Current Events in September 2022

While the prices of homes have made purchasing harder, and rent prices are also on the rise, the housing market seems to be a lose-lose situation for many consumers. 

To help ease the burden for renters, and improve their credit long-term, Fannie Mae has created a new program – the Multifamily Positive Rent Payment Reporting program. Under the program, owners of multifamily homes have the opportunity to record on-time rent payments through third-party vendors, which can in turn help bolster their renters’ credit scores. 

The program was designed to help renters who may be trying to buy their own homes or who are just trying to build up their credit. Previously, paying rent on time was never calculated in consumers’ credit scores. Now, keeping up with their rent payments will help them build a stronger financial standing for themselves. 

“Around 20% of the U.S. population has little to no established credit history, a group in which Black and Latino/Hispanic people are disproportionately represented,” said Michele Evans, executive vice president and head of Multifamily at Fannie Mae. “Of the consumers who do have a credit score, a disproportionate number of Black consumers have a subprime credit score.

“These imbalances reinforce racial disparities in access to credit and quality affordable housing among renters and homeowners. The absence of sufficient credit history reduces a renter’s ability to access housing in higher-opportunity neighborhoods, obtain a mortgage, and attain lower-cost credit, such as auto loans and education financing. By enabling easier and more expansive adoption of positive rent payment reporting, we can knock down this longstanding barrier to building credit and help more consumers begin to establish a strong financial and credit foundation.”   

Benefits for renters and landlords

Participating in Fannie Mae’s new rent payment reporting program provides benefits for both landlords and renters. For starters, by knowing that rent payments can positively impact credit, many renters may be more motivated to be timely with their monthly payments; it’s a win-win for renters and landlords. 

Other benefits for renters are:

• Improving the likelihood of getting qualified for a mortgage
• Access to better credit for car loans, mall business loans, or education loans
• The ability to create credit profiles
• The ability to secure housing in better areas
• Land a lower security deposit in the future. 

Additionally, should renters be late with their payments, they won’t have to worry about their credit scores taking a hit – the program will automatically cancel enrollment if renters are late with their payment. The program will also be optional – renters won’t be required to be involved in it. 

For landlords, being involved in the program comes at no cost. It can help attract more serious renters and ultimately help improve their renters’ credit long-term. 

“Launching this pilot program is the latest step on Fannie Mae’s journey to make the housing system work better for everyone,” said Evans. “By accelerating the adoption of positive rent reporting across the multifamily industry, we will help ensure renter households get the credit they deserve for paying on time each month.” 

Amid a court challenge to his plan to forgive some student loan debt, President Biden has tweaked his proposal, reducing the number of borrowers who will qualify.

In August Biden announced the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would forgive $10,000 in federal student loans. 

Included in that group of borrowers were those who held Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), issued by private banks but guaranteed by the U.S. government. 

Under current terms, those loans cannot be consolidated. But when the loan forgiveness program was announced, the Department of Education said FFEL borrowers could consolidate their loans and qualify for debt relief.

Altered guidance

Now the administration has changed its guidance. In a statement on the ED website, officials said: “As of Sept. 29, 2022, borrowers with federal student loans not held by ED cannot obtain one-time debt relief by consolidating those loans into Direct Loans."

"Our goal is to provide relief to as many eligible borrowers as quickly and easily as possible, and this will allow us to achieve that goal while we continue to explore additional legally available options to provide relief to borrowers with privately owned FFEL loans," a spokesman for the Education Department told Reuters.

The move coincides with lawsuits filed in several states that challenge the legality of the president’s loan forgiveness program. The suits specifically challenge the provision that allows FFEL borrowers to consolidate their loans into federal Direct Loans, which are eligible for the program.

As of the last official count, about 4 million student loan borrowers hold FFEL loans. Of those, the administration estimates the change will affect about 770,000 people.

After a nice rally at mid-week, the stock market headed sharply lower again Thursday, weighed down by negative economic growth and growing pessimism about the long-term outlook. The market is ending September lower than where it began the month.

The main catalyst for the most recent selloff was the final second-quarter reading on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), showing the U.S. economy is technically in a recession. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that real GDP decreased at an annual rate of 0.6% in the second quarter of 2022, following a decrease of 1.6% in the first quarter. 

“Private goods-producing industries decreased 10.4%, private services-producing industries increased 2%, and government decreased 0.2%,” BEA said in a release. “Overall, nine of 22 industry groups contributed to the second-quarter decline in real GDP.”

A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth and while many believed the economy was already in a recession, the official designation appeared to spook investors, who sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average back into bear market territory.

With Thursday’s selloff, the Dow is back 20% below its January high. Some of the other major averages are already there. The S&P 500 has lost about 24% of its value so far this year.

Stanley Druckenmiller’s warning

Comments from legendary investor Stanley Druckenmiller added to investors’ heartburn. At CNBC’s Delivering Alpha conference Wednesday, Druckenmiller pulled no punches, saying the Federal Reserve’s aggressive increases in interest rates guarantee a “hard landing” for the economy next year.

“I will be stunned if we don’t have a recession in ’23,” Druckenmiller said. “I don’t know the timing but certainly by the end of ’23. I will not be surprised if it’s not larger than the so-called average garden variety,” adding that he doesn’t rule out “something really bad.”

Druckenmiller stunned many at the conference and those watching on TV when he said it’s possible the major stock average will show little to no growth over the next decade.

Even some good economic news put a negative spin on stocks. The government reports initial claims for unemployment benefits fell last week.

Ordinarily, that would be seen as a positive but in this case, the Fed wants to see unemployment rise, which it believes will reduce inflation.

The interpretation on Wall Street is a continued strong labor market means the Fed will continue to raise interest rates.

Other factors sending stocks lower

Adding to the pessimism were comments from two top Fed officials, who made clear that policymakers plan to keep raising interest rates.

The final nail in the market's coffin was Bank of America's downgrade of market darling Apple, sending that stock sharply lower.

For investors, a single week or month is not enough data to make investment decisions. Research and sound advice from a qualified and objective financial adviser can lead to the right money decisions.

Wake up and smell the scams, America! Text messages have settled in as the #1 choice among scammers.

According to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tracking, the agency could receive an estimated 336,000 reports of text message scams, costing people an estimated $272 million, at an average loss of $1,000 each by the end of 2022.

One of the reasons why scammers are turning to texts is because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has forced mobile carriers to get better at thwarting voice robocalls. Now, those same carriers are having to retool to block scammers who have turned to texts to do their dirty work.

Vote for me and I'll set you free

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, an AT&T spokesperson suggested that things might get worse before it gets better, but they said that AT&T’s on the case.

One of the reasons why the problem with robotexts is likely to get worse is that election season is entering its win-at-all-cost phase. Clayton LiaBraaten, Truecaller's senior executive advisor told ConsumerAffairs that, historically, call/text spam volume increases three to five fold in the leadup to major elections.

"While some political calls/texts are legitimate campaign activity, considerable sketchy and bogus fundraising efforts try to surf the political hype and heist donations from consumers," Truecaller's rep said.

How to turn in a possible scammer

Fortunately, the release of Apple’s latest iOS 16 and the current Android operating system are making it easier for the consumer to report suspected scam texts and help AT&T and others circle the wagons on the scammers.

For anyone using the Apple and Google messaging apps, AT&T shared the steps necessary to report scammy texters. Here’s how to do it:

iPhone

1. Open the text conversation you want to report

2. Click “Report Junk” in blue text and a pop-up should appear at the bottom of the screen.

3. Select “Delete and Report Junk” in red text

In certain cases, if you don’t see “Report Junk,” you can forward the message to 7726. “7726” will work on any carrier, too – AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, et al.

Android/Google devices

Option A:

1. Touch and hold the conversation you want to report, marking it with a check

2. Select Options (three dots on the upper right of screen)

3. Choose “Block” and then “OK”

4. Android phone showing steps to report spam

Option B:

1. With a message open, select Options

2. Choose “Details”

3. Then “Block & report spam” and “OK”

If neither of those methods works, you can still get the carrier the message it needs by forwarding the text to 7726. You can also forward the unwanted text message to the carrier by sending it to 7726.

“Reporting the texts in these ways automatically shares all the necessary information with our team, including the originating number and message content. Once you report the text, we can act,” AT&T said.

The company added that the moment it receives the reported message, it goes straight to the AT&T ActiveArmor security team. 

If AT&T determines it to be a scam or illegal message, it says it can take appropriate actions to help protect users and other consumers, including one or more of the following:

• Block similar message content and block the number sending it.

• Take down malicious websites, email accounts, and other resources used by the bad guys.

• Share the information with other carriers and industry-wide security partners so they can also take action, protecting many more consumers.

• It all puts pressure on the bad guy and helps stop future scams.

In researching other carriers, ConsumerAffairs found that T-Mobile and Verizon both suggest similar methods, but it would be wise to speak directly to those carriers to confirm that. You can also search “7726 +[name of carrier]” which might provide a specific carrier’s method.

Prefer to let an app do the trick?

If doing a little hoop-jumping isn't your thing, you can always go the app route to fend off robotexters and scammers.

One solution is what Truecaller calls Smart SMS, available in its Android and iOS versions of the Truecaller app. Smart SMS is powered by machine learning models that adapt based on the feedback users give it.

"Smart SMS helps you stay on top of important SMS while being protected from spam and fraud," a Truecaller rep said. "Essential information within SMS is highlighted and all SMS messages are categorized and easily accessible."

By giving feedback, users help improve the machine learning models as it collects the data people send it. For example, if a user says a message is “not spam,” the model learns that and ensures similar messages do not end up as spam for that person in the future.

Car thefts are surging and, like many unpleasant things, it’s being blamed on the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) traces the surge in car thefts, carjackings, and stolen catalytic converters to events occurring in the last two years. It shows that in the first half of 2022, nearly a half million vehicles were reported stolen. The total losses were about $4.5 billion.

Compared to the first half of 2019, a year before the pandemic changed life overnight, auto thefts were up 25%. The report predicts that 100,000 more vehicles will have been stolen by the end of 2022 in comparison to pre-pandemic totals.

Crime, Inc.

"There is very little deterrent to stopping these criminals because vehicle thefts are property crimes," said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. "Since the start of the pandemic, used car prices have increased 35% to 40%. Criminals are exploiting these high prices as vehicle and catalytic converter thefts are crimes of opportunity. And crime is a business, and business is good."

Catalytic converter thefts have risen because the rare earth metals contained in the devices bring a premium on the black market. Russia is one of the two main sources of these metals and since the Russia-Ukraine war began exports of these metals have been almost nonexistent.

Pandemic-related supply chain issues created a shortage of new cars, driving up the price of used cars and trucks. Your vehicle, regardless of its age and condition, may be worth more today than it was two years ago, and car thieves know it.

Cities where car thefts are most likely

According to NICB, the U.S. is seeing the highest vehicle theft numbers since 2008, and the organization admits there is almost no hope for a downward trend in these numbers anytime soon. Some cities were hit harder than others in the first half of 2022.

Denver posted a 155% increase in car thefts while Philadelphia reported a 106% increase. Austin’s car thefts were up 64% over the first half of 2019. Glawe blames a decline in enforcement activity.

"To stop this lawlessness, we must focus our attention on these criminals and take back our streets," he said. "We must re-invest in our law enforcement."

In the meantime, NICB says vehicle owners will have to step up their vigilance to protect their car or truck. In addition to always locking the vehicle, always park in well-lit areas. 

Consider installing motion sensor security lights. While lights may not provide complete security, they may make some thieves think twice and look for an easier target.

Some Regions Bank customers will get refunds after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found the bank had imposed “surprise” overdraft fees after telling consumers they actually had sufficient funds at the time of the transactions.

According to the CFPB, the fees were imposed on customers making ATM and debit transactions from August 2018 through July 2021. The bank was ordered to pay $50 million into the CFPB’s victims' relief fund and to refund at least $141 million to customers.

“Regions Bank raked in tens of millions of dollars in surprise overdraft fees every year, even after its own staff warned that the bank’s practices were illegal,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.

“Too often, large financial firms make a calculation that continuing to break the law is more profitable than following it. We have more work to do to change this mentality.”

Regions Bank has 1,700 brick-and-mortar branches and 2,000 ATMs in 16 states, mostly in the Southeast and Midwest. 

Financial regulators have repeatedly warned banks about charging overdraft fees in these types of cases. The regulator claims top executives at the bank knew about the practice and could have ended it years ago.

Crackdown on ‘junk’ fees

The CFPB order came in the same week that the Biden administration declared war on so-called junk fees -- hidden cancellation charges and convenience fees that are sometimes added to some goods and services.

“Unnecessary hidden fees, known in the parlance as ‘junk fees,’ are hitting families at a time when they can’t afford it,” Biden said in remarks at a meeting of the White House Competition Council. “It hits middle- and working-class families especially hard.”

Biden says federal regulators will investigate companies that tack on these fees without making them transparent, such as termination fees some cellphone carriers charge customers who are changing providers. Biden expects the Council to come back with a plan to reduce or eliminate the fees.

This week the U.S. Department of Transportation said it would require airlines to disclose upfront if they charge a rebooking fee for canceled flights.

“You know, it could have cost you up to $200 to have to rebook a flight, and that’s $200 you can pay your monthly bills or your electric bill or whatever for it with,” Biden said. 

Sam’s Club recently announced that it would be raising its membership prices. The membership club owned by Walmart hiked basic memberships from $45 to $50 per year and top-tier memberships from $100 to $110 per year. 

However, in recent news from rival club Costco, the company announced that membership fees won’t go up right now. Currently, consumers can get an annual basic membership at Costco for $60 and an annual higher-tier membership for $120. 

Richard Galanti, Costco’s Chief Financial Officer, recently announced that the company’s fourth-quarter sales were higher than expected. This in turn translates into members’ annual fees staying put for a while longer. 

Galanti said that while the company typically raises membership fees every five and a half years, with the last increase coming in 2017, there’s no rush to do so right now. During a time of inflation when not many things are going down or even maintaining the same price, the news is certainly positive for consumers.

However, consumers shouldn’t expect to get too comfortable with the current prices. Galanti explained that prices are likely to go up again – but the timeline of the increase remains unknown for now. 

“In terms of membership fees and a possible increase, there are no specific plans regarding a fee increase at this time,” Galanti said in an earnings call. “We’re pleased with our growth in both top-line sales and membership households over the last several quarters and in member loyalty as reflected in increasing member renewal rates. We’ll let you know when something is about to happen.” 

Saving money with membership clubs

A recent report from ConsumerAffairs showed that buying in bulk at membership clubs tends to be worth the annual fee. With groceries and gas costing consumers more than usual, going to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s can be an affordable way to stock up on the necessities – and fill up your tank. 

The report found that something as basic as toilet paper can cost nearly 5.5% more per roll at smaller retailers compared to buying larger quantities at a membership club.

While shoppers with lower incomes tend to not be able to afford to buy in bulk, there are savings to be found when doing so – especially when looking at the costs of these items in smaller grocery or convenience stores. 

After nearly two years of remote work, companies are beginning to require employees to return to the office. Scammers have begun targeting those who long to keep working from home.

Allstate Identity Protection’s Identity Fraud in Focus quarterly report found that 17% of adults have either seen job postings or were actually contacted about remote jobs that just didn’t pass the smell test. A survey of 2,200 American adults also found that workers between the ages of 18 and 34 were the most targeted.

Scammers almost always look for new opportunities. With surveys showing many employees would rather keep working from home than resume the daily commute, bad actors are busy making up dream jobs that can be done from home. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has counted nearly 21,600 fake business and job opportunities in just the second quarter of 2022. The estimated losses reached $86 million.

Red flags

So how can you identify one of these fake job offers?

“A fraudster may pretend to be from a reputable company and set up a phony interview over instant message,” says Doug Kaplan, senior vice president of operations at Allstate Identity Protection. “A job seeker can be offered a position on the spot and asked to pay for work-related supplies upfront. Once a victim sends the money, it’s gone forever.”

In that scenario, there are three distinct red flags:

• Legitimate businesses don’t conduct job interviews by instant message

• Legitimate businesses almost never hire someone on the spot without considering other candidates

• Legitimate businesses don’t ask new employees to pay for work-related supplies before they even start

Identity theft

Fake job posting scams are also fertile ground for identity theft. It’s not unusual for a new employer to gather some personal information on new employees, including their Social Security number.

A fake employer can use a victim’s personal data to apply for a credit card or take out a loan. A victim might not know their identity has been stolen until the past due notices start rolling in.

Criminals can also use stolen personal information to file for disability benefits in the scam victim’s name. Allstate says cases of disability fraud were up 85% year-over-year in the second quarter.

When it comes to the economy, consumers have learned to distrust the phrase “But it’s different this time." However, when it comes to the housing market, many real estate professionals say the current market is unlike anything they’ve seen.

After a record runup in median home prices in 2020 and 2021, a surge in mortgage rates early this year has slammed the brakes on home sales, which is beginning to have an impact on prices.

Prices haven't backed down that much from their record highs but the rate of increase has moved into reverse. In its latest report this week, property data firm CoreLogic found the median U.S. home price posted a 0.3% decline from June to July. 

The 10-City and 20-City Composites, which measure prices in the nation’s top housing markets, both posted decreases of 0.8%. In July, only seven cities reported increases before and after seasonal adjustments.

Before potential home buyers start popping the champagne corks, consider this: Prices may have stopped going up but they are still very high compared to where they were at the beginning of the pandemic.

And the increase in the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage interest rate from about 2.8% 12 months ago to today’s 6.7% rate has severely eroded affordability. However, there are beginning to be signs that if buyers are patient and willing to wait while the market corrects, there could be opportunities in the future.

64,000 canceled contracts

Real estate broker Redfin reports that nationwide, around 64,000 home-purchase agreements fell through in August, equal to 15.2% of homes that went under contract that month. That’s up from 12.1% a year earlier and is comparable with July’s revised rate of 15.5%.

That suggests the combination of high prices and high mortgage rates has caused buyers to have second thoughts. As these homes go back on the market, along with new inventory, prices could soften even more.

The Redfin report shows homebuyers were most likely to back out of deals in Sun Belt cities that surged in sales and price during the pandemic. The Phoenix, Tampa, and Las Vegas markets were among those seeing the highest numbers of canceled deals. 

“House hunters today are taking their time and exploring their options, whereas six months ago, they had to act quickly and pull out every stop to compete because homes were selling almost immediately,” said Tzahi Arbeli, a Redfin real estate agent in Las Vegas.

“Homebuyers now will agree to buy a house and be doing the inspection, and then back out because they found another home they love more.”

Interest rates are another story

But with the good news on prices comes the bad news on interest rates. Mortgage rates are still going up, not backing off from their recent highs. According to Fortune, the average mortgage rate is quickly closing in on 7%.

On a historical basis, 7% is not all that high. In the 1990s, when you could buy a nice house for $150,000, 7% was not a deal-breaker. However, when the house costs $400,000 or more, it’s a different story.

How long will buyers have to wait for lower mortgage rates? Maybe fewer than 12 months.

A recent report from Fannie Mae predicts mortgage rates will average 4.5% in 2023. In fact, the report suggests qualified buyers may be able to snag a 4.7% mortgage rate in the first quarter of next year.

A new report finds residential rent is falling – but not all rent is falling.

If you just rented a single-family home, chances are that rent is higher than it was just a few months ago. But if you are renting an apartment, you might have caught a break.

A new report from property data firm CoStar Group found apartment asking rents fell 0.1% in August from the month before. It might not sound like much but it was the first monthly decline in rent since December 2020.

While the slight decline may be heartening for consumers currently priced out of the home purchase market, it doesn’t come close to offsetting the rapid increase in average rents over the last year.

A report from Realtor.com shows people who rent spent 26.4% of their monthly budget in August putting a roof over their heads. Among the 50 largest U.S. metros, coastal areas topped August's list of least affordable rental markets, with rents accounting for the highest shares of household incomes in Miami at 46.5%, Los Angeles at 40.7%, and San Diego, with a 37.1% bite out of the household budget.

"Our analysis underscores the very real rental affordability challenges that many Americans face today,” said Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Rents are significantly higher than in previous years and are taking up a substantial portion of incomes, which are growing at a slower pace than inflation." 

Single-family home rents rising, but more slowly

Renting a single-family home remains more expensive than moving into an apartment. CoreLogic, a property data firm, reports single-family rent growth was up by 12.6% in July year over year, even though the gains continued to slow from the historic high recorded in April. 

Miami’s 30.6% annual price gain was again the largest in July but is down from the 40.8% year-over-year growth recorded in March 2022. Single-family rents also cooled in red hot Phoenix, but the metro posted a 12.2% annual gain in July, the last month for which data are available.

Even so, Hale says there are some bright spots for renters. Based on the general rule of thumb that you should keep housing costs to under 30% of your paycheck, renters were able to follow best practice in the majority of large metros in August. 

“Plus, as rent growth continued to cool, national rents didn't hit a new record-high for the first time in nine months,” she said. “If these trends and typical seasonal cooling persist, renters may be better able to keep housing costs to a relatively manageable portion of their budgets in the months ahead."

Scammers may have been particularly busy last week. Reports from around the U.S. show these criminals continue to come up with new schemes while resurrecting some of the older ones.

A scammer in Dayton, Ohio has dusted off a telephone scam in which he impersonates a local police officer. The target is told they ignored a federal grand jury subpoena and face arrest – unless they make a payment over the phone.

There are many things about this encounter that scream “scam,” but when people are threatened, fear often clouds their judgment. 

Another scam involving a police officer showed up in Richmond, Va., last week. But instead of using fear, the scammer tugged at heartstrings.

After Richmond Police officer Seara Burton died from being shot during a traffic stop, a fundraising campaign to help her family was launched. All of that is true and has been widely reported in local media.

Of course, no good deed goes unpunished. A police spokesman said many local residents have reported getting telephone calls, asking them to donate to a fake fundraising campaign for the Burton family.

“At this time we encourage anybody who wishes to donate to check and make sure it is a legitimate fundraising event or account,” the Richmond Police Department said on social media.

In situations like this, people should question just about any telephone solicitation for a charity because it is either a little shady or an outright scam. A proper response is to either hang up or tell the caller you will find the charity and donate directly.

Selling a $15 document for $106

In Knoxville, Tenn., another old scam is getting a makeover. Scammers are contacting homeowners telling them they need an obscure document issued by the state government. 

The document is real but officials say most homeowners would never need it. It costs $15 from the Secretary of State’s office. The scammer charges $106.

Remember when two people claimed the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot during the summer? It was big news everywhere.

Now scammers are contacting people around the country with the promise they will share in the riches. According to a Springfield, Mo., TV station, people are getting texts reading “We are the Gilbert Arizona couple, Tammy and Cliff Webster that won the Powerball Lottery Jackpot. We are donating $100,000 to fifty people.”

The targets are told they are one of those 50 lucky people, but guess what? You’ll have to provide a photocopy of your driver’s license and Social Security card. People who provide those two forms of ID wind up having their identities stolen.

Even the attorney general nearly bit

Finally, scammers in Oregon are targeting people with a bank scam, one where a text that's purportedly from the target’s bank is sent, asking if they recently made a large purchase at Walmart.

Last week the scammers sent the text to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who admits she almost fell for it. She went public with her story with the Capital Chronicle.

“You feel embarrassed, like, how could I not recognize the signs of a scam?” she said in an interview with the newspaper. “And here I am, I actually teach people about how to avoid getting scammed. And initially, it didn’t even cross my mind.”

That’s because scammers are really good at what they do. To protect yourself, know the tell-tale signs that are present in nearly every scam, especially the ones that demand immediate action. If a scammer can get a target caught up in a need-it-now frenzy, it's the scammer who wins.

Of all the things you can cook chicken with, would you believe people are actually trying NyQuil?

Trying that concoction automatically qualifies to most as foolish, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there are people who have bought into a TikTok challenge where NyQuil or another similar over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medication is cooked up as "Sleepy Chicken." 

“The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing — and it is. But it could also be very unsafe. Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,” the agency said. 

“Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the medication’s vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body. It could also hurt your lungs. Put simply: Someone could take a dangerously high amount of the cough and cold medicine without even realizing it.”

Stop right there

When ConsumerAffairs searched TikTok for the  Nyquil and chicken challenge, it was evident that there had been some activity. When we typed in “NyQuil chicken,” we were immediately met with a stop-right-there warning from TikTok in an effort to stop us from making a bad move with a host of reasons and a suggestion that we take a good hard look at the platform’s “online challenges” warnings.

Still, people are skirting around TikTok’s caution signs by misspelling the challenge as things like “pollo nightquill” and “cooking chicken in nightquil.”

While pharmacies can act as a gatekeeper on some medications to try and protect people from purchasing certain OTC products they might misuse as, say, a hallucinogenic, the FDA suggests it’s an uphill battle. And NyQuil’s not the first OTC medication included in a TikTok challenge.

The agency said an earlier challenge urged people to take large doses of the allergy medicine diphenhydramine -- sold OTC in many products, including some under the brand name Benadryl -- to try to induce hallucinations.

“Social media trends and peer pressure can be a dangerous combination to your children and their friends, especially when involving misusing medicines. Nonprescription, also called over-the-counter or OTC, drugs are readily available in many homes, making these challenges even riskier. OTC drugs can pose significant risks if they’re misused or abused,” the agency said.

Time for a family meeting?

The FDA advises parents to keep both OTC and prescription drugs away from children to prevent accidental overdoses, but they should also have a heart-to-heart talk with their kids and discuss the harm ingredients that are in some of these medications can cause.

“Sit down with your children and discuss the dangers of misusing drugs and how social media trends can lead to real, sometimes irreversible, damage. Remind your children that overdoses can occur with OTC drugs as well as with prescription drugs,”  the agency suggests.

It said it will answer any question a parent has about a medication, including an OTC drug, too. All it takes is an email to druginfo@fda.hhs.gov, or a phone call to 1-855-543-DRUG (3784) and 301-796-3400.

TikTok adds its own warning

TikTok is proactive about the situation, too, advising anyone who might think a challenge sounds cool or exciting to do these four things:

STOP: Pause a moment.

THINK: Is it safe? Is it harmful? Is it real? If you’re unsure, check with an adult or friends, or look for more information from authoritative sources online.

DECIDE: If it’s risky or harmful, or you’re not sure if it is, don’t do it. It’s not worth putting yourself or others at risk.

ACT: Report harmful challenges or hoaxes in-app. Don’t share them.

Even though having a frank parent-to-teenager discussion can be difficult, TikTok went on record to emphasize the importance. 

“Although it may seem daunting, having conversations with teens about online challenges is really important. Most teens have seen online challenges and many have taken part, so telling them all challenges are dangerous won’t ring true,” TikTok wrote.

“Instead, let them know you get they may be curious about online challenges and you’re open to talking, listening, and learning with them.”

Once upon a time flying used to be fun and kind of glamorous, but the pandemic and the airlines' struggle for profitability sucked the life out of the experience. Even though COVID-19 seems like a fading vapor trail, air traveler satisfaction with North American airports can’t seem to get airborne again.

According to the J.D. Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, overall satisfaction with airports is down 25 points this year as travelers encounter fewer flights, more crowded terminals, and skimpy food and beverage offerings.

“The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage, and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water has created a scenario in which airports are extremely crowded and passengers are increasingly frustrated, and it is likely to continue through 2023,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. 

“In some ways, this is a return to normal as larger crowds at airports tend to make travelers more frazzled, but in cases where parking lots are over capacity, gates are standing room only and restaurants and bars are not even open to offer some reprieve, it is clear that increased capacity in airports can’t come soon enough.”

$27.85 for a beer?

The J.D. Power survey takers were the least happy with the inflationary prices they’ve encountered at airports. Nearly one-fourth (24%) of travelers say they did not make any food or beverage purchases at the airport because they were ridiculously expensive and, yes, $27.85 for a beer is a real thing. Food and drink prices at airports are up from 20% in 2021 and 23% in 2019, a far cry from what a traveler would term as reasonable.

Another major moan is that many airports don’t have enough parking spaces. The analysts said that issue is one of the prime reasons traveler satisfaction faltered this year. Satisfaction with surface parking lots declined 45 points from 2021, with 14% of travelers saying parking was more expensive than they expected, up from 12% in 2021 and 11% in 2019.

MSP is best 

Among the “mega” airports, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) ranks highest in passenger satisfaction with a score of 800. San Francisco International Airport (796) ranks second while Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (791) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (791) each rank third in a tie.

For the next size tier – “large” airports – the title goes to Tampa International Airport with a score of 846, followed by John Wayne Airport, Orange County (826), and Dallas Love Field (825).

Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest among medium-size airports with a score of 842. Pittsburgh International Airport (839) ranks second while Jacksonville International Airport and its Sunshine State neighbor, the Southwest Florida International Airport serving the Ft. Myers and southwest Florida areas (826), are tied for third place.

Calmer winds coming

Will things get better? Scott Keyes of ScottsCheapFlights says yes. He told ConsumerAffairs that as airlines get their post-COVID act together, airport chaos is calming down.

“This summer was the wild west of air travel. Mass amounts of cancellations and delays, lines that snaked out of the airport, and thousands of lost bags made air travel fraught with complications and annoyances,” he said.

“Thankfully, as the summer travel rush comes to an end, so has the worst of the chaos. For example, the flight cancellation rate over Memorial Day weekend was 2.2% while over the Labor Day holiday weekend it was just 0.6%.”

Keyes said that anyone traveling over the next month or so should still give themselves a little extra time at the airport, in addition to booking longer layovers, and traveling lighter or taking precautions to avoid a lost bag. Still, one’s chances of encountering major delays are less as fewer people are traveling.