You might care for your money more than anyone else, but you have to give it the utmost level of concern and protection, writes Chuck Jaffe..
Video: How to fine-tune your TV settings for the Super Bowl (or anything else) When watching the Big Game—or anything else on your TV, for that matter—you’ll want to optimize the TV’s settings: fix the color, contrast, brightness, and so on, to make your picture as realistic as possible. With today’s televisions, that can be [...]
Tired of plain vanilla holdings? You can try spicing things up if you can handle the risk.
Inspired by a personal experience, a businessman became an unlikely sleuth into the practices of the mortgage industry, including Fannie Mae — and his findings have been prescient.
Underperforming money managers are losing their most reliable scapegoat. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the nation’s professional stock-pickers — who manage billions for pension funds, endowments and wealthy families — have said stocks were too stuck-together to build smart, market-beating portfolios.
Honda’s thoughtful redesign of the best-selling CR-V has produced a solid, well-made crossover at a reasonable price, says Ron Amadon.
Protect yourself, your car and your wallet when considering auto insurance needs.
Investors thinking about Facebook should consider a mathematical riddle that shows how growth stocks can get overvalued so easily.
Mandatory-arbitration clauses are bad news for consumers who would otherwise take a company to court over a dispute. They’re also a disturbing sign of growing corporate power.
The weekly highlights cover a broad range from Amazon to Facebook and from politics to payrolls.
Manufacturer recalls Bumbleride Indie and Indie Twin strollers The manufacturer of two strollers, the Bumbleride Indie and Bumbleride Indie Twin, and product safety officials announced a voluntary recall on Friday to address a problem with the front wheel that could cause the strollers to tip. It also issued a “consumer alert” about a multi-use bar [...]
A retiree qualified for lower car insurance premiums, but found that out only after a chance piece of mail prodded him to call his insurer.
The European Union is bracing for another potential energy crisis in the dead of winter as Russian gas supplies to some member states have suddenly dwindled by up to 30 percent.
New reports document how the consumer electronics giant’s reliance on Asian suppliers — particularly those in China — has had devastating effects on factory workers there.
New York Attorney General sues banks over electronic mortgage registration The New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, has brought suit against several big banks accusing them of deceit and fraud in how they used a mortgage electronic registration system, or MERS. Schneiderman says the banks’ actions put homeowners at a disadvantage during the foreclosure process. [...]
The good news is that there aren’t a slew of tax-law changes to deal with this year. The bad news is that the changes taxpayers need to contend are not trivial. Read that story, plus find out how your Super Bowl bet will be taxed, all in this week’s Taxing Times.
More people are looking to move to Florida than move out of it, with many house hunters from locales such as New York and Chicago searching for properties in the Sunshine State, according to a new report from Trulia.com.
Sound byte: Motorola Droid Razr smart phones Motorola has been capitalizing on its Droid line of smart phones powered by the Google Android mobile operating system. And the company’s latest two models, the Motorola Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx, promise some interesting features for subscribers on the Verizon Wireless network. As seen at 2012 [...]
A retiree qualified for lower car insurance premiums, but found that out only after a chance piece of mail prodded him to call his insurer.
Forget sifting through résumés from people you don’t know. Use LinkedIn, TalentVine and other sites to engage and cultivate talented workers.
(Reuters) – Even before President Barack Obama announced plans last month to push colleges to improve affordability, a number of schools beat him to the punch by lowering tuition and helping students…
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — The state of New York is suing Bank of America Corp. , Wells Fargo & Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. , claiming that they made fradulent use of an electronic mortgage database, according to published reports Friday. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the database, known as the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems [...]
Super Bowl XLVI video: Best TVs you can buy now for the Big Game The Super Bowl is just two days away, but you still might be considering buying a new TV for the Big Game. Consumer Reports TV expert Jim Willcox has a list of “can’t-miss” televisions to recommend, in every price range—from high-end [...]
CBS Films’ haunted-house tale “The Woman in Black” will likely creep to the top of the domestic box office with an expected opening gross of around $15 million.
A growing number of states are seeking shiny new currencies made of silver and gold.
Behind a blizzard of negative headlines about the developed world’s debt problems, emerging-market bonds in Asia and elsewhere are catching the eye of global investment managers looking not just for yield, but also for stability and sustainable growth.
One advantage exchange-traded funds have over traditional mutual funds is they can be traded throughout the day. That’s also a disadvantage for most investors, writes Conrad de Aenlle.
Questions of Money – from Consumer Reports Consumer Reports financial experts answer reader questions about collecting unemployment while working freelance, and how to prevent your ATM PIN from getting skimmed. From the January ’12 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser. Questions of Money – CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying [...]
Investors’ lust for dividend stocks is driving up prices and making a simple 3% return harder to find. So I’m replacing 3 picks in my Dividend Income Portfolio.
First look review: Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) on the Asus Transformer Prime tablet Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (or ICS), is the long-awaited version of Google’s Android operating system that’s designed for both smart phones and tablets, allowing software to be easily developed for both types of devices. The first tablet [...]
A new study by academic researchers indicates that people with lower credit scores tend to select immediate rewards instead of waiting for a larger reward later.
Just one day after President Obama detailed a proposal to enable millions of homeowners to refinance to record-low mortgage rates, those rates notched another record.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama Administration took aim at the nation’s retirement worries on Thursday with a series of rules and proposals addressing everything from 401(k) fees to mandatory…
Washer and dryer duos that were tops in our tests When washers and dryers were hidden in dimly lit basements, their appearance hardly seemed to matter. But now that they’ve moved upstairs, they’re curvy and stylish, chartreuse and plum, and available in matching washer and dryer pairs. Consumer Reports found some dynamic duos in its [...]
Sunday’s match-up between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI could draw a record TV audience. It already has enticed 7,500 to pay for entrance to the event’s media day this week.
Estimating how your retirement income will be taxed can be complicated and difficult, but it’s important to know what this expense will be and how you might reduce it.
Honda recalls 2011-12 Ridgeline pickup trucks for spare tire issues Å small number—just over 200—Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks are being recalled by America Honda Motor Co. According to the U.S. National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, those 2011 and 2012 model year pickups have incorrect information regarding their spare tires, which could lead to tire failure [...]
Loverbirds spend an average of $100 on gifts for their Valentine. Here’s a way to make sure your sweetie gets some tasty sweets without breaking the bank.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Depending on who you ask, Facebook is either the best company to go public since Google or the hallmark of another tech bubble.
They don’t get featured on the covers of car magazines or feted in Super Bowl commercials. At dealer lots, they get parked in the back while newer, glitzier models are showcased in the showroom. They won’t get you many oohs and ahs from the car pool kids, or a thumbs-up from other drivers. Face it [...]
Under a new regulation, sponsors of retirement plans will be required this year to disclose details about plan features, investment options and fees to participants, beneficiaries and even workers who are eligible to participate in a plan but don’t. Here’s how to figure it out.
Pentax K-01 SLR-like camera: Is high design worth $900? SLR-like—a.k.a. mirrorless advanced—cameras have been one of the few areas of the camera market that’s seen growth this past year. In keeping with this trend, Pentax is introducing its second such model, the 16-megapixel K-01, $900 with a 40mm non-zoom kit lens or $750 (body only). [...]
Loverbirds spend an average of $100 on gifts for their Valentine. Here’s a way to make sure your sweetie gets some tasty sweets without breaking the bank.
Protect yourself from tax headaches by hiring a reputable tax preparer who fits your needs.
The U.S. job market stumbled out of the gates in 2012 — at least according to one report.
Interest rates aren’t budging anytime soon. That means it’s time to rethink your financial strategy.
There’s a huge pit of private and public borrowing we have to work our way out of to really get the developed world’s economy moving again. And budget-cutting won’t do the job.
Storytelling seems hardwired into human behavior, and more physicians are leveraging it to try to improve patient care or even change health-care policy.
An eBook-Reader Update – from Consumer Reports Amazon and Barnes & Noble are going head-to-head with touch-screen eBook Readers. Here’s how they compare. From the February ’12 issue of Consumer Reports. An eBook Reader Update – CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update [...]
Hot peppers for weight loss? I love spicy food. Whether it’s Carribbean, southwestern U.S. or southeastern Asian cuisine, turn up the heat and you get my attention. So when I see headlines connecting heat with weight loss, my curiosity gets piqued. A recent review in the research journal Chemical Senses looked at studies designed to [...]
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Depending on who you ask, Facebook is either the best company to go public since Google or the hallmark of another tech bubble.
The breakup of a marriage can result in financial complications, but there are ways to make sure your credit doesn’t suffer.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month For National Children’s Dental Health Month, the American Dental Association is marking the 10th anniversary of its Give Kids A Smile program, which offers free dental care and education for children in need. Approximately 80 percent of tooth decay in the U.S. is suffered by 25 percent of [...]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – We all know what we are supposed to say about day trading: It’s horrible, a scam, a vestige of the 1990s tech boom, and just for naive chumps.
Learn from two GOP candidates’ tax returns.
The White House on Wednesday begins to sketch in details of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union pledge to craft a plan with Congress to give homeowners a chance to refinance at historically low interest rates.
Prepaid phone card marketers to pay 2.32 million over false claims about total minutes Several marketers of prepaid calling cards will pay $2.32 million as part of a settlement to resolve charges that they made false claims about the number of minutes on prepaid cards they advertised to immigrant communities, the Federal Trade Commission said [...]
The best chocolates to melt your (sweet)heart If you’re shopping for a romantic box of chocolates to give as a Valentine’s Day gift this year, there’s good news. According to Consumer Reports latest test on chocolate gift boxes, you’ll find very good tasting treats at modest prices. Consumer Reports’ techie tasters describe the top chocolates [...]
In the real world, the weak economy has left far too many Americans fretting about getting their bills paid each month. But would you give up sex in exchange for having the bills paid?
Private-sector employment continues to improve at a moderate pace, as borne out by 24 straight months of job gains, according to a survey compiled from ADP payrolls data.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Facebook is expected to submit paperwork to regulators on Wednesday morning for a $5 billion initial public offering and has selected Morgan Stanley and four other bookrunners to…
A Jan. 31 story by MarketWatch misspelled Sheryl Sandberg’s first name. The story has been corrected.
Florida’s cities were some of the hardest hit by the housing bust, but now they are leading the charge back. Of Realtor.com’s top 10 turnaround towns, eight are in the Sunshine State.
The change in demand for banks loans by businesses has investment experts now saying that the long-term risk of deflation is minimal, but the short-term risk is not. Here’s how to invest accordingly.
Boxed Chocolates – from Consumer Reports Select ratings of boxed chocolates for Consumer Reports’ February ’12 issue can help you give that special someone the ultimate selection this Valentine’s Day. Boxed Chocolates – CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences
The rules governing America’s most popular retirement vehicle are about to change, and that could mean huge savings for millions of workers building nest eggs for the future.
StockScouter, MSN Money’s stock-picking tool, identifies companies capable of outperforming the broader market in the weeks ahead.
A reader wants to know why stores that pull credit scores when you apply for credit don’t tell you what the number is — and how the scores work in general.
Nationwide, college grads who are looking for work or who are underemployed are mounting a campaign to get student loan servicer Sallie Mae to stop charging fees to students who need to get their loan payments deferred — an option that costs federal loan borrowers nothing.
BBB to LG: Stop ad claims for Cinema 3D television and 3D glasses The National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau has recommended that LG Electronics halt advertising claims made for its 3D television and glasses in comparison to 3D offerings from Samsung and Sony. The advertising claims were brought to the attention of [...]
A gauge of consumer confidence fell in January, partly reversing substantial gains in the prior two months, as views on current business conditions and employment declined, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.
Toy Fair 2012: Popar Toys brings augmented reality to paper books Popar Toys, a new line from tech company Digital Tech Frontier, is taking an innovative approach to meshing book-reading with technology: Instead of bringing books to the device, a la Amazon Kindle Keyboard and Barnes & Noble Nook, it’s using devices to enhance the [...]
Home prices posted a steep, month-over-month drop in November, falling 1.3%, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city report. Prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities the index covers.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dan Shea and his wife, Jennifer, aren’t conservative investors – except when it comes to college savings. The Los Angeles couple’s daughter, April, is 13 and eyeing the Ivy…
Facebook is preparing to file paperwork as early as Wednesday for an initial public offering of stock, according to The Wall Street Journal. Its public debut will be the most anticipated tech IPO since Google went public in August 2004.
Daily electronics deals: Toshiba Wi-Fi Blu-ray player Today’s electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist: Newegg: Toshiba WiFi Blu-Ray Player for $59.99 [w/ Coupon EMCYTZT1118] w/ Free Shipping BestBuy: Dynex 46-inch LCD 1080p HDTV for $379.99 w/ Free Shipping Newegg: Pioneer VSX-521 5.1ch 80W/ch 3D AV Receiver $134.99 Free Shipping all4cellular.com: Nokia BH-505 Bluetooth Wireless Headset [...]
The percentage of people who say you should cheat on your income taxes “as much as possible” hit 8 percent in 2011, double what it was in 2010.
Still waiting on 1099 forms to file your return? You can do your taxes without them.
(Reuters) – With Super Bowl XLVI less than a week away, armchair quarterbacks are flexing their biceps to throw hard-earned cash into the office pool. You will probably do what a lot of people do,…
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Data on consumer confidence for January are due for release at 10 a.m. from the Conference Board, a private research group. With improving employment figures, economists polled by MarketWatch expect a reading of 68 for January, up from 64.5 in December. Despite the expected gain, the gauge is expected to remain relatively [...]
If you lose your job in Florida, chances are you won’t find another one any time soon.
The Federal Reserve last week promised to keep interest rates near zero for 3 more years. You know that hurts savers, but how is it likely to affect your portfolio?
Stef Gray is spearheading an effort to get lender Sallie Mae to stop charging unemployed borrowers a fee to defer student loans — and her petition has more than 75,000 supporters.
Cutting the Cost of Flying – from Consumer Reports Locking in a low airfare these days is rather tricky. Here are some tips that can help you get a rock-bottom rate. From Consumer Reports’ February ’12 issue. Cutting the Cost of Flying – CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice [...]
Test complete video: 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 4Motion A latecomer to the small SUV market, Volkswagen introduced the Tiguan in 2009, after the segment pioneers were well into their third generation. Competing in a popular category that is seeing several key models redesigned, we bought an updated 2012 Tiguan SEL 4Motion to see how it [...]
(Reuters) – Breaking up Bank of America is one of the best value propositions in the world today.
The long, obtuse contracts we sign, user agreements we don’t read and other tiny type siphon about $2,000 a year from the typical household. What’s going on here?
With low prices for residential real estate, and even lower mortgage interest rates, it’s no wonder most people think this is a great time to buy a house. But at the same time, the prospect that interest rates will remain low and that home prices might have even further to fall has many people also [...]
CU calls for industry-wide reductions for salt in processed and restaurant foods Nearly 7,000 consumers joined Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, in a recent petition supporting regulatory efforts to set national, industry-wide targets to reduce sodium in processed and restaurant foods. In comments filed with the Food and Drug Administration, [...]
Frequent flier miles aren’t so enticing when they’re taxable. That may be the sentiment among Citibank customers who are receiving 1099 tax forms from the bank to report their frequent flier miles.
FDA halts OJ from Canada after fungicide test Shipments of orange juice from Canada have been stopped at the border after testing by the Food and Drug Administration found low levels of the fungicide carbendazim, which is banned in the U.S. and was previously found in orange juice product shipments from Brazil. Fungicides are chemical [...]
(Reuters) – Apple’s blowout quarter this week increased its cash holdings to almost $100 billion, a staggering hoard that casts a spotlight on what may prove a big catalyst for the U.S. equity market…
If your wage statement gets waylaid, here’s a substitute the IRS will accept.
Greece and the investors who bought its bonds have the beginnings of a deal that could avert a disastrous, long-feared Greek default on its debt. But don’t expect a celebration on Wall Street this week.
FORTUNE — Over the past few months, a spate of good news about the U.S. housing market has led some to think a recovery is finally on the horizon.
Men can learn a thing or two from women’s car-buying styles: Ask more questions, do more research, and forget gamesmanship.
Home Warranties – from Consumer Reports Home warranties typically let you repair or replace your home’s major appliances for one year due to normal wear and tear, giving you peace of mind. But are they worth the price? From Consumer Reports February ’12 issue. Home Warranties – CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for [...]