Most Sunscreens Don't Measure Up, Report Says
Filed under: Shopping, Consumer Ally, In the News
The nonprofit Environment Working Group recently released its fifth annual Skin Deep Sunscreens report, which examined more than 1,700 sunblocks, lip balms, moisturizers and make-up products that list a sun protection factor -- more commonly known as an SPF -- on its packaging.
To determine the rankings, the EWG looked at five factors, including potential health hazards of listed ingredients; UVB protection; UVA protection; the balance of UVA and UVB protection; and the sunscreens stability, or how quickly the ingredients break down in the sun. The group then ranked the sunscreens from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best.
Prom Again, This Time Without Curfews
Filed under: Extracurriculars
Yes, you read that right. McCall has a husband -- and six children -- and is part of a growing trend of people who are happy, well-adjusted adults with prom memories that don't have to be dusted off.
The Washington event, a benefit for a non-profit that provides practical services to breast cancer survivors, was almost as well-attended as a local high school prom, with about 100 attendees.
"I think everybody had a great time," says McCall (pictured at right with her husband). Except for maybe those she pegged as having been the high school cool kids: "They were spending too much energy trying to look cool."
Savings Experiment: Pay Less for Household Paper Products
Filed under: Savings Experiment
Toilet paper and paper towels are the kind of purchases that won't give you a shopping high, but they sure can cost you a bundle.
So where can you get the best deals on your paper goods? We've rolled out the cost-saving options.
Major Drug Company Pays $44 Million to Settle Kickback Claims
Filed under: Health, Fraud, Consumer Ally
Serono was accused by the U.S. federal government and a number of states of violating the False Claims Act, a federal law aimed at companies that defraud governmental programs. Serono, government attorneys said, essentially paid doctors to prescribe Rebif to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis.
"Health care decisions must be based solely upon what is best for the individual patient and not on which pharmaceutical company is paying the doctor the biggest kickback," Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement.
5 Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Scores
Filed under: Credit, Debt, Credit Reports
Here's a list of five surprising things that can lower your credit scores -- and keep you from having a stellar credit report.
Higher Gas Prices Drive Up the Price of Trade-Ins, Too
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Shopping, Consumer Ally, In the News
But those prices are expected to hit their peak this month, Jonathan Banks, a NADA senior analyst, said in a NADA video.
"Strong consumer demand for small used cars is driving up prices," Banks said in a statement. "The NADA Guide increase in trade-in values for June should come as no surprise because it reflects a shortage of both new and used cars entering the market. Fewer new cars have been produced as a result of the crisis in Japan, which has shifted consumer demand to the used car market. High gasoline prices are also increasing the demand for both new and used small cars."
From Justin Bieber to Beyonce, Celebrities Earn Big Bucks Selling Products
Filed under: Consumer Ally
The celebrity heiress actually revealed during an interview on CNN with Piers Morgan that she makes more than $10 million a year from selling 17 different product lines – everything from handbags and sunglasses to pet supplies.
While 10 million bucks may seem like an eye-popping figure, many celebrities, including Justin Bieber and Maria Sharapova, actually pull down even bigger fortunes by hawking various products and services.
GoodGuide Ranks the Best and Worst Baby Foods
Filed under: Family Money, Health, Green, Consumer Ally
Baby food, however, rarely makes the news, so we turned to our partner, GoodGuide, to find out more about just which products hit the top -- and bottom -- of the charts. As part of its ongoing quest to help consumers find healthy, green, ethical products based on scientific ratings, the company reviewed and rated more than 800 baby food products, including baby formula, baby cereal, baby juice, toddler snacks and first-, second- and third-stage baby food.
Which products earned the coveted -- and not so coveted -- spots? Homemade Baby Piwi Baby Food was the top-ranked choice, while Beech-Nut Stage 3 Oatmeal & Pears Cereal finished last. Find out more about who made the best- and worst-ranked lists of baby food products.
Scammer Must Stop Selling 'Dirty Deeds'
Filed under: Real Estate, Fraud, Consumer Ally
Some 5,000 Washington residents received letters last year from the "State Record Retrieval Board," a non-existent organization whose Olympia address listed on the spurious notifications is a UPS Store drop box.
The letters directed recipients to mail $87 to obtain a copy of their property deed and warned of a $35 penalty if they missed the tight deadline. Legitimate copies of property deeds, the attorney general's office notes, can be obtained from county auditors for approximately $10.
At least 45 hapless residents responded to the mailers with checks, but the attorney general's Office says they were misled and are owed refunds.
Five Budget Travel Tips For a Guilt-Free Vacation
The official start of summer is just a few short weeks away, and we'd bet your thoughts are already turning to sun-drenched beaches, scenic hikes, and the pleasantly unfamiliar sites and smells of foreign cities. In other words...vacation!
Then reality intrudes: Can you afford one?
Here are five ways to score vacation deals and trim your travel bill to help you leave the spending guilt at home.