Current Events in January 2022

The price of oil is marching higher again, crossing $80 a barrel this week. Despite that, gasoline prices remain stable, though at an elevated level.

AAA’s daily survey of gas prices shows the national average price of regular gas is $3.30 a gallon, the same as last Friday. It’s three cents lower than a month ago. The average price of premium gas is $3.94 a gallon, a penny a gallon higher than last week. The price of diesel fuel is $3.59 a gallon, two cents more than a week ago.

Events outside U.S. borders are fueling the recent rise in oil prices. Social unrest and violence in Kazakhstan, a member of the OPEC+ alliance, have forced that nation to cut production. 

“Markets, in general, don’t like uncertainty and volatility, and the oil market is no exception,” said Andrew Gross, AAA’s spokesperson. “The oil production cuts by Kazakhstan demonstrate that in times of tight supply, it doesn’t take much to put upward pressure on the overall price of oil.”

Despite the stability in the national average gas price, motorists in some states saw significant price swings. The statewide average gasoline price rose six cents a gallon in Oregon. It was up by five cents this week in Washington and Alaska.

States with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to AAA:

• California ($4.65)   

• Hawaii ($4.34)  

• Washington ($3.95)  

• Oregon ($3.91)   

• Nevada ($3.81)   

• Alaska ($3.76)   

• Arizona ($3.59)      

• Idaho ($3.55)

• Pennsylvania ($3.52)

• Massachusetts ($3.49)    

States with the cheapest gas

AAA reports that these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Texas ($2.92)   

• Oklahoma ($2.93)   

• Arkansas ($2.93)  

• Mississippi ($2.94)

• Missouri ($2.96)  

•  Kentucky ($2.98)   

•  Kansas ($2.98)

• Alabama ($2.99) 

•  South Carolina ($3.01)

• Tennessee ($3.02)

Nissan North America is recalling 24,793 model year 2021 Rogues.

Abnormal wear inside the fuel pump may cause it to overheat and fail.

Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 26, 2022.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at (800) 867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21B8.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 57,591 model year 2018 F-150s with manual and power release tailgates.

The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while the vehicle is being driven.

An unexpected tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 31, 2022.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S53.

Chrysler is recalling 2,903 model year 2021 Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).

After reaching 13,342 miles, the odometer will no longer display vehicle mileage.

A missing odometer reading could lead to an unintended delay in critical safety-related maintenance, potentially impairing the safe operation of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) software on vehicles with less than 13,342 miles and replace it on vehicles in which the mileage is not displayed correctly free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 28, 2022.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y94.

Navient – one of the largest student loan lenders in the U.S. – has come to an agreement with 39 state attorneys general over allegations that it wrongly led borrowers into taking on predatory and high-cost loans. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Navient will cancel the remaining balance on an estimated $1.7 billion in student loan balances owed by more than 65,000 borrowers nationwide – predominantly at for-profit schools such as the Art Institute, Corinthian, and ITT Technical Institute. Another $95 million in restitution payments will be made to approximately 350,000 federal student loan borrowers who Navient placed in specific types of long-term forbearances.

What borrowers will receive out of the settlement

The settlement will shake out differently for borrowers depending on where they live. In Pennsylvania, 13,000 borrowers will receive $3.5 million in restitution payments and another 2,467 will receive $67 million in debt cancellation. In Connecticut, 1,339 borrowers will receive $19 million in direct private loan debt relief and another 4,875 borrowers will receive nearly $1.3 million in restitution. 

“This is a massive victory for borrowers, but there is still much work ahead to address the crushing financial burden of student loan debt,” said Connecticut Attorney General Tong. “Connecticut families owe billions of dollars in student loans, an insurmountable barrier for many looking to own their own home, start a family, or grow a business. I am committed to continuing to work alongside my fellow attorneys general, and with state and federal officials, to address this financial crisis and ensure affordable education access for all.”

By all indications, students who took out loans with Navient don’t need to lift a finger to get their portion of the settlement; borrowers should be notified of their loan cancellation directly from Navient by July 2022. Federal loan borrowers will reportedly be notified by a settlement administrator in the form of a postcard later this spring. 

The Department of Education suggests that anyone who has a federal student loan should update their contact information at studentaid.gov. Navient is offering a list of FAQs for borrowers who want more information.

Widespread dissatisfaction

Navient has received one-star reviews on over 70% of reviews submitted about the company at ConsumerAffairs in the last year. That figure underscores the dissatisfaction student loan borrowers have with the lender.

Linda, of Marlton, N.J., left a review about the company in November 2021. She said that after making on-time payments for more than 16 years via an automatic withdrawal from her bank, things curiously started to spiral out of control. 

“Shortly after that I received notification that my payment schedule for my loan had changed which reduced my payment but extended my loan by several years. I did not request this and did not want this. I re-enrolled in autoPay but am being charged a higher interest rate,” she wrote. 

“I have called several times and spoken to several people, always getting the runaround. I have requested to speak to a supervisor but have not been able to. I think this company is very shady.”

You can read more reviews about Navient by visiting the company’s page at ConsumerAffairs here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 63,232,336 (62,712,731)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 844,631 (843,590)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 317,485,959 (315,350,735)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,516,175 (5,510,252)‌

U.S. hospitals face COVID-19 crisis

In city after city and state after state, hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients. U.S. health officials say the number of pandemic-related hospitalizations is at an all-time high, pushing medical staff to the brink.

Some states have mobilized the national guard to provide some relief. The Biden administration is ready to deploy 1,000 U.S. military medical personnel at the hardest-hit health care facilities around the country.

"The sudden and steep rise in cases due to Omicron is resulting in unprecedented daily case counts, sickness, absenteeism, and strains on our health care system," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Americans are flocking to testing sites

Hospitals aren’t the only institutions that are being nearly overwhelmed by the coronavirus. Sites around the country that administer COVID-19 tests are also seeing long lines of people.

People who aren’t lining up at test centers are often going from drug store to drug store to look for an at-home test kit, which has been hard to find since the Omicron variant quickly spread across the nation.

"About every fourth person walking into the store is trying to find a kit," Asa Wooten, a Drug Emporium pharmacy technician in Lubbock, Texas, told Reuters. "Within the first hour of being open today I had 10 people come up here and ask me about kits, and we have people calling all the time."

Hemp may block COVID-19, researchers say

Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) report that chemicals in hemp may have the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells.

The scientists say they found that a pair of cannabinoid acids can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process that the virus uses to infect people. The findings were published in the Journal of Nature Products. 

“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” said Richard van Breemen, one of the researchers. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans.”

Around the nation

• Tennessee: The Tennessee Housing Development Agency has initiated a program aimed at helping those who have faced financial hardships due to the pandemic. Applicants could receive up to $40,000 to help pay for housing costs, including past-due mortgage payments.

• Minnesota: Gov. Tim Walz is proposing additional financial aid for Minnesota hospitals that are trying to cope with the latest COVID-19 surge. The governor has requested $40 million from the American Rescue Plan to be allocated to pay additional health care providers.

• Utah: Education officials have implemented a "Test to Stay" protocol that requires students to test negative before they can attend in-person classes. The protocols take effect when schools with 1,500 or more students have 2% of their students test positive for COVID-19.

• Illinois: State health officials report that 90% of the state’s intensive care unit (ICU) beds are filled, mostly with COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, Chicago nurses say they will hold a rally today to demand safe staffing and improved protection for nurses.

• Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has placed all 72 counties in the state in the “critically high” category for the spread of COVID-19. Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Washington are the only counties where case numbers have declined, but all three remain at critically high levels.

Since Christmas Eve, thousands of U.S. flights have been canceled due to bad weather and COVID-19 infections among airline personnel.

An analysis of recent airline reviews posted on ConsumerAffairs shows the extent of the problem and the rising level of frustration among travelers. Alexa, of Rockville, Md., reported a bad experience on American Airlines.

“They canceled my flight on Christmas with less than 10 hours' notice,” Alexa wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I ended up having to get a flight a day later and they said they would give me no compensation for the change in flight.”

Is Alexa entitled to a refund? Here’s what the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has to say about her situation:

“A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline canceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel.”

Delays sometimes result in refunds

When an airline cancels a flight, it will sometimes offer passengers vouchers for future travel, or in Alexa’s case, schedule them on a later flight. But if the passenger chooses not to travel, then the regulation is very clear – the passenger is entitled to a full refund. Similar rules are also in place for delays.

“Our flight going was delayed with the threat of canceling for 6 hours as if it was a routine event,” Lori, of Oak Park, Calif., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review of United. “No help at the gate to get on a different flight. The return flight was canceled at the last minute due to no crew.”

Lori would have had a strong case for a refund had she decided not to make her trip. Here’s what the DOT regulation has to say about delays:

“A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel.”

The DOT does not define what a “significant” delay is, but a delay of six hours would likely fall into that category. But again, when the passenger accepts whatever accommodation the airline offers and proceeds with the trip, they lose their right to a refund.

In this case, Alexa, Lori, and others who were traveling during the holidays to see friends and family were likely determined to complete the journey despite the obstacles. Making the choice not to travel is the only way to get a refund.

A turn of the calendar often brings New Year’s resolutions, and improving credit scores often carries a big payoff in consumers’ financial lives. After all, credit scores determine what interest rate you get on mortgages and car loans. It can also determine whether you get the job or apartment you want and what kind of credit card you carry in your wallet.

Knowing what impacts your credit score the most is useful information to have. Rod Griffin, senior director of consumer education and advocacy for Experian, says paying your bills on time and managing debt are two of the biggest factors credit agencies consider.

“The most important thing you can do to maintain or improve your credit scores is to pay your bills on time and keep your credit card balances low,” Griffin told ConsumerAffairs. “Your payment history and credit utilization rate are the two most important factors used to determine your credit score. Catching up on missed payments is the single most important thing you can do to improve your credit scores.”

Keep an eye on credit utilization

Michael, of Littleton, Colo., saw his FICO score drop 19 points after he accepted a credit card solicitation from Chase Bank. In hindsight, he should have considered a card with a higher debt limit.

“My credit limit on that particular card was $1200,” Michael wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Several months later, I decided to use the Chase Bankcard for an online purchase of $359.”

That’s when Michael saw his score drop. It likely had something to do with the fact that the single purchase utilized 30% of his available credit on that particular card.

“Credit card debt impacts your credit utilization rate, which can have a significant effect on your credit score,” Griffin said. “Carrying high credit card balances raises your credit utilization rate, which will bring down your credit scores. On the flip side, keeping your credit card balances low reduces your credit utilization rate, which is a good thing and will have a positive impact on credit scores.”

Pay off the balance every month

Some people who use a credit card for all their monthly purchases make multiple payments each month in order to keep the balance low. Griffin said that really isn’t necessary if you pay off the entire balance when the bill arrives.

“The balance on the billing statement is typically the balance shown in your credit history,” Griffin said. “Paying prior to the end of the billing cycle may reduce the amount shown on the billing statement and that is reported in your credit history. That may reduce your overall utilization rate. Generally, paying the balance in full each month will ensure the best outcome for credit scores.”

In 2018, Experian launched a program called Experian Boost. Participating consumers can get credit for timely payments for bills on cell phones, utilities, and video streaming services – payments that are not typically reported to credit agencies. But for anyone trying to improve their credit standing in 2022, Griffin says consistency is the key factor when it comes to paying bills on time and keeping your balances low. 

We have further proof that nearly anything can be hacked. A teenager boasted this week that he had hacked 25 Tesla cars around the world and gained remote access without their owners ever knowing.

David Columbo, the 19-year-old self-proclaimed IT security specialist and hacker, announced his gambit via a Twitter thread Monday and Tuesday. He said he’s keeping mum on how he pulled off his coup until he reports the vulnerability to the non-profit Mitre, a federally funded research and development non-profit that tackles safety and stability challenges. However, Columbo did say it was due to errors on the owners’ part, not a security flaw in Tesla’s software.

Tesla’s security team told Columbo they’re looking into the situation.

The ripple effect

With his newfound power, Columbo said he could do everything from identifying the exact location of each car to disabling the vehicle’s security system, opening its doors and windows, and even playing music and YouTube videos. The only thing Columbo couldn’t apparently do was remotely drive the cars, but by knowing where the cars were located, he could theoretically steal them if he wanted to. 

Columbo’s escapade may have only directly affected 25 Tesla vehicles, but the ripple effect was actually much larger – especially for those vehicles' owners. “So, I now have full remote control of over 20 Teslas in 10 countries and there seems to be no way to find the owners and report it to them,” Columbo said.

The next ripple came from TezLab, an app that gives Tesla owners “quick controls, stats and everything charging.” The app maker reported that as the hack’s effect spread, it saw the simultaneous expiration of up to a million Tesla authentication tokens. TezLab members were told that they would need to sign in again to re-establish the connection to their vehicles. 

“We apologize for any inconvenience,” the company tweeted – a comment that Columbo mimicked in his own response.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge explored different ways of engaging young kids to help them learn and develop. According to their findings, guided learning activities can be just as beneficial to kids’ growth and education as traditional classroom instruction. 

“It’s only recently that researchers have started to conceptualize learning through play as something that exists on a spectrum,” said researcher Dr. Elizabeth Byrne. “At one end you have free play, where children decide what to do with minimal adult involvement; at the other is traditional, direct instruction, where an adult tells a child what to do and controls the learning activity. 

“Guided play falls somewhere in between,” she said. “It describes playful activities which are scaffolded around a learning goal, but allow children to try things out for themselves. If children are given the freedom to explore, but with some gentle guidance, it can be very good for their education – perhaps in some cases better than direct instruction.” 

Guiding children can help them learn

The researchers analyzed nearly 40 studies conducted between 1977 and 2020 to understand how different teaching methods can impact children’s ability to learn. They calculated the positive and negative effects that guided play had versus direct instruction in several key areas: literacy, math, socioemotional skills, and executive functions. 

The researchers learned that guided play was an effective method for engaging children and helping them learn, though some areas showed greater improvements with this method than others. For example, the study showed that guided play helped children adopt the cognitive skills necessary to switch between tasks, while it also strengthened their ability to learn shapes and general math skills. 

“Children often struggle with mathematical concepts because they are abstract,” Dr. Byrne said. “They become easier to understand if you are actually using them in an imaginary game or playful context. One reason play matters may be because it supports mental visualization.” 

While guided play was particularly strong in some areas of learning, the researchers found that it wasn’t harmful to children’s learning in any of the other content areas. The team says this means guided play can be equally as effective as direct, face-to-face instruction.

“The argument is sometimes made that play, while beneficial, adds little to children’s education,” said researcher Paul Ramchandani. “In fact, although there are still some big questions about how we should use guided play in classrooms, there is promising evidence that it actively enhances learning and development.” 

The researchers hope more work is done in this area to better understand the cognitive and academic benefits associated with guided play and the ways that it can enrich children’s education. 

“It’s likely that playful activities have the sort of positive impact we saw in our analysis partly because they are acting on other skills and processes which underpin learning,” said researcher Dr. Christine O’Farrelly. “If we can understand more about how guided play shapes learning in this way, we will be able to identify more precisely how it could be used to make a really meaningful difference in schools.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia Health System explored how taking blood pressure medication may cause health problems. According to their findings, some of these medications can cause kidney damage to consumers if they are taken long-term.

“Our studies show that renin-producing cells are responsible for the damage,” said researcher Dr. Maria Luisa Sequeira Lopez. “We are now focusing on understanding how these cells, which are so important to defend us from drops in blood pressure and maintain our well-being, undergo such transformation and induce kidney damage. What is needed is to identify what substances these cells make that lead to uncontrolled vessel growth.” 

Understanding the risks of high blood pressure

To better understand why blood pressure medication has a negative effect on kidney function, the researchers conducted a study on both mice and humans that explored the ways these drugs affected artery and blood vessel health in the kidneys. 

The team identified renin cells as the major culprit behind many of the kidney health risks. When the body is functioning properly, these cells create a hormone that regulates blood pressure levels. However, when consumers are taking medication to regulate their blood pressure, it creates a buildup of these cells that can prevent healthy blood flow to the kidneys. 

The researchers explained that these findings may sound the alarm bells for many consumers. However, the team urges consumers who are taking blood pressure medications to continue doing so because they are an important way for those with hypertension to maintain their heart health. The team hopes more work continues to be done to understand why these medications interact so poorly with the kidneys. 

“It would be important to conduct prospective, randomized controlled studies to determine the extent of functional and tissue damage in patients taking medications for blood pressure control,” said researcher Dr. Ariel Gomez. “It is imperative to find out what molecules these cells make so that we can counteract them to prevent the damage while the hypertension is treated with the current drugs available today.” 

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 139 of the following vehicles with gasoline engines:

• Model year 2019 AMG G63s, C300s, E300s, G550s, AMG GT63s & AMG GT53s,
• Model year 2019-2020 A220s, GLA250s & GLC300s, and
• Model year 2016 C300s, 2020 AMG A35s, AMG C43s, AMG C63, CLA250s, E350s, E450s, GLB250s, GLE450s, GLS450s, GLS580s, S560s & SL550s.

Particles may have been trapped between the fuel rail and injectors during the manufacturing process, which can cause a fuel leak.

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, such as a hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

What to do

Dealers will replace the fuel rail and fuel injectors free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on February 8, 2022.

Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at (800) 367-6372.

Woody’s Pet Food Deli of Minneapolis, Minn., is recalling Raw Cornish Hen pet food “With Supplements” sticker.

The product may be contaminated with salmonella.

A list of the products, sold in the company’s retail stores in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Woodbury, Minnesota, may be found here.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should discontinue using it and return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the firm's stores Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. (CST) at (612) 208-0335 (Minneapolis), (651) 493-7269 (St Paul), and (651) 340-8678 (Woodbury).

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 2,679 model year 2017-2019 Ioniq electric vehicles.

An unstable electrical ground may cause the vehicle to enter a fail-safe mode with reduced acceleration and power. In certain conditions while in fail-safe mode, the vehicle may accelerate after the gas pedal is released.

Unexpected acceleration following gas pedal release can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the Electric Power Control Unit software and repair the ground wiring free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on February 4, 2022.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 215.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 62,712,731 (61,652,393)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 843,590 (839,936)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 315,350,735 (310,981,515)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,510,252 (5,498,118)‌

Pandemic sends inflation to highest level since 1982

Since the COVID-19 pandemic tangled supply chains, created shortages, and pumped trillions of relief dollars into the economy, inflation has soared. The Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in December hit its highest level since 1982, rising 7% from December 2020.

The only good news for consumers is that the pace of rising prices appears to be slowing. Consumer prices rose 0.5% from November, which was a smaller increase than from October to November.

Economists say shortages of manufactured goods, including food products, are driving prices higher. However, they also note that consumers aren’t hesitating to pay higher prices for the things they want.

Airlines struggle to stay aloft in latest COVID-19 wave

United Airlines reports that about 3,000 U.S. employees – or approximately 4% of its workforce – have tested positive for COVID-19, making it difficult to assemble flight crews. The airline canceled 149 flights on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, U.S. airlines have canceled around 30,000 flights since late December. While sick employees caused most of the cancellations, bad weather also played a role.

"I expect January is going to be a tough month for not just air travel but the entire country," Brett Snyder, president of Cranky Concierge travel assistance and a former airline employee, told KABC-TV in Los Angeles. "Even if the cases are mostly mild, especially for the vaccinated, that still requires people to stay away from work for a period of time, and that will disrupt flights if enough crewmembers get sick at any given time."

FDA chief predicts everyone will get COVID-19

If you have not yet been infected with COVID-19, you probably will be at some point. That’s the conclusion of Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At a Senate hearing this week, Woodcock said the Omicron variant is spreading so quickly that it will eventually infect just about everyone in the U.S. “I think it’s hard to process what’s actually happening right now, which is most people are going to get [COVID-19],” she said.

The unofficial tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows 1.4 million new cases on Monday alone. That doesn’t count the people who test positive on rapid tests taken at home and are not always reported to local health departments. 

Around the nation

• West Virginia: Gov. Jim Justice’s office has announced that the governor has tested positive for COVID-19. Justice, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, is said to be feeling “extremely unwell” and is isolating at home.

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy has reinstated a Public Health Emergency in the state, effective immediately, to help officials curb the spread of the virus. “COVID-19 remains a significant threat to our State and we must commit every resource available to beating back the wave caused by the Omicron variant,” Murphy said.

• Iowa: Two school districts in the state have backtracked from previous vaccine mandates. The Ankeny school board and the Pella school board have both voted not to require employees to follow the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

• California: Many patients who scheduled minor surgeries have had those operations canceled due to hospital staff shortages. With COVID-19 cases at record highs in the state, the California Department of Public Health is deciding whether to issue an order to hospitals statewide to suspend elective surgeries in cases that would not negatively threaten a patients’ health.

• Vermont: Gov. Phil Scott has announced that Vermont will be a test market for the federal government's plan to distribute free COVID-19 test kits. Under the pilot program, the state and its partners will ship up to 250,000 test kits to consumers. The program will assess how well online ordering and delivery works.

The Honda Civic, newly redesigned for the 2022 model year, has been named North American Car of the Year by automotive journalists.

"The Honda Civic has long set the standard by which other compact cars are measured and this all-new Civic raised that bar in every conceivable way," said Michael Kistemaker, assistant vice president of Honda national sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The car of the year award, given annually, recognizes excellence in innovation, design, safety features, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, and value. Launched in 1994, the annual vehicle competition is judged by 50 professional automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada who work for independent magazines, television, radio, newspapers, and industry websites. 

Some complaints about the air conditioner

The Honda Civic is popular with consumers, placing in the top three in terms of U.S. sales, along with the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra. However, some Civic owners posting reviews on ConsumerAffairs have reported problems with the vehicle’s air conditioner.

Julio, of Whittier, Calif., tells us he had problems with the Civic he purchased in 2016.     

“After 40k miles a/c start fail(ing) and blow hot air only,” Julio wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “Try to fix myself because warranty expires, went to a/c shop but they told me a/c condenser maybe or compressor, about $2500 out of my pocket!”

Kenny, of San Francisco, reports that both the condenser and compressor failed in his 2018 Civic with 13,000 miles. 

“Honda acknowledges faulty part with their A/C condenser that could cause refrigerant to leak but failed to take responsibility of the compressor,” Kenny wrote in his post. “The leak could cause other A/C components to fail such as the compressor, clutch, and coil.”

A top seller in 2021

Despite several complaints involving the air conditioner, the Honda Civic is still fairly popular with ConsumerAffairs reviewers. On a 5-star system, it earns an overall rating of 4.0.

The 2022 Civic has been redesigned from the wheels up. The company says the Honda Civic Sedan, Hatchback, and Si models feature a more rigid body structure, an advanced chassis, and interior upgrades.

The drivetrain options include a high-torque turbo engine and a six-speed manual transmission. New safety features include several driver-assistive and connected-car technologies.

Bank of America and Wells Fargo are the latest banks to reduce their fee structures. Announcing significant changes to its overdraft services, Bank of America said it plans to eliminate non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees beginning in February.

At the same time, the bank said it would reduce overdraft fees from $35 to $10 beginning in May. The company will also eliminate the transfer fee associated with its Balance Connect for overdraft protection service. The bank estimates that it will reduce revenue from overdraft fees by 97% from 2009.

"Over the last decade, we have made significant changes to our overdraft services and solutions, reducing clients' reliance on overdraft, and providing resources to help clients manage their deposit accounts and overall finances responsibly," said Holly O'Neill, president of Retail Banking, Bank of America. 

Wells Fargo said it plans to limit overdraft-related fees and give customers more flexible options to meet their personal financial needs. The changes include earlier access to direct deposits, a 24-hour grace period before incurring any overdraft fees, the elimination of several fees, and a new, short-term loan. 

“Core to Wells Fargo’s evolution is making sure we stay focused on our customers, first and foremost,” said Mary Mack, CEO of Wells Fargo Consumer and Small Business Banking. “The enhancements we’re announcing add to changes we’ve made previously and give our customers more choice and flexibility in meeting their needs.”

Customers may welcome the news

Kristine, of Gardnerville, Nev., is one Bank of America customer who will likely be happy to hear the news. She told us her husband deposited a check in their Bank of America account on Dec. 30 and was hit with a fee for doing so.

“My online Bank of America account stated funds from this deposited check would not be available for withdrawal until January 5, 2022, but would cover any items posting December 30th and beyond,” Kristine wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “No problem, I have had this happen in the past where I wasn’t able to withdraw funds but any pending or electronic items were covered. The next day, I get an email stating I was charged two $35 nonsufficient fund fees, and my house payment was returned, along with a $500 credit card payment!”

The Bank of America policy change taking effect in February would have eliminated the two fees. Also in February, Bank of America will make it impossible for customers to overdraw their accounts at ATMs.

Capital One scraps overdraft fee

Bank of America and Wells Fargo are not the first major national banks to eliminate some fees. In early December, Capital One announced that it was eliminating overdraft fees on all of its financial products.

Bank customers’ complaints about overdraft fees led to changes in banking regulations more than a decade ago. When customers overdrew their accounts, banks honored the purchase but assessed a $30 fee for each transaction.

Under current rules, customers must “opt in” for overdraft protection. Otherwise, a debit card transaction with insufficient funds is denied and there is no fee involved. As part of its change, Capital One is providing free overdraft protection with no fee.

Following up on the good news that the White House has extended suspension of student loan repayments until May 1, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is offering borrowers some help in figuring out exactly what’s available and how to take advantage of it.

In reviewing the agencies guidance, ConsumerAffairs found these tips:

Use government resources: The FTC says consumers should avoid companies that make repayment a hassle and use government resources that are currently available. “The program is already in place and there’s nothing you need to do to enroll,” said Ari Lazarus, a Consumer Education Specialist at the FTC. “Anyone who tells you they can help you sign up for this program for a fee is a scammer.”

Make sure your loan is eligible: Unfortunately, payment relief options do not cover all types of student loans. The program gives temporary payment relief to borrowers with qualifying “federal” student loans, but the word “federal” can be misleading. For example, older Family Federal Education Loan (FFEL) program loans don’t qualify, nor do Perkins Loans that are owned by the school someone attended. 

The FTC advises consumers to check if their loan is eligible by contacting their federal loan servicer online or by phone. It might be helpful to check out ConsumerAffairs’ list of student loan lenders to find out what the best method of contacting them is.

“If your federal loans are covered, the U.S. Department of Education has automatically placed your loans into what’s called ‘administrative forbearance.’” Lazarus said. “That means you can stop making payments on those loans right away, up through May 1, 2022. If your payments automatically come out of your bank account, check if any payments have been processed since March 13, 2020. If they have, you may be able to get a refund as part of administrative forbearance.”

Lazarus says student loan holders can make sure they’ve got all lenders covered by taking a look at their credit reports, which are available for free every week through April 20, 2022. “Read through it and find your student loans, taking note of the companies that are your lenders or loan servicers,” he said. 

To help, StudentAid.org offers a complete list of federal loan servicers. Consumers can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) by phone at 1-800-433-3243.

Take advantage of good interest rates. To encourage borrowers to proactively pay back their student loans, the FTC’s program is offering a nice 0% interest rate through May 1st. To find out if someone is on an income-based repayment program and/or forgiveness program, all they need to do is check out Federal Student Aid's Coronavirus page to see which option makes the most sense.

Don’t cave in to collectors. The Department of Education is giving loan holders who are in default a little breathing room by forcing collection agencies to stand down during the extension. That means no collection calls, no letters, and no billing statements through May 1, 2022. According to the extension, borrowers can receive a refund if their student loans are in default and their employer has garnished their wages.

Check your options for loan forgiveness. The Biden administration has also added public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) or Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) as additional options for consumers. There are several provisions, but consumers can learn more about all of their forgiveness options by checking out this government resource.