Dec 29, 2013

Return Policies: THREE MAJOR CHAINS SHORTEN RETURN WINDOWS; BUT HOLIDAY GRACE PERIODS BLUNT THE EFFECT ON SHOPPERS

Consumer World

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article about my weekly videos

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Most Researched New and Used Cars for 2013 | Most Popular Cars

 Consumer Reports

Should you register that new product? Product-registration cards—and the info you put on them—aren't always needed for warranty coverage

Consumer Reports

New 'card cracking' scam gets students' debit card numbers and PIN

 Plain Dealing | cleveland.com

A Little-Known Credit Card Perk That Can Save You Big

Credit.com Blog

The IRS and Affordable Care Act are linked: Boycott Obamacare, and the penalty will be deducted from your tax refund

| Bankrate

Use Those Gift Cards Now

Consumer Reports

There’s only one full-time, long-term J.D.-required law job available for every two law school graduates

 Bankrate

1/3 Of Online Retailers Failed To Deliver Last-Minute Christmas Purchases On Time

 Consumerist

Until you decide on a career, consider a lower-cost university and limit the amount of student loans you secure

 Bankrate

When you swipe a debit card, you could be putting your entire bank account at risk

 Bankrate

Computer Monitors and Eye Fatigue | Best Computer Monitor Features

Consumer Reports

Dec 15, 2013

Fine arts photographers and skilled amateurs capture Rock River eagles

Cash-back rewards aren’t free money if you’re carrying a balance

 Bankrate.com

Great Holiday Gifts for $10 or Less

Bankrate.com

Thinking about buying an extended warranty? Read this first 

 TODAY.com

Dirty little secret of the House-approved budget: It includes a tax hike

 Bankrate, Inc.

The agent selling your house probably isn’t getting as big a cut of the deal as you may think

 Bankrate.com

3 ways to make your bathroom shine

Consumer Reports News

BBB Tips To Avoid Four Holiday Scams

 BBB News Center

Giving in to the initial flood of excitement around receiving an inheritance could be dangerous.

Bankrate.com

How Does A $1,000 Loan Blow Up Into $40,000 Of Debt?

Consumerist

An extra 20% off a purchase to open a store card sounds like a good deal, right? Many Americans think so

 Bankrate, Inc.

Big Meat & Big Pharma Pleased As Punch With FDA’s Pointless New Antibiotic Guidelines

Consumerist

Top 5 Teen-Diving Safety Tips

 Bankrate.com

Google Pulls Privacy Feature it Says Wasn't Supposed to Be in Android

 AllThingsD

5 life changes that could save older drivers money on car insurance

 Bankrate.com

College education, race and dual-income households are top factors in a poor person’s upward economic mobility

Twitter

What To Do If Your Health Marketplace Application Gets Stuck

 Consumer Reports News

Dec 2, 2013

Do you have a three day right to cancel? Consumer myths (Thanks to WMTV for letting me use this vintage video)

Best Used Car Deals | All-Wheel-Drive Cars and SUVs

Consumer Reports

Pricey washer produces lackluster laundry Fisher & Paykel washer is energy efficient but falls short on cleaning

Consumer Reports

How to Save on Car Rentals

 Consumer Reports

AA Batteries that shine

 Consumer Reports

Holiday sales are great, but post-holiday sales are better. Can you wait?

 Bankrate, Inc.

Who made Consumer Reports' 'Naughty & Nice' list? 

 TODAY.com'

New meat labels show born, raised, slaughtered locales

 ksl.com

1 in 5 Americans say their main concern is to pay down debt -- including credit cards and student loans

 Bankrate.com

Q&A: Will I really come out ahead financially if I pay extra toward my mortgage principal?

Bankrate.com

Unhappy with a product/service from a business? File a BBB complaint

BBB Online

Grandma and Grandpa would rather just give you cash. People older than 65 are the least likely to give gift cards

 Bankrate.com

A New Worm Proves the Internet of Things Is Vulnerable to Attack

 AllThingsD

Millions of Fake Twitter Accounts Manipulate Trends, Popularity

WSJ.com

Nov 3, 2013

Rotary Gardens dim beautifully before Holiday Light Show

Why Do People Spend Unpaid Hours Reviewing Everything On Amazon?

 Consumerist

Online Shopping Dangers to Avoid

 Consumer Reports

Porn Troll Lawyers Hit With Legal Fees For Bullying Defendant

 Consumerist

Hang up the phone, Microsoft is NOT calling you! Computer scammers are out in full force.

 CapeCodOnline.com

Washer and Dryer Reviews | Features that Count

 Consumer Reports

Undiagnosed High Blood Pressure

 Consumer Reports

Make data on wireless network performance during an emergency available to consumers. A proposed FCC rule would help you make an informed choice on a carrier

Consumer Reports

Thin, light, and blazing fast, the iPad Air is a big step forward. If you've been thinking of upgrading or buying your first iPad, now is the time

 Consumer Reports

CNN advises early retirees: Don't fear losing your health insurance. But what do you think?

CNNMoney 

'Smart' shelves to spy on grocery store customers

 Press-Republican

Allegation: Magicjack: Good idea but many complain of bad service

ConsumerAffairs

Oct 28, 2013

Oct 20, 2013

Turkey trot to fall colors

Facebook Advertisers Rubbing Hands With Glee Now That Teens Can Post Publicly

Consumerist

Retailers Slowly Moving Away From Mag-stripe Credit Cards for: better security against counterfeting

| Bankrate.com

Mechanically tenderized beef needs a label The meat industry opposes a proposed labeling rule, but the safety risk outweighs producers' concerns

 Consumer Reports

Walmart promises a blockbuster Black Friday What does that mean for consumers?

 Consumer Reports News

Safe Riding Tips | Motorcycle Police

 Consumer Reports News

JCPenney Joins Macy’s In Opening At 8 P.M. On Thanksgiving Day

 Consumerist

5 Low-scoring Japanese Cars | Car Reviews

Consumer Reports News

Replacing Employer Coverage With a Marketplace Health Plan

 Consumer Reports News

How to Review Your Medicare Advantage Choices

 Consumer Reports News

Black Friday Predictions

Dealnews

Kellogg's False Ad Settlement

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Food poisoning: What you need to know

 CNN.com

Study Links Phishing Vulnerabilities to Personality Traits

 CIO.com'

Oct 13, 2013

Use of antibiotics on healthy animals must stop Superbugs present a public health crisis, as evidenced by the recent salmonella outbreak

Consumer Reports

Strange beauty of puffballs, mushrooms, and tree fungus

5 Obamacare Scams And How To Avoid Them

Forbes
'via Blog this'

You can say goodbye to annoying automated robocalls

TODAY.com

Why Did My Free Gift Card Cost $10?

 Consumerist

Watch and Save on Streaming Subscriptions

Savings Experiment - DailyFinance

Plug-in Hybrid Trucks

Consumer Reports

5 Things You're Overspending On

US News and World Report

Jury Says Toyota Wasn’t To Blame In Wrongful-Death Lawsuit

Consumerist

Furloughed? Protect your assets

 Bankrate, Inc.

Top 5 Most-American Cars

 Consumer Reports

California Sues For-Profit College Operator For Lying To Students & Investors

Consumerist

Can I Cancel Contract With Listing Agent?

 Bankrate.com

Oct 5, 2013

Why Is The USDA Hiding Its Safety & Recall Information?

 Consumerist

Janesville's underworld

How To Avoid 21 Car Dealer Scams

Business Insider

How to Enable a Hidden Commercial-Skipping Button on Any DVR

Lifehacker

5 Ways To Save From Health Insurance Reform

 Bankrate.com

Why Some Employers Seek Out Older Workers

Bankrate.com

Health Law Helper – Affordable Care Act Interactive Tool

 Consumer Reports

Best Products to Buy in October

Consumer Reports

2014 Toyota Corolla misses the mark in tough crash test

Consumer Reports

The Instagram Accounts Offering Student Loan Forgiveness Are Fake

BuzzFeed

Quick Kitchen Projects | Affordable Remodeling Ideas

Consumer Reports

Robocallers Impersonate Teachers On Caller ID, Scare Parents

 Consumerist

FCC’s new rules on telemarketing calls take full effect in October

 Lexology

Time for Medicare Open Enrollment

Kiplinger

Sep 27, 2013

Save like Dave Ramsey...just don't invest like him

CNNMoney


Fire breathing balloon over Janesville

15% In U.S. Don’t Use The Internet

Consumerist

Americans Say They'd Keep a PC Instead of a TV - Magid Survey

 AllThingsD

Don’t waste a windfall: Even a small inheritance can make up for years of saving too little

 MainStreet

How to Handle Questions About Your Income

Financial Etiquette

Best Glucose Meters

 Consumer Reports

Best Small Vacuums for Families

Consumer Reports News

Toyota Avalon needs more than a tire swap for a smooth ride. Redesigned large sedan gives up comfortable ride to gain sporty character

Consumer Reports News

Wondering about this Obamacare question? 'I'm retired. What do I need to do?' Not much, just watch for scams

CNNMoney'

Fifteen Years In, Google Revamps Its Search Algorithm

 AllThingsD

Retirement Planning Versus College Savings

 Bankrate.com

IIHS New Crash Avoidance Test | Forward Collision Warning Ratings

Consumer Reports News

Sep 20, 2013

Judge Jails TV Pitchman Kevin Trudeau So He’ll Cooperate In Fraudulent Infomercial Case

 Consumerist

Liking Lichens around the Rock River

The truth about Angie’s List, Yelp, and more

 Consumer Reports

Public Investigator - Wisconsin firm named in Medicare card scam lawsuit

Public Investigator

Gold's worst days are coming

Term Sheet

2015 Volkswagen eGolf | Electric Cars

Consumer Reports News

Nikon 1 AW1 | Waterproof SLR-like Camera

Consumer Reports

New Law Would Modernize Nutrition Labels, Clarify Terms Like “Healthy” & “Natural”

 Consumerist

Best Paint Colors for Kitchens | Interior Paint Reviews

Consumer Reports News

More Americans feel graduates unprepared after college

CNNMoney

Chase To Pay $389 Million Over Illegal Charges For Credit-Monitoring Services

 Consumerist

FTC Sends Refund Checks to Consumers Who Bought Walgreens' 'Wal-Born' Dietary Supplements

FTC 

Thinking about buying supplements to avoid colds? Read about FTC's recent response to some product claims

Consumer Information

Aug 30, 2013

Famous Rock River Poet of Black Hawk Island

Close ups of beautiful swallows and slow motion shots of them landing on the water

Allegation: "Product Dilution: Cheerios Decreases Vitamin Content"

Mouse Print

FTC Returns Additional $950,000 to Consumer Victims in DVD Vending Scam

FTC
Although you don't hear about them a lot, vending machine scams are common. I did stories about them when I was a Consumer TV reporter in Dallas and Green Bay.
Also be careful about companies that offer services to promote your invention. Most of the consumers I know that have dealt with these companies have lost thousands of dollars.

Before you start your own business, read this

FTC 


Please Don’t Press Any Buttons When You Get A Scammy Robocall

 Consumerist

FTC gets cooperation with Nigerian Consumer Protection and Criminal Enforcement Authorities

FTC 

Scammers still using MGE (power company) as bait

 Madisondotcom

The Psychological Perks of Paying off Debt

 Fox Business

Employers play Obamacare blame game for cutting benefits

CNNMoney

6 Costs College Students Can Probably Skip Before Heading To School

Consumerist

Losing sleep worrying about paying for your kids' college? Focus on funding your own retirement instead

 Bankrate.com

Who doesn't have to pay federal income taxes? 43% of Americans

CNNMoney

Boomers and Gen-Xers: Two different takes on retirement

Consumer Affairs

How to pick a health insurance plan

Consumer Reports

Johnson & Johnson Reveals New Acetaminophen Warning Labels On Bottles Of Tylenol

Consumerist

'Scareware' case settled

 FTC

How To Avoid The Latest Consumer Scams

 Forbes

Aug 24, 2013

Birds stuffing themselves with mulberries

Why I choose to not work - I'm happy being home

 CNNMoney

Google Nexus | Tablet Problems - Consumer Reports News

 Consumer Reports News

Man Texts While Driving, Crashes Into Tractor Transporting Manure

Consumerist

Driving With Kids | 5 Ways to Save Your Child’s Life

Consumer Reports News:


Bonding With Older Grandkids May Prevent Depression

 AARP

Consumer Reports Tests Fancy Cooling Towels: They Don’t Work

 Consumerist

Do you need a powerful desktop?

Consumer Reports News

Got a timeshare for sale? How to get it sold (without getting scammed)

 CNNMoney


August Is A Great Time To Buy A Snowblower

 Consumerist'

Attempt to intimidate reporter

 ABC 15 Taking Action

“USDA Tender” – A Cooperative Effort with the U.S. Beef Industry

USDA Blog 

WSJ's Wireless Savings Calculator

 WSJ.com

Jul 20, 2013

Rhapsody for a Janesville bridge



When I left Wisconsin Consumer Protection 4 years ago at age 70, I made a documentry about the Rock River. As a result, the Janesville Gazette asked me to make videos for its Xtra webpage. Since June 2009, I've made 208 of them for the Gazette ...mostly on the river and its wildlife. These same videos circulating on You Tube have been viewed by people in every state in the Union and many foreign countries. I'm having more fun than I deserve!

4 Wisconsin residents face federal charges in time-share fraud case

 Journal/Sentinel

Don't open your door. Door-to-door scams bloom in summertime

 MSN Money

4 ways to save on hair care

Bankrate, Inc

There's a good chance you are over paying for car insurance

 6abc.com

Off to college? Be careful with credit cards

 chicagotribune.com

How to Ask for Money Back When Somebody Owes You

 Prairie Eco-Thrifter

When to report a car accident to an insurance company

Consumer Reports 

5 Traffic Tickets Costliest For Car Insurance

 Bankrate.com

Get the most out of your gas grill with these six barbecue tips

Consumer Reports

Honda reveals next-generation Fit, teases crossover and hybrid models

Consumer Reports

Jul 5, 2013

Remedies for Better Cellphone Signal and Quality

NYTimes.com

Legendary Places--Greece




Check out this film by Ray Garner who worked for NBC and ABC in the early years of TV. His trademark was waiting for dark clouds to pass over, giving the landscape a dramatic lighting effect.

Consumers Can Save 40 Percent or More on Eyeglasses by Shopping Online and At Discount Retailers

Consumer Reports 

Q&A: Do I privately sell or trade-in my used car?

Consumer Reports

Beware Mobile Cramming Bogus Charges on Your Phone Bill

Kiplinger

Canon reinvents autofocus for the new EOS 70D, allowing smooth AF for videos

Consumer Reports

How to Plan for an Inheritance

 Benzinga

Haggling can pay, but many Americans refuse to bargain

Consumer Reports 

Hybrids, small turbos often fall short of EPA mileage estimates

Consumer Reports 

Secrets of the super travelers - Scout out remote locales

 Money Magazine

Five car maintenance myths and the money-saving truth

Consumer Reports

May 5, 2013

NY Shuts Down Sham Fundraising Company That Took In Millions Of Donations For Breast Cancer “Research”

Consumerist

Because of my many investigations into questionable charities, I say when in doubt don't give. I like Walgreens, but I told them today that I didn't appreciate being asked to donate money to charity when checking out. Some people might feel pressured to give. When someone pressures you to give money to charity, don't do it.

May 3, 2013

Mar 16, 2013

Study: 25 percent of teens access Internet with smartphones

 The Washington Post

Kids and Socializing Online | Consumer Information

Federal Trade Commision

King of auto industry was also major film maker - YouTube

Like old cars and trains? Like old movies of pre World War I America? Take a look at Henry Ford's Mirror of America below. The first video is an eight-minute version which has a Janesville reference. The bottom video is the full 36-minute film. It's very good if you have the time.


The disappointing dozen: Cars that fail our tests

Consumer Reports

Best used cars for under $15,000

Consumer Reports 

No matter how much money you have coming in, learning to save and live beneath your means is key to getting ahead

Bankrate

13 Attorneys General Voice Support For Federal Bill To Curb Advertising By For-Profit Schools

Consumerist

ConsumerWatch: Safeway Stores May Be More Likely To Overcharge

CBS San Francisco

FTC Releases Top 10 Complaint Categories for 2012

FTC