Current Events in March 2017

Governments are often no better than private businesses when it comes to collecting debts. Take a company called American Municipal Services Corporation. It collects court fines, parking tickets, and debts for utility bills and other services for more than 500 municipalities.

But the Federal Trade Commission says some of the tactics the company uses are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and other regulations. 

False claims

Using “Warrant Enforcement Division” or “Municipal Enforcement Division” letterhead that falsely suggested that the letter was coming from a government agency, the defendants sent consumers an initial warning letter, and then a “FINAL NOTICE” falsely claiming, among other things, that the consumer was subject to imminent arrest for nonpayment, that their driver’s license may be suspended for nonpayment, and that the debts would be reported to consumer reporting agencies.

Under a proposed stipulated order, the company will be prohibited from making misrepresentations to collect debts, including: that an arrest warrant has been issued, that consumers must act immediately to avoid arrest, that failure to respond may lead to suspension of a driver’s license, that the defendants’ communications are from a government entity with arrest power, and that consumers’ payment status will be reported to credit reporting agencies.

The order also imposes a $350,000 judgment that must be paid within seven days.

The company collects debts for municipalities in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, the FTC said.

Bones can provide mental stimulation, prevent boredom, and satisfy your pup’s innate urge to chew. But not all bones may be safe for your four-legged pal.

Cooked, smoked, and dehydrated bones are brittle and may splinter, which could cause an internal injury to your pet, the FDA warns. Cooked bones can also cause dental issues, including cracked or fractured teeth.

Raw bones, on the other hand, can be a healthy and safe part of your dog’s diet. Beyond scraping away plaque and removing trapped food particles from the teeth, raw bones can provide a calcium phosphate boost to your pooch. Recreational chewing can also give your dog’s jaw muscles a workout.

But while they may be less dangerous than cooked bones, raw bones still come with a few risks. To make sure your pet stays safe while enjoying their treat, pet owners should be sure to follow certain guidelines. 

Raw bone guidelines

There are two types of raw bones you can give your pet: edible and recreational. Edible bones are hollow, non-weight-bearing bones of birds which provide calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals.

Recreational bones are marrow-filled beef, bison femur, or hip bones which should only be gnawed on -- not chewed or swallowed. This type of bone isn’t especially nutrient dense, but does provide mental stimulation and oral health benefits.

Before offering your pooch a bone, remember to heed the following advice:

• Supervise your pet. Make sure they don’t “bite off more than they can chew,” so to speak, by checking on your pet periodically as he or she is chewing. Watch to ensure that they don't choke or swallow it, and remove the bone if it gets small enough to swallow.
• Separate animals. Even the closest of canine pals can become territorial over bones. If you have more than one dog, separate them before offering a bone.
• Choose a size-appropriate bone. Because bones that are too small can be choking hazards, make sure to choose a bone that matches your dog’s size. Bones should be larger than the length of the muzzle, so as to be impossible to swallow whole.
• Choose the right time. Give your pet a bone only after they have had a full meal so they’re not hungry and tempted to swallow it.
• Be mindful of dental issues. Don’t offer a bone to a dog that has had dental work or crowns.
• Consider a softer alternative. For older dogs or dogs that have had dental work, consider bringing home a dental dog bone that is softer and easier to chew.

Well, you knew this was going to happen. Alaska Airlines has teased and tantalized Virgin America's loyal followers, saying it might let Virgin keep its name after the two were joined together as one. 

But it turns out that was just honeymoon talk. The kindly looking old fellow whose visage adorns Alaska's tails has turned grumpy and exercised the patriarch's prerogative. In other words, Virgin America will soon be no more. In its place will be a lot more Alaska Airlines planes, Alaska made clear this week.

"After months of research and in-depth conversations with fliers, we’ve made the difficult decision to retire the Virgin America name and logo likely sometime in 2019," the company said in a press release. "However, many of the elements you love about Virgin America will live on, paired with Alaska’s unbeatable performance and top-rated customer service." 

Virgin America was beloved by many of its regulars. Maybe it was the mood lighting, the nifty entertainment system, the snacks and meals you could order whenever hunger struck, the leather seats. Whatever it was, it was brilliantly executed.

Not that there's anything wrong with Alaska, of course. Besides being the biggest state in the country, it's a perfectly fine airline. It just doesn't have the zing that Virgin America created.

Shazaming and such ...

But Alaska is determined to change all that and its press releases are sounding more like Virgin's all the time. 

"Imagine arriving at the airport and immediately feeling welcomed to a fresh, modern experience.

You know you’ll reach your destination on time with minimal hassle, and the airline you’ve chosen offers consistently low fares and more nonstop flights to more destinations from the West Coast than any other. At your gate, you can’t help Shazaming every song on the upbeat playlist, and the overhead announcements tell you what you need to know with a healthy dose of fun."

This might sound like your old uncle trying to be one of the cool guys, but Alaska deserves some credit for trying. It is, after all, now the fifth largest airline in the country and trying to keep that youthful vibe is a worthy goal.

Alaska says it will be making upgrades to both Alaska and Virgin aircraft over the next few years, including faster wi-fi, expanded first class and premium sections, and an integrated awards program. 

Back in 2000, measles was a non-existent threat in the U.S., with no cases being reported across the country. Unfortunately, things have changed for the worse in recent years.

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Campus say that there were more than 150 reported cases of the disease in the first three months of 2015, despite the existence of a suitable vaccine. To find out why, they conducted an analysis of non-medical vaccine exemption policies and found that the states most at risk of an outbreak had an “easy” policy.

Exemption policies

So, what makes defines a policy as being easy, medium, or difficult? The researchers explain that an “easy” policy only requires a parent signature on a standardized form to exempt their children from vaccination.

“Medium” exemption policies require parents to obtain a form from a health department, attend an education session about vaccinations, or write a statement of objection. “Difficult” policies require parents to have a standardized form or statement of objection notarized.

For their analysis, the researchers used Colorado as an example; the state has one of the lowest vaccination rates, with approximately 87.4% of children between the ages of 19-35 months being covered, while 5% of kindergarteners have an exemption. They found that a more difficult exemption policy had big results.

“We found that a state like Colorado is 140 to 190 percent more likely to experience an outbreak with an easy exemption policy than if it had a medium or difficult non-medical exemption policy,” said lead author Melanie Whittington.

Reducing risk

In addition to lowering the risk of measles outbreaks, the researchers say that more difficult exemption policies could help prevent other diseases like the mumps. They stress that there is a tradeoff with having more difficult policies, but that the added safety is worth it.

"It's a trade between freedom and risk. Are we willing to give up a small piece of freedom that nudges us toward vaccination in order to halve the risk of a detrimental outbreak of a preventable disease? I think Colorado should be willing to make that trade," said Dr. Jonathan Campbell, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Services.

"We are not saying you can't have non-medical exemptions," Campbell and Whittington added. "But if we strengthen them, we can improve health and reduce the economic impact of a potential outbreak."

The full study has been published in Academic Pediatrics.

Too much screen time can contribute to eye strain, which could explain why you may be seeing more and more bespectacled youngsters these days.

The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that American children spend seven hours a day in front of electronic media. The increased use of electronic devices with screens can cause eye strain at a faster rate than that of the previous generation, experts say.

While glasses can help kids see more clearly if vision problems arise, adjusting to life with lenses isn’t always easy for kids. But parents can ease the transition by giving kids a say in the selection process and making glasses seem "normal," says Dr. Amanda Thompson, a pediatric psychologist in Washington, D.C.

Helping kids adjust

"Most children just want to fit in and not stand out from their peers," explained Thompson. "Anything that makes them feel different, including something as minor as needing to wear glasses, may impact a young child's confidence."

To help young kids adjust to wearing glasses for the first time, Dr. Thompson shares these tips for parents:

• Normalize the experience. To help your child feel less “different," make glasses seem common and normal. Read books about characters that wear glasses and point out people in their life who wear glasses (a classmate, a favorite teacher, their baseball coach).
• Let them pick their favorite frames. Give your child a sense of control over the situation by letting them try on different colors and shapes and letting them have a say in picking their favorite. Involvement in the selection process can make kids feel proud of their new accessory.
• Provide positive attention. It’s no secret that kids respond to positive attention. To harness the power of positive attention to encourage your child to keep wearing their glasses, provide specific praise such as, "I love when you wear your glasses. You look so smart!" Or, "I'm so glad you are wearing your glasses to do your homework. I'm really proud of you."
• Deal with teasing if it occurs. If your child tells you they’re being teased, Thompson says you should first praise them for letting you know. Then, calmly listen and validate their feelings. Communicate that teasing is unfair, unkind, and hurtful, and then talk about some ways to deal with teasing if it happens again. Role-playing can be a helpful practice.

Preventing digital eye strain

To mitigate the ocular impact of digital devices, The Vision Council recommends heading to a local eyewear provider to discuss your child's digital habits. Eyewear solutions may be available to prevent digital eye strain and reduce exposure to blue light emitted from screens.

Parents should also encourage their children to take frequent breaks when using technology, as well as make sure their kids aren't putting screens too close to their eyes. 

In a famous Sherlock Holmes story, the key clue was the dog that did not bark. When it comes to gasoline prices, the key victory for consumers, it seems, is the price that did not rise.

By all accounts, the national average gasoline price should have risen about a dime a gallon over the last two or three weeks. It hasn't.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows today's average price of self-serve regular is $2.29 a gallon. That's what it was the day before, and a week ago. If you go back a month, the price was only a penny a gallon more.

Premium gasoline averages $2.81 a gallon and has a nearly identical pricing pattern to regular.

The normal pattern is that prices at the pump begin rising in early March as oil refineries begin regular maintenance and start switching over to the production of summer grade fuel blends. The reduced output almost always sends prices higher.

Oil prices are in reverse

So what's different about this year? Chances are, it's the price of oil. After breaking through the $55 a barrel level, prices have dropped below $50.

Oil prices started rising last fall when the OPEC producers, led by Saudi Arabia, decided to reduce production in order to boost oil prices, which had been low for two years. The market assumed OPEC would be successful and traders began bidding up the price of oil, making gasoline more expensive than it was the previous year.

But in the last few weeks it has become clear that OPEC faces a big challenge in raising oil prices. As the price rose, it became more profitable for U.S. shale producers to increase production, which they have done.

U.S. stockpiles of oil have become so large that it has weakened the market -- bad for traders and speculators but very good for consumers.

Saudis cut exports to U.S.

MarketWatch reports U.S. stockpiles have now hit a record, prompting the Saudis this week to "dramatically" cut oil exports to the U.S. OPEC, it seems, is desperate to reduce the U.S. stockpile of oil. Otherwise, it won't be able to ratchet oil prices higher.

For consumers, there's some stability at the gas pump this spring. Even in California, one of the most expensive places in the U.S. to fill up, the statewide average has fallen a bit in the last week, remaining below $3 a gallon for regular and at $3.23 for premium.

The West and upper Midwest has the most expensive fuel this week. The cheapest gasoline is in the Southeast, where the statewide average in South Carolina is $2.02 a gallon for regular and $2.59 for premium.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York regularly monitors consumers' access to credit. That's important in the event of an emergency expense.

If you don't have money in a savings account to meet that expense, you need access to credit in order to pay it. The latest report shows fewer consumers are prepared.

The report contains a new feature that suggests the financial condition of many American households is fragile. It measures the probability of needing $2,000 in the next month and the probability of being able to come up with $2,000 if an unexpected need arose within the next month.

The report shows that about a third of consumers are not confident they could come up with $2,000 on short notice, with a growing number pessimistic about their chances of obtaining credit in a pinch.

Falling applications for new credit

In spite of that, the survey showed both application for credit rates and rejection rates declined. But involuntary account closures also rose to their highest level since the Fed began keeping track.

Consumers, it seems, are now less likely to even apply for credit over the next 12 months. The reason? Most said they didn't think they would be approved.

The percentage of consumers too discouraged to even apply for credit over the past 12 months jumped to 7.1%, the highest level since June 2014. And there may be good reason for that feeling. The percentage of consumers who successfully applied for credit over the last 12 months fell to 31.5%, the lowest level since February 2015.

In spite of data showing that consumers piled on record credit card debt in the fourth quarter of last year, fewer consumers applied for new sources of credit. Credit application rates fell from 42.3% in October to 29.9%, the lowest rate since October 2013.

Improving chances of being approved

However, the Fed's figures show that consumers who did apply for credit during that period had a better chance of being accepted, as rejection rates declined.

The only area where consumers increased their attempts to gain new sources of credit was for auto loans. But consumers decreased their applications for new credit cards by nearly four percentage points.

Housing prices across the U.S. were unchanged in January, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI).

This is just the second month since early 2012 that the HPI has failed to increase. The other occurrence was in November, 2013. The previously reported December HPI increase of 0.4% was unrevised.

On a year-over-year basis -- from January 2016 to January 2017 -- house prices were up 5.7%.

The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Regional performance

For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from December, 2016 to January, 2017 ranged from -2.0% in the East South Central division to +0.6 percent in the Pacific division.

The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +3.5% in the East South Central division to +8.3% in the Mountain division.

The complete report may be found on the FHFA website

Haibike of Denver, Colo., owned by Accell North America, is recalling about 267 electric bicycles sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The fork on the front wheel of the bicycles can rupture or break while the bike is in use, posing a fall hazard to the rider.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Haibike XDURO Urban, Race and Superrace models of electric bicycles. The recalled bicycles have an aluminum frame, hydraulic disc brakes, and a lithium battery.

They contain a letter/number combination (‘HAERA’ followed by at least three numbers and characters) printed on the front of the frame. Remove the battery to locate the letter/number combination on the frame.

The following models are included in the recall:

The bicycles, manufactured in Germany and Taiwan, were sold at independent bicycle dealers nationwide from January 2014, through February 2017, for about $4,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and contact Accell North America for a free repair.

Consumers may Contact Accell North America at 800-222-5527 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday or online at www.haibike.com and click on “Current recalls” on the right side of the page for more information.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 5,470 model year 2017 Ford Mustangs.

The return spring for the driver side interior door handle may come loose, allowing the driver's door to unlatch in a side impact crash.

As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

A door unlatching in a crash can increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver-side interior door handle and repair the return spring, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 24, 2017.

Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C04.

The Senate today voted 50-48 to ditch broadband privacy rules that the Federal Communications Commission issued last year, and the House is expected to follow suit.

Congress doesn't often move quickly but in this case, the Senate used the so-called Congressional Review Act to axe the privacy rules before they even had a chance to go into effect, bowing to the demands of advertisers who say the ability to track Americans' every move is vital to innovation.

“This is an important victory for all who benefit from the data-driven marketing economy, including tens of thousands of businesses and nonprofit organizations and hundreds of millions of consumers," said Emmett O’Keefe of the Data & Marketing Association, an advertising trade group. "Consumers understand the value that relevant ads provide, and put the value of the services they get for free on the internet at $1,200 per year."

The Consumer Federation of America wasn't so chipper and said the Senate had "used a sledgehammer, the Congressional Review Act, to smash hopes that Americans will finally have real control over the highly personal information that their broadband internet service providers (ISPs) can collect about them."

"There is no excuse for robbing Americans of these rights," CFA said in a statement, adding that it is "a shame that the majority of Senators voted to put special corporate interests ahead of the privacy interests of Americans."

Sledgehammer approach

The Congressional Review Act was enacted in 1996 as part of the Tea Party wing's "Contract With America" specifically to allow Congress to nullify regulations it doesn't like, using an expedited process that dispenses with hearings and other public review procedures. It also prohibits the rule being re-enacted without Congressional approval.

The rules adopted by the FCC applied only to broadband carriers, or Internet Service Providers (ISPs), not to websites. That irked the AT&Ts and Comcasts of the world, since it supposedly put them at a disadvantage in gathering surveillance information on their users.

The FCC under former chairman Tom Wheeler, an Obama appointee, took the view that consumers should have control over the data gathered by third parties.

"It's the consumers' information," Wheeler said, "and the consumer should have the right to determine how it's used."

Industry groups fought the proposal bitterly. USTelecom, a trade group, took to Twitter to denounce the rules as a "naked power grab."

At issue is information including consumers' health, finances, children, geolocation, web browsing and app usage history, Social Security numbers, and the content of their communications, CFA said. The FCC's rule would have required carriers to get customers’ affirmative consent. Equally important, the FCC said that ISPs can’t force customers to give up control of their data through “take it or leave it” terms of service.

"A step backwards"

Assuming the House acts as expected, those rules will soon be scrapped and consumers will be left to rely on the voluntary standards that the Data & Marketing Association says have been remarkably successful.

“Today’s vote in the Senate and expected approval in the House signal that our nation’s top policymakers recognize that our current system of responsible data use works," the DMA's O'Keefe said.

“The FCC’s ISP rules were a step backwards for consumers and should be repealed as they would risk disrupting the hugely successful Internet ecosystem that has developed under the existing framework. Congressional action to overturn these rules will ensure that organizations can continue to responsibly leverage data to meet the needs of their consumers.”

Trying to stop robocalls once they've been placed is like trying to pull back an email sent in error. It's just about impossible. So the Federal Communications Commission is proposing a new method: cutting off known scam robocallers before they're able to dial out.

It's called the "Do-Not-Originate" rule, and it would update a longstanding FCC rule that requires telephone companies to complete all calls. The idea was developed by an industry strike force the FCC put together a few years ago. In a test last year, the concept reduced IRS scam calls by about 90 percent.

There are an estimated 2.4 billion robocalls per month in the U.S., so there is no shortage of candidates for blocking.

Besides allowing the blocking of calls from known scam operators, the proposed rule would allow carriers to block calls that are obviously fake -- for example, those displaying a Washington, D.C., area code despite being placed from somewhere else.

Overseas calls

Since many scam calls originate overseas, it is difficult for law enforcement to track down and stop the perpetrators, but blocking calls at the source would effectively shut down the operations in less time and with less expense.

Besides the proposed new rule, the FCC also adopted a Notice of Inquiry which seeks public comment on how to further enable carriers to block illegal robocalls before they can reach consumers. 

"The Commission is asking how to create a safe harbor for providers from FCC call completion rules when they rely on objective criteria to identify and block calls that are highly likely to be fraudulent, illegal, or spoofed robocalls," an FCC spokesman said. "If the carrier can reasonably surmise that a call is a scam call using fake caller ID, carriers could be able to proactively block those calls."

Try as parents may, it’s not always easy to keep an eye on kids’ digital activity. Short of hovering over your child every moment they spend futzing around on their smartphone, there’s no way to monitor all the details of their device usage.

Now, Google has released an app that may give parents some peace of mind when it comes to kids’ screen time. With Family Link, parents can manage and monitor their child’s smartphone from afar.

The app, which only works on devices running Android Nougat, gives parents the ability to set certain digital ground rules for their tech-savvy offspring.

Key features

After downloading Family Link onto your device and creating a Google Account for your kid, you’ll have the ability to:

• Control and manage apps. Parents have to grant or deny permission to download any apps that didn’t come pre-installed in the device.
• View detailed usage. See how much time (weekly or monthly) your child is spending on apps by popping over to the App Activity Section.
• Set caps on screen time. Limit the amount of time kids are allowed to spend on their device each day.
• Schedule bedtime. Parents can remotely lock their child’s device at a specific time, such as when it’s time to study or go to bed.

‘Keeps you in the loop’

While the app might make monitoring your child’s device usage a little easier, Google stresses that it can’t magically make all the apps or services on their smartphone kid-safe.

“It's up to parents to choose what's right for their kid. When you make the decision to give your child their own device, Family Link can serve as a tool that keeps you in the loop as they begin to explore,” Google said in a statement.

The app is still in early access, so parents will have to request an invite to the Family Link early access program. Additionally, it’s only available to parents with kids under 13 years old.

As educational and career opportunities for women proliferate, more and more women are choosing to postpone having children until later in life. As it turns out, this delayed entrance into the world of motherhood may result in better-behaved kids.

A study published recently in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology finds that older women tend to thrive in motherhood.

Armed with the psychological maturity to refrain from scolding or punishing their young children, older moms excel at creating a positive environment for their kids. As a result, their children are less likely to have behavioral, social, and emotional problems.

Mental flexibility

Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark found that children with older mothers had fewer behavioral, social, and emotional problems at age 7 and 11, but not at age 15.

As for why children of older moms may have fewer social and emotional problems, the investigators explained that older women typically have more stable relationships, are more educated, and have obtained better access to material resources.

Life experience can also lend itself to a heightened ability to roll with the punches, which is why older moms might be better equipped to deal with themselves and others.

"We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people and thrive better emotionally themselves,” researcher Dion Sommer said in a statement. “That's why psychological maturity may explain why older mothers do not scold and physically discipline their children as much.”

"This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the children's upbringing," Sommer added.

Weighing pros and cons

Fading fertility and the risk of a more complicated pregnancy may prompt experts to advise women not to wait too long to have their first child.

However, when considering the consequences of rising maternal age, “it’s important to consider both the physical and psychosocial pros and cons," Sommer said.

Studies show that older women tend to worry less during pregnancy, are more positive about becoming parents, and generally have a more positive attitude towards their children.

Experian has been presented with a $3 million bill from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The agency said Experian has been deceiving consumers about how its credit scores are used.

Experian claimed its credit scores were used by lenders to make credit decisions, but, in fact, lenders did not use Experian’s scores to make those decisions. The CFPB ordered Experian to truthfully represent how its credit scores are used and to pay a civil penalty of $3 million.

“Experian deceived consumers over how the credit scores it marketed and sold were used by lenders,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Consumers deserve and should expect honest and accurate information about their credit scores, which are central to their financial lives.”

Experian is one of the three largest credit reporting agencies, along with Equifax and TransUnion. All three compile creditworthiness data on consumers but no single credit score is used by every lender despite what is sometimes claimed.

"Educational" score

Some of the companies have developed so-called “educational credit scores,” which lenders rarely, if ever, use. These scores are intended to inform consumers about their financial situation. 

One such "educational" score is Experian's “PLUS Score,” which it sold directly to consumers without clearly stating that it was not used by lenders.

From at least 2012 through 2014, Experian violated the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act by deceiving consumers about the use of the credit scores it sold, the CFPB said.

In its advertising, Experian falsely represented that the credit scores it marketed and provided to consumers were the same scores lenders use to make credit decisions. In fact, lenders did not use the scores Experian sold to consumers, according to the CFPB.

Experian also violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires a credit reporting company to provide a free credit report once every twelve months and to operate a central source – AnnualCreditReport.com – where consumers can obtain their report. Until March 2014, consumers getting their report through Experian had to view Experian advertisements before they got to the report. This violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibition of such advertising tactics.

Everyone knows college is incredibly expensive, but exactly how expensive it is often depends on a set of circumstances.

First, it often depends on what college you attend. Next, whether a student qualifies for aid can make a big difference in whether he or she graduates with a degree and college debt the size of a mortgage.

But perhaps the biggest affordability factor is the student's family's income.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) has released a report that finds, even with aid, college is often unaffordable for a wide range of low-income, working-class, and middle-class Americans.

Bleak college cost realities

“This analysis sheds light on the bleak college cost realities facing many of today’s students,” said IHEP President Michelle Asha Cooper. “High prices are keeping the promise of higher education out of reach for so many Americans. Policymakers must act now. Students—and our nation’s economic and social vitality—depend on it.”

To compile the report, IHEP researchers looked at what 10 typical college students from different economic backgrounds should be able to pay for a college education. The report used data from the College Abacus net price calculator to find and compare net prices at more than 2,000 colleges.

The net price calculator takes a student's household income into account, showing what each individual college or university is willing and able to provide in the way of aid, which reduces the sticker price of an institution to an individual net price.

The assumption going in is there will be more financial aid for lower income students than those from affluent families. In fact, that's pretty much the case. But is it enough to tip the scales of affordability in a meaningful way, researchers asked?

Conclusions

The report concluded that a student from an affluent household, with over $160,000 a year in income, could afford around 90% of the schools in the sample. Students from households with less than $69,000 annual income are in a much different category, the researchers found. Only 1% to 5% of colleges were affordable.

The report concludes that there are several things federal, state, and institutional policymakers can do to make college more affordable.

They include increasing money spent on Pell Grants; beefing up state investments in higher education; directing colleges to spend more of their resources on students; and making the application process more transparent to help prospective students make informed choices.

Osteoporosis currently affects approximately 200 million people worldwide and has long been regarded as a serious medical condition for older consumers. The disease occurs when the living tissue that makes up bones is broken down more quickly than it can be replaced, resulting in weak and brittle bones that can be fractured by a fall or other mild stresses.

Currently, treatments for osteoporosis are assessed by determining the likelihood of a bone fracture in the next 10 years and can include hormone-related therapy, taking medication, or modifying lifestyle to reduce bone loss and falls.

However, researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia state that men who are at high risk of osteoporosis can also hit the gym to stave off the condition. In a recent study, they found that weight-bearing exercises decreased a harmful protein made in bones and increased a hormone associated with bone growth.

"People may be physically active, and many times people know they need to exercise to prevent obesity, heart disease or diabetes. However, you also really need to do specific exercises to protect your bone health," said researcher Pamela Hinton.

Reducing osteoporosis risk

The study used two groups of men between the ages of 25 and 60 who were shown to have low bone mass. Both groups were asked to perform exercises over a 12-month period to see what affect they had on bone proteins and hormones in the blood.

One group was asked to take part in resistance training exercises, which included lunges and squats using free weights, while the other group was asked to perform jumping exercises, including single-leg and double-leg jumps.

After the study period, Hinton and her colleagues found that both types of exercise reduced sclerostin proteins in participants’ bones and increased IGF-1 hormones in the blood.

Hinton explains that these outcomes bode well for weight-bearing exercise as a preventative measure to osteoporosis. “When sclerostin is expressed at high levels, it has a negative impact on bone formation. In both resistance and jump training, the level of sclerostin in the bone goes down, which triggers bone formation," she said.

The researchers conclude by saying that consumers should focus on bone health when it comes to their exercise regimens. The full study has been published in the journal Bone.

Next week, if you need to withdraw money from a Wells Fargo ATM, you won't need your debit card. You can use your smartphone.

The bank ran a pilot program on the technology in several areas of the country and is now ready to roll it out nationwide. To use the new system, Wells Fargo customers who have the bank's mobile app will be able to request a code that they will enter, along with their PIN.

In an interview with Reuters, Jonathan Velline, Wells Fargo's head of ATM and branch banking, said the new system enhances safeguards against fraud.

"Security certainly was a big aspect of the cardless feature and the two-step identification helps reduce the risk of fraud," Velline told the wire service.

The ATMs will still take debit cards, but Velline says the digital access prevents thieves from installing skimmers that intercept and steal data from the inserted cards.

Repairing customer relations

The new system is being introduced as Wells Fargo continues its mission to repair relations with customers in the wake of last year's unauthorized accounts scandal. The bank got a black eye when it was revealed thousands of employees had opened checking and credit card accounts for customers without their permission, in a bid to increase fees.

In Orlando this week, Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan hosted a company-wide town hall meeting to inform employees about efforts to win back trust.

“We’re making things right for our customers and our team members," Sloan said. "We are fixing problems, and we’re building a better bank for the future.”

New ad campaign

Employees also got a sneak peak at a new national advertising campaign with the theme “Building Better Every Day.” The advertising campaign will begin in mid-April across multiple channels.

Business Insider reports the bank has faced strong headwinds as it tries to reassure consumers, experiencing a pronounced decline in new accounts and an increase in closed accounts since the scandal broke last fall.

Citing company data, the publication notes that new checking accounts dropped 43% and new credit card accounts fell by 55% in February.