for the programs. Seldom, she says, is there any explanation of all the required steps borrowers must take to qualify for loan forgiveness.

Proof of the problem

“These scams are proof that the rate of student loan debt in this country has skyrocketed, and it has already destabilized the financial security of millions of people across the country,” Madigan said. “When people cannot make their loan payments, they don’t get to build the future that they dreamed about when they went to college. We cannot allow these scams to continue.”

This isn't the first time the Illinois Attorney General has taken on companies promising student loan debt relief. Last July she sued 2 other companies – First American Tax Defense LLC and Broadsword Student Advantage LLC, charging them with deceptive marketing practices and illegally charging consumers hundreds in upfront fees to reduce or eliminate their student loan debt burden.

The student loan debt settlement industry appears to be a new incarnation of the debt settlement industry that most recently targeted homeowners in distress. In 2011 six defendants agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that they participated in a fraudulent mortgage modification and foreclosure relief scheme.

Under that settlement five defendants were ordered to pay back money they collected and all 6 were permanently banned from selling any mortgage assistance or debt relief products.

Meanwhile, consumers looking for options when it comes to repaying student loan debt might want to start with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Realtors have noted a stronger housing market as the spring home-buying season gets underway. A shortage of homes for sale and an increase in prospective buyers has pushed home prices higher.

A Realtor.com analysis of its data from the first 3 weeks of April found the median list price increased to $225,000, up 9% year-over-year and 2% over March.

Homes also sold at a quicker pace, with a median 73 days on the market. That's 12% faster year-over-year and month-over-month.

There was also a slight improvement in inventory. The supply of homes for sale rose 5% over March but is still down from last year.

New way to measure

Jonathon Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com, came up with these numbers by looking at the market from both a supply and demand perspective.

“We focused on the days on the market as a way to judge the relative health from a supply perspective,” Smoke told ConsumerAffairs. “Then we measured how many time individual listings were looked at and then calculated the average as a proxy for just how hot demand is in a market.”

The result is what Smoke and his colleagues at Realtor.com believe is the list of the 15 hottest real estate markets heading into the spring season.

Hot 15

1. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Tex.
2. Santa Rosa, Calif.
3. Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.
4. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo.
5. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass-N.H.
6. San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif.
7. Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, Tenn.
8. Ann Arbor, Mich.
9. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich.
10. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.
11. Boulder, Colo.
12. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.
13. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, Calif.
14. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Calif.
15. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, Calif.

Common characteristics

At first glance the list appears to be made up of very diverse markets. But Smoke says they all have something in common.

“They all represent some of the healthiest or fast-changing toward healthy economies in the country,” he said.

Dallas perched at the top list should come as no surprise. Smoke says Texas housing markets were among the first to recover, thanks to the oil boom and other economic factors.

California is also well represented on the list, with 8 of the 15 hottest markets.

“California has really been getting hot over the last 2 years,” Smoke said. "They had more price declines and foreclosures at the depth of the downturn but because they are a non-judicial state for foreclosures, they worked through their overhang very quickly.”

Pleasant surprises

Denver, Boston and San Francisco are largely propelled by their strong economies. Smoke says Nashville is a pleasant surprise, emerging as a popular destination for young people. He says it's also encouraging to see two Michigan markets – in particular Detroit – making the list.

“What you can get in Detroit for your money is pretty impressive, and that's a reflection of some of the negatives that market is finally coming out of,” Smoke said.

The overall market, while improving, still faces headwinds, primarily because of it is harder to obtain mortgages. In the future, Smoke says affordability could become another headwind. Prices will continue to rise and interest rates, while historically low, will eventually go up as well.

Many parents may remember a time when they dreaded putting their child down to bed. When they are young, many children go through a sleepwalking phase or experience night terrors that make them inconsolable.

While these problems are fairly common, the scientific community has never pinned down exactly why these things happen in the first place. Well, a new study conducted in Canada says that it may have to do with genetics.

Dr. Jacques Montplaisir, of Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, has theorized that children may inherit their sleeping problems from their parents. His study analyzed sleep data from 1,940 children born in the province of Quebec.

All children were born between 1997 and 1998, and their sleep patterns were studied from 1999 to 2011. The researchers assessed sleepwalking and night terrors through questionnaires and parental sleepwalking was taken into account.

Sleepwalking, sleep terrors

The results of the study revealed correlations between sleepwalking and sleep terrors. The data showed that children who had sleep terrors during early childhood (1 ½ to 3 ½ years old) were about 15% more likely to sleepwalk later in childhood.

These odds increased dramatically if the child’s parents had a history of sleepwalking when they were young. Children who had one parent who was a sleepwalker were three times more likely to sleepwalk themselves. If both parents were sleepwalkers, children were seven times more likely to be sleepwalkers.  

The study concludes by offering an explanation about the root cause of sleepwalking. Researchers believe that their data points to “a strong genetic influence on sleepwalking and, to a lesser degree, sleep terrors. This effect may occur through polymorphisms in the genes involved in slow-wave sleep generation or sleep depth.”

They caution that parents who have been sleepwalkers in the past should count on their children to be sleepwalkers as well. The full study has been published in JAMA Pediatrics, and contains detailed statistics on the researchers’ findings.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in April for the 28th consecutive month, with the overall economy growing for the 71st month in a row.

According to the latest Manufacturing Institute for Supply Management (ISM) report on business, the April Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was 51.5%, the same as in March, while the New Orders Index registered 53.5% -- an increase of 1.7% from March.

The Production Index came in at 56%, 2.2% above the 53.8% posted in March. The Employment Index was down 1.7% at 48.3 % reflecting contracting employment levels from March.

Inventories of raw materials dropped 2% from March to 49.5%, and the Prices Index registered 40.5% -- up 1.5%, indicating lower raw materials prices for the sixth consecutive month.

While the March and April PMI both registered 51.5%, 15 of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in April while only 10 industries reported growth in March, indicating a broader distribution of growth in April among the 18 industries.

Broad-based growth

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 15 reported growth in April in the following order:

• Nonmetallic Mineral Products
• Plastics & Rubber Products
• Wood Products
• Printing & Related Support Activities
• Furniture & Related Products
• Fabricated Metal Products
• Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products
• Paper Products
• Miscellaneous Manufacturing
• Machinery
• Transportation Equipment
• Textile Mills
• Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components
• Chemical Products and
• Primary Metals.

The two industries that reported contraction in April were Apparel, Leather & Allied Products and Computer & Electronic Products.

The ISM will release its April report on the services sector of the economy Tuesday.

Cats are sensitive beings and some new research backs that statement up. They are so sensitive that even rattling your keys can cause seizures, according to a new study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

This reaction doesn't affect all cats -- it is a rare condition called feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS). Scientists have a nicknamed it the Tom and Jerry syndrome based off of the cartoon character Jerry who is easily shocked by any loud noise. 

The study was done by the University College London and Davies Veterinary Specialists. They surveyed a wide range of people from all veterinary websites, cat forums and Facebook.

What they found is that there are some distinct noises that do trigger seizures in cats. Crinkling tin foil affected 82 cats, while accidentally striking a metal spoon on a ceramic feeding bowl also triggered an attack in some cats. The sound of rustling bags, typing on a keyboard and clinking coins or keys also disturbed the majority of the animals.

The most dangerous sounds are generally very high-pitched and loud. Some cats can lose consciousness or have a jerking motion that will last for several minutes. 

There is an odd factor to this and that is, even though cats are sensitive to ultra-high frequencies some of the cats were actually deaf or had some type of hearing disability. It's perhaps not too surprising, though, since previous studies have shown that even deaf cats can still hear in the ultrasonic range, around 40kHz.

“Mice and rats communicate in the ultrasonic frequency range and it is believe that cats developed a secondary ultrasonic sensitive hearing range presumably as an evolutionary advantage in catching rats and mice, their natural prey,” said Dr. Mark Lowrie  of Davies Veterinary Specialists. “Therefore cats will appear deaf to us although complete hearing loss is not present.”

The average age of affected cata was over 15 but younger cats can also have problem.

Scientists recommend anti-seizure medication to help these cats and also curtailing any severe loud noises if possible in your cat’s environment. 

Sun Rich Fresh Foods of Richmond, Canada, is recalling sliced apple and products containing sliced apples, from its Northeast Fresh Facility located in Brampton, Canada.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Apple slices and products containing sliced apples were distributed to retail stores, distributors and food service establishments in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The recall is limited to product produced out of the Brampton, Canada, facility, which is identified by a 7-digit numerical lot code that begins with the number 2.

If you have recalled products in your home or establishment, dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-661-0087 between 8am – 7pm EST, Monday – Sunday.

Victory Kitchens of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is recalling approximately 4,672 pounds of chicken noodle soup products.

The products contain chicken from a country that is not eligible to send product to the U.S.

There are no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The following frozen chicken noodle soup items, produced on February 5, 2014, April 1, 2014, and September 11, 2014, are being recalled:

• Boxes of “Chicken Noodle Soup” product code VK-HALCHX (four units per box).

The recalled products bear the establishment number “I-422” inside the USDA FSIS mark of inspection on the outside box and the establishment number “Est. 711” inside the CFIA mark of inspection on the immediate container.

The products were exported to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and were not distributed in the U.S.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Allan Kliger at (416) 766-5848.

IKEA North America Services of Conshohocken, Pa., is expanding an earlier recall of crib mattresses.

About 344,000 mattresses are being recalled in the U.S. and Canada. About 169,000 VYSSA crib mattresses and about 175,000 SULTAN crib mattresses were recalled in the U.S. and Canada in January 2015.

The mattresses could create a gap between the mattress and crib ends larger than allowed by federal regulations, posing an entrapment hazard to infants.

The firm has received 2 reports of infants becoming entrapped between the mattress and an end of the crib. The children were removed from the gap without injury.

This recall involves IKEA SULTAN and VYSSA crib mattresses with the following model names:

• SULTAN BLUNDA
• SULTAN DROMMA
• SULTAN SNARKA
• SULTAN SUSSA
• VYSSA VACKERT
• VYSSA VINKA
• VYSSA SPELEVINK
• VYSSA SLOA and
• VYSSA SLUMMER.

The recalled mattresses are 52 inches long and 27 ½ inches wide and were manufactured on May 4, 2014 or earlier. An identification label attached to the mattress cover has the date of manufacture in Month-DD-YY format or YY-WW format and the SULTAN or VYSSA model name. In the YY-WW format, mattresses with a date code of 14-18 or earlier are being recalled.

A gap between the mattress and crib ends larger than two finger width is an indication of the defective mattress.

The mattresses, manufactured in Mexico, Poland, China and the U.S., were sold exclusively at IKEA stores nationwide and online at www.ikea-usa.com from October 2000 to May 2014, for about $20 to $100.

Consumers should immediately stop using a recalled mattress and inspect it by making sure there is no gap larger than the width of two fingers between the ends of the crib and the mattress. If any gap is larger, customers should immediately stop using the recalled mattresses and return it to any IKEA store for an exchange or a full refund.

Consumers may contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 487,301 model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015.

The vehicles were originally sold, or are currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin June 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.

Felt Bicycles of Irvine, Calif., is recalling about 200 Felt Cruiser bicycles

The bicycle’s brakes can fail, posing a crash hazard.

The company has received 26 reports of incidents with the recalled bicycles. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves beach cruiser style Felt Deep Six and El Guapo model bicycles with one speed and coaster brakes. “Felt” and “Deep Six” or “El Guapo” are printed on the bicycle’s frame.

The Deep Six was sold in black cherry with white sidewall tires and the El Guapo was sold in matte black with white tires. The Deep Six has a serial number between YI31106188 and YI31106287. The El Guapo has a serial number between YI31106288 and YI31106387. The serial number is printed on the bicycle’s bottom bracket.

The bicycles, manufactured in Taiwan, were sold at bicycle specialty stores nationwide from June 2014, through March 2015, for between $600 and $750.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and contact their local Felt bicycle dealer for a free inspection and replacement of the rear hub cog/driver.

Consumers may contact Felt Bicycles toll-free at (866) 433-5887 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Cars are getting better and consumers tend to hold onto them longer. For one thing, it may take 5 or 6 years to finish paying for them.

Not surprisingly, consumers now keep their new cars an average of 6 years before trading them in or selling them. But not all cars.

The automotive website iSeeCars.com has completed a review of 5 million 2014 model cars sold in the U.S. between September 2013 and March 2014. Then, it checked a year later to see where those cars were.

Most were still with the consumers who bought or leased them but 2.7% – or about 1 out of every 40 – had been sold or traded in. The next question – did any particular models show up on this list significantly more than others?

Well, yes, and the Buick Regal was at the top of the list. Jacob of Sanford, Maine, told of his experience in a recent ConsumerAffairs review:

"My 2014 Buick Regal exploded at 5000 miles on the highway. And I got injured and had to stay at the hospital for 1 week for burns and MRSA caused by the explosion in the Buick Regal. I am never buying a car made by GM ever again," John said.

Least likely to be kept

Here are the 7 models that topped the list, turning over anywhere from 2.6 to 4 times faster than the average:

1. Buick Regal – 10.7% of owners sell after 1 year
2. Chevrolet Sonic – 8.9% of owners sell after 1 year
3. BMW X1 – 7.8% of owners sell after 1 year
4. Dodge Charger – 7.7% of owners sell after 1 year
5. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 7.4% of owners sell after 1 year
6. Chevrolet Cruz – 7.2% of owners sell after 1 year
7. Nissan Frontier – 6.9% of owners sell after 1 year

Should this give you pause if you, as a consumer, are considering purchasing or leasing one of these 7 models? Maybe. At least the people conducting the study seem to think so.

“iSeeCars.com analysts think the fact that consumers are giving more of these cars up than the average is directly linked to quality or perceived quality of the cars," said Phong Ly, CEO of iSeeCars.com.

Ly says all 7 cars were ranked as average – 3 stars -- or worse in the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Initial Quality Study, which surveys consumers after 90 days of ownership.

"Because purchasing a new car is expensive and something most people tend to spend a lot of time on, it stands to reason they would make a change shortly afterward if they felt the quality was lacking,” Ly said.

Not necessarily a lemon

It's not that the cars on the list are lemons. It could simply be a case where the bar has been set exceptionally high by competitors. For example, the most frequently-flipped car, the Buick Regal, is in a highly competitive category and might not always live up to buyer expectations.

"Competitors such as the Lexus IS250 and the BMW320i are known for their top-notch interiors and seat comfort, whereas the 2014 Buick Regal has been criticized by some as lacking in these areas," said Ly. "These are two key areas that tend to be of high importance to owners, though it may not be apparent in the test drive whether their expectations can be met in the long term."

The fact that new car buyers tend to flip these cars could actually provide an opportunity for the bargain-conscious used car buyer. Because there tends to be a lot of these models on the market after 1 year they can be purchased at a significant discount.

For example, iseecars.com says a 2014 Buick Regal with 10,000 to 15,000 miles is currently valued at 32.2% less than its new car price. 2014 models with average miles of the Dodge Charger and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class averaged 31.0% and 28.4% less than their new prices, respectively.

"This means that car shoppers have a much greater likelihood of finding their ideal car in terms of color combinations, trim level, options and mileage, if they’re shopping for one of the models on the list," said Ly. "With a savings of at least 17.9% over new for all of the cars except one, they can save some serious cash."

Since the U.S. economy bottomed at the end of the Great Recession in the third quarter of 2009, it has failed to generate much of a rebound.

There have been only 4 quarters where economic growth exceeded 4%. There have been 2 quarters of negative growth and 2 quarters when there was barely any growth at all.

One of those was the just-ended first quarter of 2015, when the government reported this week that the economy grew by a measly 0.2%. This, in spite of retail gasoline prices around $2 a gallon for months.

A new report from Bank of America may help explain why.

Still recovering

In its annual small business survey, the bank asked small business owners if they believe they have recovered from the Great Recession. Only 21% said that they had.

Since millions of Americans work for small businesses – defined as those that employ fewer than 500 people -- it might help explain why consumers in general have been struggling since the financial crisis nearly 7 years ago.

The report found that the people who own small businesses have been working longer hours, forgoing raises for their employees and delaying their own compensation as they focus on rebuilding their businesses and rewarding repeat customers.

If employees are going longer without increases in compensation, it may be small consolation that the owner is doing the same thing. But according to the survey 67% of small business owners said they would rather delay or reduce their own compensation than take any other course of action to make ends meet.

No raise in 2 years

In fact, more than half said they have either never given themselves a raise, or haven’t done so in more than 2 years.

In order to keep their businesses going, 85% of small business owners work more than 40 hours per week on average. Thirty percent of respondents work more than 60 hours per week on average.

There are jobs available at many small businesses but owners often struggle to come up with salaries that are able to attract the people they need. Forty-five percent of owners said prospective employees declined job offers because the salary was too low.

Hiring expectations, meanwhile, are moving in the wrong direction. The Bank of America report found 46% of small business owners plan to hire additional employees over the next 12 months, down from 52% a year ago. Again, one reason cited for the decline is the inability to offer a competitive wage.

Similar trend

The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) has noted a similar trend. In March it found a 2 point decline in the number of small businesses planning to create new jobs.

With an estimated 150 million Americans working for small businesses, when a small business struggles, so do consumers.

As Baby Boomers become grandparents, it means Millennials are becoming parents. In 2014, there were approximately 20.5 million parents 18 to 34 years old, making up nearly 30% of the Millennial population.

It's a natural part of the generational lifecycle and the children of Boomers are now having children of their own. Only something isn't quite right with this picture.

While it's true that young families have usually had to struggle to get ahead, this generation – coming of age in the wake of the financial crisis – appears to face an economic hill much steeper than recent generations.

Highest poverty rate in quarter century

A new analysis of U.S. Census data shows the depth of the problem. One out of 5 Millennial parents today lives in poverty. The survey found today's young parents are experiencing the highest poverty rates seen by any young parents over the last quarter century.

Young Invincibles, a non-profit advocacy group for young Americans, uncovered the poverty data in a study aimed at learning how Millennials cope with the demands on their time.

In their research they found Millennials face an unemployment rate that is over 40% higher than the national average, are seeing paychecks shrink, and face the prospect of repressed wages for years to come.

“They graduated from college with historically high student debt and have the lowest health insurance rate,” the authors write. “They are the first generation in modern history to have higher poverty rates and lower incomes than their two preceding generations. Add a child into this mix and the challenges mount further.”

Work harder, make less

Millennials with children typically work more hours than non-parents, but the authors say their inability to find a flexible work schedule can make career advancement difficult.

Then there is the cost of raising a child on wages that are often stagnant, at best. Raising children while trying to get an education adds even more pressure. The study finds young parents have a hard time caring for dependents, working to afford skyrocketing college costs, and finding time to study.

“Taken together, these economic challenges compound to devastating effect,” the authors write.

Childcare costs

Childcare costs, by themselves, can be staggering. The report finds childcare costs varying dramatically by geography, ranging from $4,515 per year in Tennessee to $12,320 per year in Massachusetts.

The report quotes a young mother from Washington, DC as saying she had to sacrifice the quality of her childcare, simply because she could not afford better care.

“Good places do not have open spots; the good places that do are very expensive,” she told Young Invincibiles.

The group's policy recommendations include finding ways to give Millennial parents a little more breathing room, primarily in 3 areas. The report calls for public policies that help young parents balance a demanding workplace, scarce time, and skyrocketing education and childcare costs.

The first step, it says, is finding ways to make “childcare more accessible and affordable, work more flexible, and education more achievable.”