Joined the morning team at @komonews.bsky.social (ARC Seattle) to share Checkbook’s Holiday Shopping Tips 2025: How to find the best deals, avoid the fake sales, and steer clear of online scams. bit.ly/4hRAnxU

Enjoyed being on the Talking Real Money podcast today to discuss the latest robocall scam attack, how AI-enabled fraud is becoming increasingly difficult to spot, my nightmare airline experience, and some early holiday shopping tips. bit.ly/3JVKbdE

Holiday Shopping Tips 2025: Checkbook asked shopping experts for their advice on how to find the best deals and avoid the bogus sales. Plus, the smart ways (and the really costly ways) to pay for your holiday purchases. bit.ly/49OXHKy

On this month’s visit with Nick, we talk about cryptocurrency and why it remains a high-risk gamble, how long-term car loans can quietly drain your wallet, and the growing problem of fake loan approval robocalls targeting unsuspecting borrowers. radiomisfits.com/ndp400/

Joined John Landecker on @wgnradio.bsky.social last night to talk about LONG car loans and those $!#%@$ robocalls! wgnradio.com/john-landeck...

Despite warnings about volatility, scams, and lax regulatory oversight, digital currencies have gone mainstream. While this modern-day gold rush has made people (mostly insiders) incredibly rich, many others have lost money to scams. bit.ly/3WxBhWE

New Instagram Reel about my latest Consumerpedia podcast -- all about the risks of investing in digital currencies. instagram.com/p/DQcGPNlkbjj/

NEW Consumerpedia episode: Cryptocurrency: Coins, Cons, & Chaos. It's a modern day gold rush. Millions of Americans are buying digital currencies despite the known risks. Hear why experts warn that many are going to get burned. bit.ly/3L2IKup

Lengthy Car Loans Can Cost You Thousands: To lower their monthly payments many car buyers are taking out longer loans. But that will drive up the total interest you'll pay, and you'll be upside-down on that loan for much longer. bit.ly/43uj005

Thanks to John Matarese @wcpo9news.bsky.social for sharing our bizarre experience with Delta Airlines. “Nearly stranded: Couple denied flight home because they didn't have correct credit card.” bit.ly/3WdsnNV

My new Instagram reel previews the latest Consumerpedia episode: Smart picks from Checkbook’s editors—websites and apps that save you time & money. www.facebook.com/share/r/1Ctg...

Scam Alert: Fake Loan Approval Robocalls: Identity thieves have found a new way to steal our personal financial information: By calling with an “update” on a loan you never applied for. These scammers are aggressively targeting consumers nationwide. bit.ly/4h9k4fB

New Attempt to Stop the Robocall Epidemic: Nomorobo, a robocall blocking service, has taken the unusual step of suing four companies—all debt collectors—it claims are “significant violators” of a federal law that bans most robocalls. bit.ly/48jOsS5

NEW Consumerpedia podcast episode: Our Editors’ Favorite Websites & Apps. We'll share some of the apps and websites we use and trust, and explain why you may find them valuable tools. bit.ly/4q3NdN6

Soaring premiums and inadequate claims payouts push many Americans to cut back or skip homeowners insurance. Watch my recent segment on @komonews.bsky.social bit.ly/46TSb6p

This month’s visit on the Nick D podcast: The home insurance crisis, plans to weaken airline passenger protections, Delta’s head-scratching credit card policy, and Amazon’s $2.5 billion settlement regarding Prime memberships. *** I start at 9:35 into the show *** radiomisfits.com/ndp392/

Home Insurance Crisis: Soaring Premiums & Inadequate Payouts. The skyrocketing cost of home insurance far exceeds the rate of inflation. How can you lower your premiums? Find money-saving tips in my new @checkbook.org story. bit.ly/3IVOnJZ

Check out the new Instagram reel about the new Consumerpedia podcast episode. t.co/UF13tZd6gE

Thanks to Nydia Han at Action News in Philadelphia for sharing our horrible experience with Delta at Heathrow airport: bit.ly/4mLCgwW

FTC secures historic $2.5 billion settlement from Amazon: The company will pay a civil penalty of $1 billion and refund $1.5 billion to approximately 35 million customers harmed by what the FTC described as “deceptive Prime enrollment practices." bit.ly/4mEZFjG

Talked about passenger rights with John Landecker on @wgnradio.bsky.social this week. The DOT is planning to roll back or eliminate some of these rules for what airlines must do for you when something goes wrong. bit.ly/4nV4oPm

Here's my latest Instagram Reel about the latest @consumerpedia.org podcast. www.instagram.com/reel/DO64G14...

blog.consumerguide.com/consumer-gui... New episode is live, now! @jillciminillo.bsky.social @consumerman.bsky.social #CarStuffPodcast

I joined the morning team at @kironewsradio.bsky.social to talk about airplane passenger rights and my PANIC at Heathrow airport when I couldn't get our boarding passes. bit.ly/423B1BS

Delta’s Bizarre Credit Card Policy Nearly Stranded Me in London: My wife and I were blindsided by a poorly disclosed policy by Delta Airlines that nearly cost us thousands of dollars. And as I discovered, this was not an isolated case. bit.ly/3Vovcv5

The Trump Administration Wants to Gut Airline Passenger Protections: The Department of Transportation plans to scale back or eliminate some of the airline passenger protection rules enacted under the Biden administration. What’s on the chopping block? bit.ly/420b06p

The Consumerpedia podcast is back with a NEW episode: Thrift Store Shopping Advice. Veteran thrift store shoppers share tips on buying pre-owned furniture, clothing, and antiques, plus the scoop on how to find hidden treasures. bit.ly/46FOl1S

Feds will stop issuing paper checks after Sept. 30. All government benefits – including Social Security, VA payments, and tax refunds – will be distributed electronically. Here's what to do if you still get paper checks. bit.ly/4oT73dm

FEDERAL JUDGE KILLS CFPB RULE THAT BANNED MEDICAL DEBT IN CREDIT REPORTS: The consumer-friendly rule would have removed $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of 15 million Americans. What now? bit.ly/45rrWDx

This month, I discuss the soon-to-expire EV tax credits, a court decision striking down the FTC's Click-to-Cancel subscription rule, and FICO's decision to include Buy Now, Pay Later payment history in its credit scores. (I start at 7:37 into the episode) bit.ly/3Uk7LTa

Consumer News: FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase in Reports of Impersonation Scammers Stealing Tens and Even Hundreds of Thousands from Older Adults bit.ly/3JqCQ56

NEW VIDEO: Click-to-Cancel Rule Canceled: A federal appeals court has blocked enforcement of an FTC rule that prohibited companies from making it more difficult to cancel a subscription or membership than it was to sign up. youtu.be/XktSA1k37A0?... via @YouTube

A federal appeals court has blocked enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer-friendly ‘Click-to-Cancel’ rule that requires companies to make it as easy for customers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships as it was to sign up for them. bit.ly/3H3ZW0U

OK, here’s a first for me – a video report on a radio station! I know, it’s “streaming,” but I thought radio was TV without pictures! Even though I could stay in my pajamas, it was fun talking to - and seeing - my friend Manda Factor on @kironewsradio.bsky.social about Electric Cars. bit.ly/4kZ5B6b

NEW VIDEO: Federal tax credit on electric vehicles ends in two months. Here’s what you need to know: bit.ly/4l3iNqO

See this Instagram video about my latest Consumerpedia podcast episode: www.instagram.com/reel/DMiN5Ur...

ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT ENDS ON SEPT. 30: When President Trump signed his big budget bill into law on July 4, it eliminated the electric vehicle tax credits of up to $7,500 enacted under the Biden Administration. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering going electric. bit.ly/46nWk43

New Consumerpedia podcast: Checkbook’s Life Hacks -- We’re all about saving you time & money at @checkbook.org. In this episode, staffers share their favorite life hacks to help you shop smarter, spend wiser, and stay one step ahead. Listen and you might pick up a new go-to trick. bit.ly/4lKuIe4

I shared some tips on how to avoid a hotel horror show on this week's segment on ARC Seattle. bit.ly/3GvPa3i

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing continues to gain popularity. These pay-in-four loans make purchases seem more affordable by splitting up costs into smaller installments. But what may seem like free financing can sometimes turn into a high-cost loan. bit.ly/4lC8oU0

Consumerpedia podcast: Find out how to avoid hotel horror shows and get the best deals when you book your next stay.

I had a chance to discuss the pros & cons of Buy Now, Pay Later financing on @komonews.bsky.social this morning with Steve and Tyra. bit.ly/4kJNJwc

NEW Consumerpedia Podcast: THE POSSIBLE PITFALLS OF BUY NOW, PAY LATER. These short-term loans are convenient, but consumer advocates warn that they make it easy for some people to purchase items they can’t afford, which can result in late fees and costly bank charges. bit.ly/4ls6g1c

Buy Now, Pay Later Payment History Could Soon Impact Credit Scores: FICO, the company behind the most widely used credit scoring models in the U.S., has developed new algorithms that, for the first time, will incorporate buy now, pay later payment history. bit.ly/3IAduRW

A fun visit talking to John Landecker @wgnradio.bsky.social sharing tips on avoiding hotel horror stories, and navigating digital supermarket coupons. bit.ly/3To5SV0

NEW VIDEO: Tips on how to hire a painting professional who will do great work at a fair price. Also, Kroger makes it easier for customers to use digital coupons at some of its stores. bit.ly/407QAHL

KROGER MAKES IT EASIER TO USE DIGITAL-ONLY COUPONS: Shoppers can celebrate a small victory this week after Kroger, one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, improved its much-maligned digital coupon policy at some of its stores. bit.ly/45Tdqqj

NEW Consumerpedia episode: How to Avoid a Hotel Horror Show. Tips for booking a hotel room or vacation rental, so you don’t end up having a nightmarish experience. Plus, what to do if you wind up staying at the Bates Motel. bit.ly/4ns5nHa

Artificial intelligence is making cyber scams harder or impossible to detect. Criminals are weaponizing AI to make their scams more convincing. It’s increasingly difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake. Here’s how to protect yourself. bit.ly/4kmHaiX

We covered a range of topics during this month's visit with Nick, including money-saving tips for anyone planning a move, how to hire a reputable house painter, and how cybercriminals are becoming increasingly skilled at making their scams appear authentic. radiomisfits.com/ndp363/