Current Events in August 2017

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    Spokeo loses latest round in long-running privacy court battle

    The case involves an allegedly inaccurate listing on the aggregator's site

    Online aggregator Spokeo has lost the latest round in a long-running legal dispute. The case involves Thomas Robins, a Virginia resident who sued Spokeo in 2010, arguing that the company had published incorrect information about him.

    The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which returned it to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel this week ruled that Robins has standing to sue.

    Robins argued that Spokeo had hurt his employment prospects by publishing incorrect information about him. The online site had listed Robins as being in his 50s, married with children, and employed in a professional or technical field.

    Robins said he was none of those things and claimed the listing potentially caused employers to think he was over-qualified for the jobs he applied for.

    Spokeo is a site that collects and publishes publicly-available information about individuals. It is often used by landlords, potential employers, and others who want to verify the credentials of individuals they are dealing with.

    Is it or isn't it?

    The case all hinges on whether the Federal Credit Reporting Act applies to Spokeo. The company says it doesn't, because it says it is not a credit reporting agency. But Robins argued that the law does apply and the 9th Circuit agreed, allowing the case to proceed.

    The case is one of many involving the issue of actual versus potential injury, in addition to the FCRA question. Spokeo has argued that Robins has not shown that he suffered any actual harm, but has only said that the allegedly incorrect information could have damaged his job prospects.

    "It’s important to note that individuals who have actually been harmed by violations of the law do retain the right to pursue claims for damages and seek redress from companies that irresponsibly take advantage of consumers by violating the law, and Spokeo fully supports that fundamental right," the company said last year. "What Spokeo has fought for ... is to simply stop the frivolous no-injury class action suits that only benefit class action attorneys and curb innovation."

    Online aggregator Spokeo has lost the latest round in a long-running legal dispute. The case involves Thomas Robins, a Virginia resident who sued Spokeo in...

    Dan Post Boot Company recalls safety boots

    The boots and shoes can fail to protect feet from heavy or sharp objects

    Dan Post Boot Company of Clarksville, Tenn., is recalling 7,200 pair of safety boots and shoes.

    The boots and shoes can fail to protect feet when heavy or sharp objects fall on them, posing an injury hazard to consumers.

    The firm has received one report of a tire falling onto a consumer’s foot while he was wearing his safety boots, resulting in a broken foot.

    This recall involves McRae Industrial brand steel toe boots, static dissipative shoes and composite boots. There are seven styles of the McRae Industrial brand shoes included in the recall.

    The model numbers are MR85300, MR85394, MR47321, MR47616, MR87321, MR43002, and MR83310 printed on a tag on the lining of the boot or the tongue of the shoe.

    The following boots and shoes are being recalled::

    Style

    Color

    Style Description

    Safety Attributes

     Price

    MR85300

    Brown

    Men’s pull-on waterproof boot with rubber foot

    Steel toe, EH

    $120

    MR47321

    Brown

    Women’s hiker shoe

    Composite toe, met guard

     $103

    MR47616

    Brown

    Lad hiker shoe

    Composite toe, met guard

     $107

    MR87321

    Brown

    Men’s hiker shoe

    Composite toe, met guard

     $104

    MR85394

    Brown

    Men’s pull-on waterproof boot

    Steel toe, EH

     $127

    MR43002

    Grey/
    Purple

    Women’s hiker shoe

    Composite toe, met guard, static dissipative

     $92

    MR83310

    Black

    Men’s hiker shoe

    Composite toe, static dissipative

     $82

    The boots and shoes, manufactured in China, were sold at Gerler and Son Inc., Grainger Inc., Safety Solutions Inc., Standup Rancher and other independent safety stores nationwide and online at Kohls.com, Steel-Toe-Shoes.com, Thewesterncompany.com, Workboots.com, from October 2013 through June 2017 for between $80 and $130.

    What to do

    Consumers should immediately stop wearing the recalled boots and shoes and return to firm to receive a full refund.

    Consumers may contact Dan Post Boot Company return department toll-free at 866-301-4488 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email at dpreturns1@danpostboots.com or online at www.danpostboots.com and click on the recall tab located at the middle of the page for more information.

    Dan Post Boot Company of Clarksville, Tenn., is recalling 7,200 pair of safety boots and shoes.The boots and shoes can fail to protect feet when heavy...

    Pepsi or Coke? Why your answer could affect the happiness of your relationship

    Researchers say couples who prefer different brands could face challenges down the road

    Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke? Be careful, because your answer may have important implications for your relationship with your significant other.

    In a recent study, researchers from Duke University found that preferring different brands can affect couples’ happiness more than other important relationship factors like shared interests or personality traits. Researcher and marketing professor Gavan Fitzsimmons says the surprising finding is more widespread than previously thought.

    "People think compatibility in relationships comes from having similar backgrounds, religion or education. But we find those things don't explain how happy you are in life nearly as much as this notion of brand compatibility," he said.

    Feeling stuck

    But how could such a trivial difference be so important to the survival of a relationship? The researchers say that couples who have low power in their relationship – meaning that either person feels that they can’t shape their partner’s behavior – can often feel trapped by their partner’s preferred brand.

    "If you are a different religion than your romantic partner, you know that if this is an issue you can't work through, then the relationship isn't going to last," said lead author Danielle Brick. "Conversely, if you like Coke and your partner likes Pepsi, you're probably not going to break up over it -- but 11 years into a relationship, when he or she keeps coming home with Pepsi, day in and day out, it might start to cause a little conflict. “

    “And if you're the low-power person in the relationship, who continually loses out on brands and is stuck with your partner's preferences, you are going to be less happy."

    Finding common ground

    The researchers say that their findings are constant across several different brands of consumer products, including coffee, chocolate, beer, and even cars. Brick says that these differences become increasingly important depending on how big a part the brand plays in a couple’s lives. The researchers say that their findings have important implications for romantic partners and companies who sell these products.

    "People who are looking for love should maybe consider including brand preferences on their dating profiles. There's also an opportunity for marketers to seek to be the family brand. Even if two partners have slightly different brand preferences, if they can adopt a joint brand that both are happy about, that might increase happiness for a partner who would otherwise feel unsatisfied," said Fitzsimmons.

    "Some brands are marketed as family-oriented, but that's not the same as reaching out to everyone in the family," he adds. "It's tricky, but firms that get it right can have their brand associated with happiness and harmony -- and there's nothing better than that."

    The full study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

    Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke? Be careful, because your answer may have important implications for your relationship with your significant other.In a rec...

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      The best -- and worst -- places to retire

      WalletHub picks Orlando as the best, Newark as the worst

      Choosing a place to retire is a highly personal decision, and it involves a lot of factors.

      For example, you might prefer a warmer climate, a certain size city, a low cost of living, and access to top quality healthcare. All might go into your decision, but individuals will give more weight to some factors than others based on what's most important to them.

      That said, there are metrics that can be used to evaluate locations and see how they stack up against one another. Personal finance site WalletHub conducted such an analysis, using "affordability," "activities," "health care," and "quality of life" as ways to compare cities.

      Orlando is number 1

      Using those metrics, it picks Orlando as the best place in America to retire, with an overall score of 59.93. Orlando scores high on affordability, healthcare, and activities, but not so much in quality of life.

      Tampa is second on the list, scoring in the top 10 for affordability and activities and in the top 80 for healthcare and quality of life.

      Miami is third, but it might not be everyone's choice. That's because it scores very high -- number four in activities -- but is 117th in quality of life. It's also not that affordable. So, you might begin to see how this works -- a ranking might mean less to you if its top attributes are less important to you.

      Newark at the bottom

      At the bottom of the ranking is Newark, N.J., which in all fairness has probably never presented itself as a retirement Mecca. According to WalletHub, it's not that affordable, there's not that much to do, healthcare is lacking, and the quality of life is not that good.

      Providence, R.I., comes out only slightly better. The city ranks 87th in activities, but in the other three categories it ranks anywhere from 133rd to 146th.

      San Bernadino, Calif., is in a similar situation. It ranks 71st in affordability and 148th in activities. It also receives fairly low marks for quality of life and healthcare.

      Make your own list

      In choosing a place to retire, it's helpful to make a list of things that may or may not be important to you. Low taxes and low housing costs, for example, should be important for most retirees living on a fixed income.

      Proximity to family may, or may not be that important, depending on how you get along with your family. If you plan to do a lot of traveling, access to a good but easy-to-use airport could be an important factor.

      Of course, if you find your present home meets all your needs, maybe you just stay where you are. After all, just because you retire doesn't mean you have to relocate.

      Choosing a place to retire is a highly personal decision, and it involves a lot of factors.For example, you might prefer a warmer climate, a certain si...

      Online resource provides families with autism travel options

      Families can find sensory-friendly destinations and more on the website

      Travel can be tricky for families with children on the autism spectrum. Sensory, safety, and dietary restrictions can limit destination possibilities, but a new online resource can help families with children on the spectrum plan a sensory-friendly vacation.

      With Autism Travel, families can find travel options that won’t be off-putting or overwhelming to individuals on the spectrum.

      "Our goal with AutismTravel.com is to help the leading travel destinations in the world create safe, sensory-friendly certified travel options for parents and individuals on the spectrum," said Myron Pincomb of the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

      ‘A spectrum of possibilities’

      Autism Travel says it has “identified the perfect destinations, tools, and activities that are suitable for all families for a stress-free holiday experience.” All of the destinations listed on the website have incorporated modifications that can make the vacation experience a positive one for individuals with special needs.

      Dr. Chris O’Shea, a parent of two children on the autism spectrum, said he previously struggled to travel with his family -- and he’s not alone. In a poll, 87% of parents who have a child with ASD said they simply don’t take vacations as a family.

      But with AutismTravel.com, O’Shea says, “Now parents will know from the beginning that the resort staff is trained and willing to work with our children to create a positive vacation experience.”

      Beaches Resorts was the first travel destination to complete autism training and certification. Each of the resort’s Kid’s Camps now meets Certified Autism Center (CAC) requirements.

      Travel tips

      While choosing a sensory-friendly vacation destination is a good first step in ensuring your trip goes smoothly, the experts at Autism Speaks have a few other tips for traveling with a child on the spectrum.

      • Simulate the vacation before leaving. “Prior to leaving, the key is to simulate the vacation as closely as possible in as many ways as possible,” said Daniel Openden, clinical services director of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center in Phoenix.
      • Do a practice run. If you will be traveling by plane, take some time to do a practice run before travel day arrives -- especially if your child has never flown before.
      • Bring identification. For safety purposes, be sure to bring identification for your child to wear. “You can pin it to the back of his shirt or attach it to his shoelaces if he is the kind of child who won't tolerate wearing it,” said Dr. Sandra Harris, executive director of Rutgers University's Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. “Include the child's name and diagnosis and your cell number and anything that a person might need to keep him safe and calm until you are reunited,” she added.

      Travel can be tricky for families with children on the autism spectrum. Sensory, safety, and dietary restrictions can limit destination possibilities, but...

      Spyware apps found on Google's official Play Market

      Researchers say over 4,000 malicious apps targeting Android users are circulating in third-party marketplaces

      Consumers are constantly being reminded to only download apps to their devices that have been thoroughly vetted and published on reputable marketplaces. However, a recent discovery by mobile security firm Lookout shows that even these sources aren’t infallible.

      In a blog post published last week, researchers working for the firm found that a single threat actor has attempted to publish over 4,000 spyware apps since February 2017, with at least three of them making their way to the Google Play Store.

      One of the apps, called Soniac, was marketed as a customizable communications program and was downloaded up to 5,000 times before Google removed it from the marketplace. The researchers found that the app was chock full of spyware capabilities, including the ability to record audio, make calls, send text messages, and retrieve contacts and other sensitive information.

      Ars Technica reports that the other two apps – Hulk Messenger and Troy Chat – had been available on Google’s marketplace but had been removed earlier by either the company or the developer. The researchers say that the remaining 4,000+ malicious apps are still being distributed in alternative markets, and are being categorized as part of a malware family that Lookout calls “SonicSpy.”

      “What’s commonly seen in all SonicSpy samples is that once they compromise a device they beacon to command and control servers and await instructions from the operator who can issue one of seventy three supported commands,” said Lookout researcher Michael Flossman. “The way this has been implemented is distinct across the entire SonicSpy family.”

      What to do

      The researchers say that once the SonicSpy apps have been downloaded, they will often remove their launcher icons to hide their presence on the device and establish a connection to the operator’s control server.

      To avoid downloading one of these malicious apps, consumers are reminded to only install apps from trusted sources on trusted marketplaces. However, since at least some of these apps have made it onto Google’s marketplace, consumers are urged to exercise even more caution and to scrutinize any non-Google app sources, with the exception of Amazon’s official Android offerings.

      "Anyone accessing sensitive information on their mobile device should be concerned about SonicSpy. The actors behind this family have shown that they're capable of getting their spyware into the official app store and as it's actively being developed, and its build process is automated, it's likely that SonicSpy will surface again in the future," the security researchers said.

      Consumers are constantly being reminded to only download apps to their devices that have been thoroughly vetted and published on reputable marketplaces. Ho...

      When should your kids go to sleep?

      This bedtime calculator online tool can help you find out

      For kids, summer is a time for schedule-free fun and leisure. But as summer vacation draws to a close, it’s time for everyone in the family to start preparing for a return to school night bedtime routines.

      Sleep is an essential component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages. By clocking a sufficient amount of shut-eye at night, you will be more likely to sail through your day in an alert and energized state.

      Getting enough sleep is especially important for children and teens, who need sleep to perform well in school. To help families prioritize healthy sleep, the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project has created a calculator to help each member of the family identify an appropriate bedtime.

      Personalized recommendations

      The Bedtime Calculator is based on the sleep duration recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), which state that children and teens should get the following amounts of sleep at night:

      • Infants 4 months to 12 months old: 12-16 hours (including naps)

      • Children 1 to 2 years old: 11-14 hours (including naps)

      • Children 3 to 5 years old: 10-13 hours (including naps)

      • Children 6 to 12 years old: 9-12 hours per night.

      • Teenagers 13 to 18 years old:  8-10 hours per night

      To use the online bedtime calculator, simply choose your age and wake time. To see how a different wake time will affect when you should go to bed, choose a different wake time on the slider.

      Lost Sleep Calculator

      While it’s recommended that adults get seven or more hours of nightly sleep, many parents are used to having their slumber disrupted by children.

      The Lost Sleep Calculator, created by British interior design company Hillary’s, can show you just how much sleep you have missed out on over the years because of your kids. To use it, simply enter the age of each of your children in years and months then hit the “calculate my lost sleep button.”

      In addition to letting you know precisely how sleep-deprived you are, the Lost Sleep Calculator will regale you with other interesting facts about your child-rearing journey. Parents can see, for instance, how many lullabies they have sung, how many diapers they have changed, and how many bedtime stories they have read.

      For kids, summer is a time for schedule-free fun and leisure. But as summer vacation draws to a close, it’s time for everyone in the family to start prepar...

      One simple thing separates retirement savers from non-savers

      But changing it might not be so simple

      A survey by investment firm Charles Schwab concludes there is one simple thing that separates people who are saving for retirement from those who are not.

      Money.

      Yes, it might be something Captain Obvious might come up with, but that doesn't negate its importance. The bottom line is, consumers who are scraping by, trying to meet everyday expenses and not fall behind on bills, aren't putting money away for retirement.

      On the other hand, consumers who are able to meet monthly financial obligations with little effort tend to have a retirement savings plan in place.

      The numbers break down this way: about 45% of the people who don't save for retirement also say they have no money left over at the end of the month. Only 23% of retirement savers describe their situation that way.

      Credit cards and medical bills

      When you drill deeper into the Schwab data, you find that non-savers have a lot of credit card debt, unexpected household expenses, and medical bills.

      Some savers also struggle with these problems, but the survey found there are fewer of them. So it seems to all come down to money. Some people have enough, some don't.

      For someone to move from being a non-saver to a saver, there not only has to be a will to change, there also has to be money available to save. Either income has to rise or expenses have to fall -- or a combination of both.

      The first step for someone who can't seem to save is to develop a monthly budget. Getting advice from a non-profit credit counselor may be a good first step.

      Having an objective professional look at your income and expenses might help identify areas where you can increase monthly cash flow. It doesn't have to be a large amount, as long as you start to save.

      Pay yourself first

      Doing this regularly, and paying yourself first each month, can be the first step in moving from the non-saver category to becoming a retirement saver.

      "Americans have many legitimate and immediate financial concerns preventing them from setting aside funds for retirement," said Steve Anderson, president of Schwab Retirement Plan Services. "The good news is that both 401(k)-savers and non-savers understand they are responsible for their own retirement, and some may just need a little guidance to help them take steps in the right direction.”

      Employers may be able to help. More companies have begun offering financial wellness programs for their employees.

      A survey by investment firm Charles Schwab concludes there is one simple thing that separates people who are saving for retirement from those who are not....

      Entertainment landscape shifting to consumers' benefit

      More streaming content, cheaper movies the result of ongoing disruption

      The disruption that has occurred in the entertainment industry in the last weekend shows no signs of slowing down. Consumers stand to gain.

      Last week, Disney announced it was setting up its own streaming services and would pull its content from Netflix. This week, Netflix responded by signing a huge content deal with producer Shonda Rhimes to produce shows for the streaming service.

      Daily Variety reports Netflix may also reach an agreement with Disney for rights to Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars” and Marvel Entertainment titles after 2019. At the same time, it says the approximately $200 million it had been paying Disney for content will be plowed back into creating new movies and series for the streaming site.

      CNN has added up all the Netflix commitments and estimates the streaming service will spend nearly $16 billion on new content in the coming years, as it fights off an increasing number of competitors.

      Netflix model at the movies

      Meanwhile, entertainment start-up MoviePass has more or less adopted the Netflix model as a way to help Hollywood's sagging box office numbers.

      The company has announced on its website that for a reduced monthly membership fee of $9.95, members can go to as many movies they want, as long as the theater accepts debit cards. The theaters get reimbursed the full price of the ticket.

      It works on the same principal as Netflix. Instead of charging a movie-goer for each ticket, the monthly subscription allows them to watch as many movies as they want, limited to one movie per day. Some screens, such as IMAX, are excluded.

      Lifeline for theaters?

      Still, it may be a hopeful sign for movie theaters, which have seen audiences decline over the summer. Last weekend, ComScore reported the top grossing movie in the U.S. was Annabelle: Creation, which brought in just $35 million, followed by Dunkirk at $11.4 million.

      During the same weekend in 2014, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles raked in $65 million and Guardians of the Galaxy followed at $42 million.

      Last December, MoviePass co-founder Stacey Spikes said the company's research showed a subscription model for theaters would help small, independent films find an audience faster since consumers were more likely to wait for these films to show up on streaming services if they had to pay for each movie theater ticket.

      The disruption that has occurred in the entertainment industry in the last weekend shows no signs of slowing down. Consumers stand to gain.Last week, D...

      Various Mazda CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles recalled

      The front airbag inflator may rupture, resulting in injury or death

      Mazda North America Operations is recalling 79,402 model year 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."

      Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling model year 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."

      Further, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Mazda is recalling model 2007-2008 CX-7 and CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

      These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger front air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

      In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger front air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

      An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

      What to do

      Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall was expected to begin August 15, 2017.

      Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. 

      Mazda North America Operations is recalling 79,402 model year 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, Calif...

      Watch out for new wrinkles in the tech support scam

      Scammers reportedly hit victims twice in one call

      A completely new scam is usually as rare as a solar eclipse. Once they find a scheme that works, scammers usually stick with it.

      However, scammers constantly tweak how they approach their victims to maximize the payoff, and we try to keep an eye out for those subtle changes.

      In Southwest Virginia, the Southwest Times reports police in the region are dealing with a variation of the tech support scam. In that scam, someone contacts victims and tells them their computer is infected with a virus, then sells them an expensive and unnecessary security program.

      In Virginia, consumers are reporting the message comes in the form of a pop-up, and appears to come from Microsoft. The message instructs the consumer to call a phone number. If they do, an operator tries to sell them "lifetime" virus protection for $500.

      Suspicious forms of payment

      In this particular scam, the scammer will only take payment with a Walgreens Steam card, which is used in the purchase of online gaming services. Here's where it gets interesting.

      If the victim purchases a Walgreens Steam card and calls the number again, the scammer takes down the numbers on the card, then tells the victim the card is invalid -- even though it works just fine.

      The victim is told they can get a refund, if they make the same amount of purchase on an iTunes card. So the scammer ends up with $500 on a Walgreens Steam card and $500 on an iTunes card. The numbers are then sold on the black market.

      FTC warning

      The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises that it's a dead giveaway that you're dealing with a scam if payment is required to be made with some kind of money card and not a credit card.

      The FTC is constantly on the prowl for these tech support scams. This month the agency obtained a default judgment and permanent injunction against a Florida man it says peddled a phony tech support service using email.

      The FTC was particularly incensed because it says the man was using fake FTC press releases and the real names of FTC officials in his scheme.

      The agency said the scammer also employed scare tactics -- as scammers often do -- claiming that victims' computers were sending out signals to hackers, informing them of system vulnerabilities.

      A completely new scam is usually as rare as a solar eclipse. Once they find a scheme that works, scammers usually stick with it.However, scammers const...

      A resurgence of builder confidence

      Shortages and rising costs continue to be a concern, though

      After falling in July to its lowest level since last November, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes is on the rise again.

      The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) shot up four points in August for a reading of 68.

      “The fact that builder confidence has returned to the healthy levels we saw this spring is consistent with our forecast for a gradual strengthening in the housing market,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “GDP growth improved in the second quarter, which helped sustain housing demand. However, builders continue to face supply-side challenges, such as lot and labor shortages and rising building material costs.”

      The builders' view

      The NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI, which is derived from a monthly survey, gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair,” or “poor.”

      In addition, the survey asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

      August saw all three HMI components post gains. The component gauging current sales conditions was up four points to 74, while the index charting sales expectations in the next six months jumped five points to 78. The component measuring buyer traffic inched up a single point to 49.

      A look at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores shows the Northeast rose one point to 48, while the West, South and Midwest were unchanged at 75, 67 and 66, respectively.

      “Our members are encouraged by rising demand in the new-home market,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald. “This is due to ongoing job and economic growth, attractive mortgage rates, and growing consumer confidence.”

      After falling in July to its lowest level since last November, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes is on the rise again....

      Anthem pulls Obamacare policies in Virginia

      Residents of some counties down to one provider

      Virginia consumers who get their health insurance through the Obamacare marketplace will now only have one option in some counties.

      More than 200,000 Virginia residents who currently have an Obamacare policy though Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will have to change providers, as a result of the company's announcement that it will no longer provide coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

      It will continue to sell policies not marketed through the Obamacare exchange in two counties and one city.

      “Our commitment to members has always been to provide greater access to affordable, quality healthcare, and we will continue to advocate solutions that will stabilize the market and allow us to return to a more robust presence in Virginia in the future,” the company said in a statement.

      Governor blames Trump

      In a statement late Friday, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliff laid the blame at the door of the White House.

      “Anthem leadership informed me this afternoon about its decision to leave the federal insurance exchange in Virginia, citing the President’s threats to cut off cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers and his deliberate efforts to dismantle the individual insurance market,” McAuliff said. “It’s unfortunate Anthem felt it could no longer participate in the exchange because of the uncertainty created by the President and Congress.”

      As a result, more than 200,000 Virginians who currently have Anthem coverage will have to get a new policy from one of the few healthcare benefits providers in the Obamacare marketplace in Virginia. For many, their current healthcare service providers may no longer be in Network under their new insurance plan.

      'Stop playing politics'

      “I again urge the administration to stop playing politics with people’s lives and come together in a bipartisan way to provide certainty for insurers that cost-sharing reduction payments will continue to be funded through 2018, in order to stabilize the marketplace in the short term," McAuliffe said. "Congress and the Administration must immediately take action to stabilize the health insurance market in Virginia and across the nation, or risk further harm to the millions of Americans who rely on the exchanges for affordable coverage."

      Virginia's two Democrats in the U.S. Senate, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, also blamed Republicans. In a joint statement, the two lawmakers accused President Trump of “deliberate sabotage.” But the Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Bill Howell, said Anthem's decision is “further proof Obamacare is broken.”

      Virginia is not the first state to face this problem. Anthem previously withdrew from Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

      Virginia consumers who get their health insurance through the Obamacare marketplace will now only have one option in some counties.More than 200,000 Vi...

      The top five regrets according to home sellers

      A study shows what worked for sellers and what didn't

      With so many hoops to jump through during the process of selling your home, mistakes are bound to be made. But mistakes can be valuable if you learn from them and pass on your wisdom to others.

      To help future sellers avoid mistakes commonly made by first-time and repeat sellers, Zillow asked sellers to share what they would have done differently if they could start the selling process over.

      Sellers’ biggest regret? Not giving themselves more time to prepare their home for sale. Thirty-percent of sellers surveyed by the online real estate marketplace said they wished they had started preparing to sell their home earlier.

      Top five regrets

      In addition to lamenting a lack of prep time, sellers also wished they had taken more time to find a new home. Twenty-one percent of respondents said they would give themselves more time to find a new home if allowed to do the process over again.

      Rounding out the top five regrets were as follows:

      • Wishing they had moved into their new home faster (20 percent)
      • Wishing they had used an agent instead of selling their home on their own (19 percent)
      • Wishing they had chosen a different agent to sell their home (16 percent)

      Good outcome for most

      More than half of first-time sellers and repeat home sellers admitted to finding the home selling process challenging (54 percent overall). However, almost as many respondents had a positive experience.

      Nearly half of sellers (46 percent) said the process of putting their home on the market was both exciting and enjoyable. The majority of those polled said they were happy with the overall outcome of their sale.

      So what should you do if you are planning to sell your home? According to Zillow’s research, what worked best for sellers was planning ahead, using a trusted agent, making home updates, sharing quality images and videos, and not being afraid to regroup and try again if efforts to draw in potential buyers didn’t play out as well as hoped.

      With so many hoops to jump through during the process of selling your home, mistakes are bound to be made. But mistakes can be valuable if you learn from t...

      What if you aren't in the 70-mile-wide total eclipse zone?

      You might still experience a pretty amazing show

      By now you probably know about the total solar eclipse on August 21 and the crush of people expected to travel to the 70 mile wide strip crossing the U.S. from Portland, Ore., to Charleston, S.C.

      In that narrow band of land, people will be able to observe the complete blackout of the sun as the moon casts a giant shadow. But let's face it, even with hundreds of thousands of people crowding into this area, most of us will be outside the 70 mile wide path next week. What will we be able to see?

      Carlton “Tad” Pryor, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, says it will be pretty spectacular, even outside the 70 mile zone. But at its peak, the moon will only block out part of the sun. How much it blocks out will depend on how far you are from the 70 mile wide zone.

      In New Jersey, for example, pretty far north of the total blackout zone, the moon will block out between 70% to 80% of the sun.

      Always dramatic

      “A total solar eclipse is always very dramatic,” Pryor said. “The sky gets dark, animals and birds go quiet as if it’s nighttime and it’s a little bit cooler outside. The partial solar eclipse that will be visible in New Jersey is much more subtle, but will be noticeable if you know what to look for.”

      Unless you have ISO 12312-2 certified safety glasses or filters, you should never look directly at a partial eclipse. But Pryor says there are some "old school" ways to observe a partial eclipse without looking directly at it.

      If the sky is clear at the beginning of the eclipse, stand in a leafy tree’s shadow and look at the ground. Pryor says the smallest spots of sunlight will make little crescent shapes, showing the changing shape of the sun as the moon crosses in front.

      How to make an indirect viewer

      You can also make a small hole in a piece of cardboard, aiming the hole at the sun. Hold a white sheet of paper under the hole. The light coming through the hole will begin to change shape as the moon passes between the earth and the sun.

      What has sort of gotten lost in all the build-up to the eclipse is those of us on the ground will need a nearly cloudless day on August 21 to experience its full effects. If it's an overcast day, you won't be able to see the shadow move across the sun, though you will notice it start to get dark. The closer you are to the 70 mile wide zone, the darker it will get.

      No matter where you are, remember that homemade filters or sunglasses – even very dark ones – are not safe for looking directly at the sun.

      By now you probably know about the total solar eclipse on August 21 and the crush of people expected to travel to the 70 mile wide strip crossing the U.S....

      ALDI partners with Instacart to bring groceries to customers' doorsteps

      The move comes as Amazon readies itself to enter the market

      Popular grocery retailer ALDI is continuing to expand its operations. Back in June, the company tripled down on a previous investment by promising to devote an additional $3.6 billion towards expanding 2,500 of its stores across the U.S. by 2022.

      Now, the company is moving into the online space in a challenge to Amazon. The Financial Times reports that ALDI is partnering with Instacart, a same-day grocery delivery service, to deliver its products to consumers’ doorsteps. Officials say that customers will soon be able to order ALDI groceries online and have them delivered in as little as one hour.

      Reuters reports that the company will launch the pilot program at the end of the month in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Dallas, with further expansion to come later.

      “Grocery shopping online is a relatively small part of the business but it is continuing to grow,” said ALDI Vice President of Corporate Buying Scott Patton in a statement.

      A turbulent market

      The new partnership comes at a turbulent time for the U.S. grocery market. Back in June, online retailing giant Amazon announced that it would be acquiring grocery chain Whole Foods for $14 billion. Experts have warned that the deal will upset many supermarkets and grocers across the country, who will have a hard time remaining competitive.

      But Instacart spokesperson Dacyl Armendariz says that his company’s service may act as a balancing force. Last month, he pointed out that recent deals with grocers like Wegmans, Publix, and Ahold Delhaize were “more important than ever given Amazon just declared war on every supermarket and corner store in America.”

      Recent reports from the Food Marketing Institute and market research firm Nielsen predict that online grocery spending will grow rapidly in the coming years, from 4.3% of current U.S. food and beverage sales to as high as 20% by 2025. Still, many question whether investing in online deliveries is the right move for U.S. markets.

      “The US isn’t structurally set up for online [groceries] in many ways, because everyone has a car outside of downtown Manhattan or big cities,” said Bryan Roberts, a director at TCC Global Retailer, which consults large U.S. grocers. “It’s cheap to drive, why would you bother with home delivery when it’s so easy to just go to the supermarket?”

      Consumers who have recently become enamored by shopping online may have an answer to that question, but only time will show if shopping for groceries will become as popular as shopping for other products.

      Popular grocery retailer ALDI is continuing to expand its operations. Back in June, the company tripled down on a previous investment by promising to devot...