Current Events in January 2017

Arctic Cat of Thief River Falls, Minn., is recalling about 20,700 snowmobiles.

The fuel tank can crack and fuel can leak into the engine compartment, posing a fire hazard.

The company has received reports of 918 incidents, including six reports of fires, with the snowmobiles. No injuries have been reported.

The recall involves model year 2007, 2008, and 2009 Arctic Cat snowmobiles, including F models, Jaguar and Jaguar Z1 1100 models, Bearcat Z1 XT models, T500 and T570 models, TZ1 and TZ1 Turbo models, and Z1 1100 and Z1 1100 Turbo models.

These snowmobiles were produced in a variety of color combinations. “Arctic Cat” is printed on the sides of the vehicle and on the back snow-flap area. The model name is on the side of the vehicle. The model number is printed in the owner’s manual.

The snowmobiles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Arctic Cat dealerships nationwide from June 2006, through December 2016, for between $11,500 and $14,300.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled snowmobiles and contact an Arctic Cat snowmobile dealer to schedule a free repair. Registered owners have been notified by mail.

Consumers may contact Arctic Cat at 800-279-6851 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at https://www.arcticcat.com/customer-care/ then “Product Recall” and then “List of Safety Bulletins” for more information.

Just one day after Volkswagen was hit with $4 billion in new fines and criminal charges for cheating on emissions tests, Fiat Chrysler is facing similar accusations, the Washington Post is reporting today. 

The Environmental Protection Agency is alleging that Fiat Chrysler used deceptive software that enabled some of its diesel trucks to pass emissions tests even though they emitted more than the legally allowed amount of pollution on the road.

The company says it's "disappointed" and is hoping the Trump Administration will look more kindly on the matter. 

"FCA US intends to work with the incoming administration to present its case and resolve this matter fairly and equitably and to assure the EPA and FCA US customers that the company’s diesel-powered vehicles meet all applicable regulatory requirements," the company said in a prepared statement.

FCA said its trucks are "equipped with state-of-the-art emission control systems hardware, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR)" and said that, "Every auto manufacturer must employ various strategies to control tailpipe emissions in order to balance EPA’s regulatory requirements for low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and requirements for engine durability and performance, safety and fuel efficiency. FCA US believes that its emission control systems meet the applicable requirements."

But some consumer and environmental groups are calling for stiff penalties and a criminal investigaiton. 

"Fiat Chrysler should be fined with maximum penalties for the excess pollution their vehicles have emitted," said Mike Litt, Consumer Advocate at U.S. PIRG in an email to ConsumerAffairs. "If this software turns out to be a defeat device, Fiat Chrysler must make it up to customers for their falsely marketed “EcoDiesel” engines. Making consumers whole would mean buying back their vehicles at full purchase price. There would also need to be criminal investigations."

The models involved are the 2014 to 2016 model year Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokees with 3.0-liter diesel engines. The allegations affect roughly 104,000 vehicles, EPA officials said.

The allegations are similar to the charges in a November 2016 class action lawsuit that alleged that Fiat Chrysler and diesel engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. deceived consumers and regulators by concealing the high levels of diesel emissions produced by 2500 and 3500 Dodge RAM diesel trucks. “We’re pleased to see the EPA hot on the trail following our class-action lawsuit that called out Fiat Chrysler and Bosch for what we believe to be outright emissions fraud, akin to VW’s Dieselgate scandal,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman, who filed the class action.

"Fraud and concealment"

“The sheer level of fraud and concealment between Chrysler and Cummins is unconscionable, and we believe we have uncovered a deeply entrenched scheme,” said Berman. “Chrysler and Cummins spent years lying through their teeth and making empty promises to deliver the cleanest trucks on the market – lip service to deceptively dominate what they saw as a profitable market.”

The lawsuit charges that the companies intentionally misled truck buyers about the emission levels of the trucks, knowingly profiting from the allegedly dirty diesels and fraudulently getting emissions credits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it then used to produce more high-polluting vehicles.

According to the complaint, the affected Cummins diesel engines conceal true emissions output, causing the catalytic converter to wear out more quickly, resulting in the vehicle burning fuel at a higher rate, and often requiring customers to replace the converter after the warranty has expired at a cost of approximately $3,000-$5,000

The EPA investigation so far looks similar to the early stages of the probe into Volkswagen's dirty diesel scandal, which has cost the company at least $20 billion so far and led to the indictment of seven executives.

In its statement, FCA said it has tried to satisfy regulators that its system meets federal standards and insisted its control systems are not "defeat devices."

"FCA US has spent months providing voluminous information in response to requests from EPA  and other governmental authorities and has sought to explain its emissions control technology to EPA representatives.  FCA US has proposed a number of actions to address EPA’s concerns, including developing extensive software changes to our emissions control strategies that could be implemented in these vehicles immediately to further improve emissions performance," the company said. 

“Bosch and Fiat Chrysler took full advantage of consumers’ wishes to make a conscious, ecofriendly purchasing decision by vigorously marketing its EcoDiesel line as ‘clean diesel,’ as a means to charge premium prices – more than $4,700 more,” Berman said. 

In its EcoDiesel advertising, FCA specifically targets consumers “who want to drive an efficient, environmentally-friendly truck without sacrificing capability or performance.” It also claims the RAM 1500 was “the NAFTA market’s first and only light-duty pickup powered by clean diesel technology.”

Congress has taken the first step towards repealing the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Among other things, the repeal would leave consumers without guaranteed access to contraception. 

Nowhere is this less popular than in President-elect Trump's hometown, New York City, leading New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman to introduce legislation that would guarantee continued contraception for both female and male New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers have a right to comprehensive, cost-free access to birth control. With the Affordable Care Act under attack in Washington, it’s all the more critical that New York act now to protect these rights,” said Schneiderman.  “The Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act will ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the birth control method they need to stay healthy and effectively plan for their future – no matter what happens in Congress.”

The CCCA would codify into New York law the current ACA requirement that contraception be made available to New Yorkers cost-free, while also expanding on the ACA in several important ways to protect and enhance New Yorkers’ access to contraception.

• First, the bill would statutorily require state-governed health insurance policies to provide cost-free coverage for all FDA-approved methods of birth control, including emergency contraception.
• Second, the legislation would prohibit insurance companies from “medical management” review restrictions that can limit or delay contraceptive coverage.
• Third, the CCCA would cover men’s contraceptive methods and bring their insurance coverage in line with the benefits enjoyed by women.
• Fourth, the bill would allow for the provision of a year’s worth of a contraceptive at a time.

Major setback

The expected repeal of Obamacare is expected to be a major setback for contraception rights nationwide. Prior to enactment of Obamacare, 26 states required private health plans to cover all or part of the cost of contraception. Whether those states will follow New York's lead and consider reinstating those protections isn't yet clear.

Since 2012, as part of the ACA, all new private plans have been required to cover, without cost-sharing, the full range of contraceptives and services approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as prescribed for women. The ACA created, for the first time, a minimum set of benefits for most health plans regulated by the federal government and states, including contraceptive coverage for women with no cost-sharing.

The requirement has been challenged, however, leading to the Supreme Court ruling on the religious rights of employers that object to contraception. Eliminating federal protections for contraception would resolve the legal controversy, at least for now.

It's estimated that about half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. In general, "accidental" pregnancies carry a higher risk of poor outcomes.

“The Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act enshrines the protections of the Affordable Care Act -- at a time when the fate of that Act is in jeopardy,” said Andrea Miller, President of National Institute for Reproductive Health. “We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for prioritizing New Yorkers' access to the contraception they need, and for working to ensure that New York stands out as a beacon for access to reproductive health care.”

One of the primary campaign points for President-elect Donald Trump was creating jobs and keeping businesses in the U.S. Many companies caught the new Commander in Chief’s ire while he was on the campaign trail, but a scuffle between Trump and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was notable.

The president-elect accused Bezos in a May interview of buying the Washington Post in order to influence the political landscape. Later on, Bezos fired shots at the businessman, saying that Trump’s behavior “erodes democracy around the edges.”

Nevertheless, it seems that Amazon will be doing just what Trump wants in the coming years by creating more U.S.-based jobs. The retailer announced on Thursday that it has a plan to create over 100,000 full-time jobs in the U.S. by mid-2018, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Expanding and creating jobs

Amazon says that many of the new jobs will be located in Texas, Florida, California, New Jersey, and other areas where it is creating additional warehouses. During the third quarter of 2016, Amazon built another two dozen warehouses, bringing the total global number up to 150.

Additionally, the company brought on around 120,000 seasonal workers during the holidays in the U.S., many of which are staying on to fill expanded positions, the company said. Other than warehouse staff, Amazon says it will also be filling positions in engineer and software development.

“Innovation is one of our guiding principles at Amazon, and it’s created hundreds of thousands of American jobs,” said Bezos.

Change of tune

In a bit of reversal, Bezos has also shown some support for Trump and his plan for creating jobs after meeting with him in December. During the meeting, which featured a number of Silicon Valley executives, Trump promised to work with tech companies to create fair-trade deals and help foster innovation.

“[Trump’s plan] would create a huge number of jobs across the whole country, in all sectors, not just tech—agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing—everywhere,” said Bezos in a statement.

Going for a walk, jog, or run can be a great way to lose weight and maintain good overall health. However, consumers don’t have to get on the treadmill or put on their best running shoes to improve their cardiovascular health.

A new study from the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus shows that weight and resistance training can improve heart health and help those suffering from diabetes. Senior researcher Jonathan Little points out that those with Type 2 diabetes are four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, but he and his colleagues found that performing some simple exercises cut that risk.

"After completion of just one bout of exercise, we saw an improvement in blood vessel function, an indicator of heart health and heart attack risk. . . With further study, this information could provide a new safe and cost-effective tool to help people manage their disease," he said.

Improved blood vessel function

The study analyzed the effects of two types of interval training on blood vessel function. The first was resistance training, which involved leg press, extension, and lifting exercises. The second was a more general cardiovascular exercise involving a stationary bike.

Thirty-five participants were placed into three groups for the purposes of the study: those with Type 2 diabetes, non-exercisers, and regular exercisers without diabetes. Each group took part in a 20-minute exercise routine that involved high-intensity, low-intensity, and rest periods.

After each group had tried both the resistance and cardiovascular exercises, the researchers measured their blood vessel function. They found that the resistance exercises were very effective, especially for those with diabetes.

"All exercisers showed greater blood vessel function improvement after the resistance-based interval training. However, this was most prominent in the Type 2 diabetes group," said co-author Monique Francois.

Easy for beginners

The researchers believe that resistance and weight training can be a great way for diabetes sufferers to manage their disease, pointing out that it is easy for non-exercisers and beginners to pick it up and can accommodate a variety of different schedules.

"Resistance training was introduced to this group because it's relatively easy and can accommodate individuals who are new to exercising. This study shows that resistance-based interval training exercise is a time-efficient and effective method with immediate effects," they said.

The full study has been published in the American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 

Emails that pop into your inbox, appearing to be from a bank, utility, or shipping company, are favorite vehicles for scammers.

These phishing emails are intended to hook you, persuading you to click on a link or provide logins, passwords, and other sensitive data. Many of these scams are seemingly easy to spot, but millions of people still fall for them.

H.R. Rao, a security expert at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), did a study to find out why. He concludes that too many consumers are overconfident in their ability to determine which email is for real and which one is a scam.

Rao thinks most people believe they're smarter than the criminals behind these schemes, and that is one reason so many fall easily into the trap. Other recent research on the subject has reached similar conclusions.

"A big advantage for phishers is self efficacy," Rao, a UTSA College of Business faculty member, said. "Many times, people think they know more than they actually do, and are smarter than someone trying to pull of a scam via an e-mail."

Remember the Nigerian prince?

Long-time internet users have seen all sorts of phishing emails. A decade or so ago, it was very common to hear from a deposed Nigerian prince who was desperate to get his fortune out of the country and just needed access to your bank account to accomplish that.

But if that is still your view of what a phishing email is, Rao says you could be vulnerable to today's updated, refreshed phishing schemes. Today, he says phishing emails come disguised as messages from companies, and even people, that the recipient knows and trusts.

"They're getting very good at mimicking the logos of popular companies," Rao said.

Speaks from experience

Rao speaks from experience. Last year he says he got an email that appeared to come from UPS, informing him there was a problem with a package he had sent. Since he had just sent out a package via UPS, Rao said his initial reaction was that the message was legitimate.

Remember that the scammer is playing a numbers game. If he sends out 20 million messages that there is a problem with a UPS shipment, the majority of recipients would disregard the message because they had not sent anything recently using UPS.

But suppose 40,000 of the recipients had just sent a package with the carrier. If half fell for the scheme, the scammer would have ensnared 20,000 victims.

Overconfidence is a killer

"In any of these situations, overconfidence is always a killer," Rao said.

In a recent study, participants were asked to judge a large number of emails, identifying the ones that were real and the ones that were fakes. Participants also gave the reasons for their conclusions.

Rao and his colleagues found overconfidence played a major role when participants misidentified a scam email as real.

The defense against these schemes, says Rao, is a healthy dose of skepticism about any email that lands in your inbox.

In the event of a message from UPS that there is a problem with your shipment, don't click on a link. Instead, contact UPS customer service directly.

Amazon.com is teaming with Chase to offer a new rewards credit card that pays 5% cash back on all Amazon purchases, 2% at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% everywhere else.

The catch? To get the card you must be a member of Amazon Prime, which carries a $99 fee.

Still, NerdWallet credit card expert Sean McQuay says the new Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a pretty impressive offering.

“By offering a 5% rewards rate, this card is matching the offer of the Amazon Prime Store credit card, an Amazon-only card backed by Synchrony bank, but surpasses that card by offering a much better online experience and compatibility with more than one store,” McQuay said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. “However, the new card does not offer special financing for large purchases. With high rewards, a metal body, and no annual fee, this is a great option for regular Amazon shoppers."

Inducement to join prime

Amazon, of course, is hoping the prospect of 5% off on purchases is just one more inducement to consumers to sign up for Prime, which also offers free 2-day shipping on Amazon purchases and access for Amazon's entertainment package.

Amazon says existing Amazon Rewards Visa Signature cardmembers with an eligible Prime membership will automatically be upgraded to the new card, a newly designed metal card that also has no foreign transaction fees.

“We are adding even more value to Prime by offering rewards on Amazon and everywhere else you shop,” said Max Bardon, an Amazon vice-president.

Other perks

In addition to the cash back rewards, Amazon says the rewards have no cap on what can be earned aand never expire. They are redeemable on products purchased on Amazon.

There is no annual fee, other than the $99 cost of a Prime membership, which carries other benefits.

Other perks include zero liability for fraud and 24/7 concierge service, through Visa Signature.

The number of completed foreclosures nationwide posted a year-over-year decline of 25.9% in November to 26,000, according to property information provider CoreLogic. That represents a plunge of 78.2% from the peak of 118,339 in September 2010.

At the same time, the foreclosure inventory -- the number of homes at some stage of the foreclosure process -- declined by 30%.

As of November, the national foreclosure inventory included approximately 325,000, or 0.8%, of all homes with a mortgage, compared with 465,000 homes, or 1.2%, a year earlier.

In addition, the number of mortgages in serious delinquency -- 90 days or more past due including loans in foreclosure or REO – was down 22.1% from November 2015, with 1 million mortgages, or 2.5%, in serious delinquency. That's the lowest level since August 2007.

"The decline in serious delinquency has been substantial, but the default rate remains high in select markets," said CoreLogic Chief Economist Dr. Frank Nothaft. "Serious delinquency rates were the highest in New Jersey and New York at 5.6% and 5%, respectively. In contrast, the lowest delinquency rate occurred in Colorado at 0.9% where a strong job market and home-price growth have enabled more homeowners to stay current."

Report highlights

• On a month-over-month basis, completed foreclosures declined by 14.1% to 26,000 in November from the 30,000 reported for October. As a basis of comparison -- before the housing market crash in 2007 -- completed foreclosures averaged about 22,000 per month nationwide between 2000 and 2006.
• On a month-over-month basis, the November foreclosure inventory fell 2.4% compared with October.
• The five states with the highest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in November were Florida (48,000), Michigan (31,000), Texas (25,000), Ohio (22,000), and Georgia (20,000).These five states account for 36% of completed foreclosures nationally.
• Four states and the District of Columbia had the lowest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in November: the District of Columbia (221), North Dakota (260), West Virginia (375), Alaska (616), and Montana (627).
• Four states and the District of Columbia had the highest foreclosure inventory rate in November: New Jersey (2.8%), New York (2.6%), Maine (1.7%), Hawaii (1.7%), and the District of Columbia (1.6%).
• The five states with the lowest foreclosure inventory rate in November were Colorado (0.2%), Minnesota (0.3%), Arizona (0.3%), Utah (0.3%), and California (0.3%).

Active Kyds of Dassel, Minn., is recalling about 70 kids toy shovels and garden tool sets.

Excessive lead paint levels on the yellow shank and black blade on the shovel, and the black paint on the garden tool set violate the federal lead paint standard. In addition, the black plastic shovel handle and bag clip on the garden tool drawstring bag contain excessive lead content levels, a violation of the federal lead standard. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effect.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Active Kyds children’s toy shovels and garden tool sets. The fiberglass toy shovels were sold in yellow and black.

The children’s garden tool set has blue handles with orange caps and black painted steel ends. It includes four tools: a hand shovel, hand fork, transplanter and cultivator.

The tools are sold with a pull string black mesh bag with the Active Kyds logo printed in white.

The toy shovels and garden tool sets, manufactured in India, were sold exclusively at Amazon.com from August 2016, through October 2016, for between $20 and $25

What to do

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy shovels and garden tool sets away from children and contact Active Kyds for a refund.

Consumers may contact Active Kyds toll-free at 855-736-6255 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, by email at activekyds@gmail.com, or online at www.activekyds.com and click on “News” for more information.

Kirk Hendrickson, CEO of Eye Faster, a leading provider of shopper research, developed his expertise in eye tracking and shopper research while leading worldwide field operations for EmSense Corporation and product management for MarketTools, Inc. He holds an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, and a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

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When retailers and architects design store layouts, they are not only designing for aesthetics, but are attempting to control the path shoppers take through the store. Ideally, shoppers follow a convenient path to find the products they seek, one that is lucrative for the retailer by giving shoppers opportunities to notice the maximum number of products during their visit to the store.

Wearable eye tracking headset technologies record shoppers’ entire in-store experience, from their point-of-view. Heat maps, produced as output from eye tracking, enable retailers to understand where shoppers focus their attention throughout their visit. This data, which is a byproduct of any study in a retail environment, can be overlaid onto a store map, and those paths translated into a journey heatmap (seen below – red areas represent the most divergence in shoppers’ pathways through the store; blue areas represent the least divergent areas throughout the store).

Shoppers Converge at Checkout

As would be expected, in many stores, the most convergence takes place around the checkout area. While it seems obvious, this is the best place to attempt to communicate to the most shoppers. However, messages at checkout can be ineffective, as most shoppers have already selected their purchases prior to arriving. At that point, any communication for products elsewhere in the store will have little relevancy to the customer. Any messaging that occurs in this convergence hot spot should pertain to products available in and around the checkout area where they may influence impulse purchases.

Pathway heatmaps also show areas of the store with heavy traffic that present opportunities to further engage shoppers with in-store messaging. Considering shoppers’ journeys through the store, along with their convergence, creates opportunities to optimize messaging. Keep in mind that product or sale-related messages should be located as close as possible to the corresponding products and don’t make shoppers work too hard to act on any messaging that resonates.

Also, product categories most closely aligned with impulse purchasing should be placed along the paths of greatest convergence so most shoppers will notice them. Conversely, destination categories – products certain shoppers seek no matter what – can play a role in drawing shoppers to areas of the store they might otherwise miss.

Heat Up the Back Corners Using Destination Categories

When examining shopper pathway studies in different retail environments we find the back corner of the store, the area furthest from both the store entrance and the checkout, is the most often missed area of a store. Shoppers that do reach that back corner, however, have likely passed by the most products and categories on their pathway. This is a key reason to place destination categories in often-missed corners.

A destination category could be anything from beer and wine to health and beauty products to women’s clothing, depending on the retailer and store size. Placing popular categories in back corners draws shoppers, thus increasing the number of other product categories they have the opportunity to notice on their shopping journey. Depending on the store layout, drawing shoppers here may strongly influence their overall path through the store and back to checkout. Changing category placement within the store to reflect this suggestion is a relatively low cost investment with the potential to increase basket size and improve the shopping environment in a way that resonates with customers.

Smooth Out the Shopper Experience

Occasionally, store path heatmaps uncover trends of erratic paths shoppers take through a store. Typically, erratic paths are a sign that the store layout was not conducive to finding the items they sought. It can also mean that the way the products were shelved was confusing and customers had to work to find their way. While erratic paths often mean consumers are spending more time shopping, which could be inferred to be a positive, it nets out negative as shopper behavior suggests they are having difficulties completing their task, which can lead to decreased satisfaction with the in-store experience.

Improving category placement, as mentioned, is one way to increase satisfaction and create for less chaotic pathways. Subtle investments in store design may also improve shopper paths. One classic (albeit a bit extreme) example is how Ikea moves customers through the store via guiding arrows and lines painted on the floor. This creates a very consistent shopper path with high convergence throughout the entire store. Ikea shoppers, who consciously or unconsciously follow the designed flow, don’t miss a single category or department as they make their way to checkout.

Other design elements and messaging can assist in making it easier to find products while smoothing out shopper paths through the store. Brands and retailers often attempt new messaging around wayfinding, both in aisle and at the shelf. The key to ensuring that these messages work is consistency. Shoppers historically have found wayfinding signs hanging from the ceilings above aisles or at the end of an aisle angled toward the advertised products. Changing the placement of wayfinding to the floor, for example, means that shoppers will need to relearn where to look for these signs after being conditioned to look up their whole lives. On-shelf signage that serves to organize product categories for easy location should be consistent within the category, if not throughout the store.

Store path heatmaps provide an effective visual tool to ascertain where shopper paths converge. As a byproduct of retail eye tracking studies, which chart consumer attention, these maps pinpoint key areas for messaging, depict consumer behavior, and identify areas of potential improvement in store layout and design.  

Millennials are extremely practical when it comes to home buying and renovating, according to a new survey by Better Homes and Gardens. They might dream of cooking in a kitchen with all new appliances, but they’re not about to overextend themselves financially in order to achieve their vision of the perfect home.

Millennials -- especially those currently living in a home they’ve owned for five years or less -- also aren’t opposed to waiting or doing DIY projects to make their home goals a reality.

"These first time Millennial homeowners are focused on building equity – not debt," explained Jill Waage, editorial director of digital content and products at Better Homes and Gardens. "They are strong believers in being able to afford their dreams as they achieve them and not over stretch themselves."

Making trade-offs

Rather than paying top dollar for a high-end home or shelling out big bucks on home renovations, Millennial “firsts” often prefer to let their budgets dictate their plans.

Findings from the survey revealed that “firsts” are more likely to live in older, lower-end homes that are in need of fixing up. Fifty percent of Millennials ages 22-39 said their first home was in need of some degree of repair when they moved in.

Members of the generation also tend to take their time when it comes to tackling home improvement projects. The group aims to accomplish home goals as they progress through life and become more financially stable, according to the study.

If calling a professional to take care of a home improvement project isn’t in the budget, Millennials often don't hesitate to roll up their sleeves. Three out of four “firsts” do some degree of DIY in their home, the survey found.

"Millennials and Millennial 'firsts' are paving their own paths in homeownership based on their own budgets, timeline and needs," explained Waage. "These 'firsts' are replacing big-budget homes and expensive renovations with patience, frugalness and practicality."

Modest aspirations

Millennials may be financially conscious, but they’re not lacking in home improvement aspirations. Their goals, however, are often modest and able to be accomplished in a budget-friendly fashion.  

Projects that add value to their home -- such as painting walls, installing tile, and installing light fixtures -- are among the top interior DIY improvements.

Ultimately, 64% of Millennial “firsts” desire a renovated kitchen, 60% desire renovated bathrooms, and 59% have dreams of a renovated deck/patio space. On average, they would like mid-sized homes around 2116 square feet, according to the survey.

If you miss the bus, another one will usually be along soon. It works that way with legislation too sometimes.

In the last Congress, the House passed something called the Modernizing Government Travel Act, which would basically allow federal employees to be reimbursed for using Uber, Lyft, and similar services when traveling on official business. But the Senate failed to act.

Now the current House has passed the measure again and its sponsors are hoping it's not left standing on the street corner this time.

“Our bipartisan bill ensures that innovative and cost-effective modes of transportation are available to the thousands of federal employees in Washington and Massachusetts for official travel,” said Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) when the bill passed the first time in 2016.

“We know that this increased engagement in the sharing economy will reduce federal spending and by passing our bill today, the House has agreed to our idea that we can save taxpayer dollars by bringing government travel into the 21st century,” Moulton said.

Not much opposition

Supporters of the bill in the last Senate included Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) who said “millions of Americans have saved themselves time and money by using new innovative travel services such as Uber, Lyft, and bikeshare but current federal travel reimbursement regulations have made it difficult for federal employees to use these new technologies while on the job."

Not surprisingly, Uber and Lyft have been proponents of the legislation.

“Uber is committed to providing reliable transportation at the push of a button for everyone, everywhere, including those working in the federal government,” said Niki Christoff, Head of Federal Affairs for Uber.

"Allowing federal workers to choose innovative transportation solutions like Lyft when travelling for work is a great way to encourage more efficient use of resources and ensures that government workers have access to affordable, reliable transportation options," said Joe Okpaku, Lyft’s Vice President of Government Relations

You might not think FedEx and Walgreens have that much in common, but executives of both companies say they perfectly complement one another in a new joint venture.

Walgreens has thousands of retail locations in the U.S. FedEx needs places where its customers can send and pick up packages. Within the next few months, Fed Ex will set up stations within thousands of Walgreens locations where consumers can do just that.

“Walgreens, with its strong focus on customer care, is the perfect retailer to help us continue to meet the growing demand for convenient, secure dropoff and pickup options, and our research has shown that customers rank pharmacies as a preferred location for accessing their e-commerce shipments,” said Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, FedEx Corporation.

Expanded footprint

Subramaniam says the addition of the Walgreens locations significantly increases FedEx's footprint. As for Walgreens, it sees the partnership as just another way to increase foot traffic.

“Working with FedEx to provide safe and secure delivery locations while making it easy for customers to ship returns and other packages through the FedEx networks is another way we are becoming America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty retailer,” said Reuben Slone, Walgreens senior vice president of supply chain.

A growing trend

Unaffiliated companies joining forces for specific ventures may be a growing trend. In 2015, Target and CVS announced a deal in which CVS would take over and operate a number of Target pharmacies.

Both companies viewed the deal as a win-win, since CVS greatly expanded its reach without having to open additional stores and Target benefited from existing CVS customers coming into its stores.

The deal between Walgreens and FedEx will work much the same way, officials of both companies say. They say the hook-up will significantly expand the options available to consumers to drop off and pick up their FedEx shipments and handle multiple tasks during a single store visit.

Secure pick-ups have become an increasing concern with the growth of “porch piracy,” in which thieves make off with delivered packages when the consumer is not at home. A 2015 study by Insurancequotes.com estimated 23 million Americans a year have at least one package swiped from their porch.

The venture will roll out slowly this spring, but projections suggest that FedEx will be located in 8,000 Walgreens stores by late 2018.

For many consumers, everyday life seems too busy and non-stop to even think about going to the gym or exercising. But a new study finds that those who take only a few hours every week – even just on the weekends – can enjoy huge health benefits.

Researchers from the University of Sydney analyzed survey data for over 63,000 people and found that all-cause mortality was 30% lower for active adults when compared to inactive adults. Further, they say that consumers who only take time on the weekend to exercise, dubbed “weekend warriors,” had an equivalent reduction in risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

"It is very encouraging news that being physically active on just one or two occasions per week is associated with a lower risk of death, even among people who do some activity but don't quite meet recommended exercise levels," said senior author Emmanuel Stamatakis.

“Weekend warriors”

World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines suggest that adults participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise every week; however, the researchers found that participants didn’t always have to reach those goals in order to reduce health risks.

While the results are good news for infrequent exercisers or gym members who can only go on the weekends, Stamatakis and his colleagues say more research will need to be done in order to “determine how frequency, intensity, and duration of activity might best be combined to achieve health benefits.”

However, they say that consumers should always exceed physical activity recommendations if they can. Doing so, they say, is the best way to protect ourselves from a multitude of diseases and health conditions.

The full study has been published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

A superior-rated front crash prevention system and acceptable-rated headlights have earned the 2017 Toyota Highlander the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) top award.

Unlike most TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners, which only meet the front crash prevention and headlight criteria when they are equipped with optional features, the Highlander qualifies for the award with standard equipment.

In IIHS track tests of the 2017 system, the midsize SUV avoided a collision in the 12 mph test. In the 25 mph test, it avoided a collision in 4 out of 5 runs and slowed 21 mph the fifth time.

The new standard front crash prevention system also includes a forward collision warning component that meets criteria set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

To qualify for 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five IIHS crashworthiness tests -- small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints -- as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and an acceptable or good headlight rating.

Back in October, after news had broken on Yahoo’s data breach of over 500 million accounts, Verizon executives said that it would need more information before the telecommunications company could close on its acquisition of the beleaguered company’s core internet business. Conflicting reports speculated that Verizon had even sought out a $1 billion discount on the deal.

Then, things got much worse. Last month, Yahoo once again reported details of a massive data breach, this time affecting one billion user accounts. While Verizon said that it was still evaluating the situation, many experts said that the news was a death blow to the deal.

However, nearly a month later, Verizon hasn’t halted the negotiations, and Yahoo is preparing its business for the next phase after a deal has been struck. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company will be changing the name of its remaining business to “Altaba” after the deal, paring down the number of board positions, and that CEO Marissa Mayer and co-founder David Flio will step down as directors.

Preparing for the future

The new name is apparently a combination of the words “alternate” and “Alibaba” – a reference to Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the parent company of the popular Chinese online marketplace Alibaba.com.

Before announcing the name change in a regulatory filing, company officials had referred to the future business as RemainCo. The filing names board member Eric Brandt as the new chairman of Altaba after its formation, with four other directors continuing to assist him. However, that leaves out some notable names connected to the business.

A total of six directors will be stepping down after the acquisition with Verizon goes through. Among them are current CEO Marissa Mayer, co-founder David Filo, and chairman Maynard Webb Jr., who was named chairman emeritus this past Monday. The other three directors who will step down include former pharmaceutical executive Jane Shaw and former media executives Eddy Hartenstein and Richard Hill.

Mounting acquisition pressure

While many might think that selling off the core of its internet business would be a big hit to Altaba, experts point out that the Alibaba and Yahoo Japan assets make up most of the current company’s value; estimates designate the internet business as 10% of Yahoo’s market value, while the Alibaba shares and Yahoo Japan make up 63% and 13% of the company’s market value, respectively.

However, while the new name and executive changes are being set up for the future, none of it may come to pass if Verizon does not accept the $4.8 billion acquisition deal. Because of the recent data breaches, Verizon still has room to renegotiate the deal or walk away from it entirely.

If the latter happens, then Yahoo will have to go back to looking for another suitor, and it may be harder than ever given its recent misfortunes.