Consumer Protection

Use these tips to avoid scam investments because anyone, including Travis Kelce, can get scammed

Rita R. Robison / September 17, 2026

A man who ran a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors in Missouri and elsewhere out of millions of dollars was

Let the FTC know that you don’t like surveillance pricing

Rita R. Robison / September 16, 2026

The Federal Trade Commission is extending the public comment period on the proposed enforcement policy statement on personalized pricing. The

1.5 million rechargeable hand warmers recalled after fires, burns, and one death

Rita R. Robison / September 11, 2026

OCOOPA rechargeable lithium-ion battery hand warmers are being recalled because they can overheat and ignite, posing a risk of serious

modern buildings against sky

FTC and 22 states sue Amazon over secretly inflated ad prices

Rita R. Robison / September 1, 2026

Amazon secretly inflated prices in its auction sales of digital advertising on its platform, the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC,

boy in striped long sleeves using a smartphone

‘We will see,’ citizens’ group says about the effectiveness of Meta’s $17 billion settlement on the harms its platforms pose to kids

Rita R. Robison / August 29, 2026

Meta will pay more than $17 billion and make changes to Facebook and Instagram to resolve claims brought by dozens

kids sitting back to back using smartphones

At last: Meta’s $17 billion settlement shows action can be taken to address the harms to kids by media

Rita R. Robison / August 28, 2026

For years, I’ve written about the harms that violence in the media does to children. While the American Academy of

modern apartment building with balconies

Zillow and Redfin agree to end anticompetitive scheme in settlement

Rita R. Robison / August 24, 2026

Two of the country’s top property listing websites will end an anticompetitive scheme harming consumers under a settlement announced Monday

google building signage in urban setting

Who’s eligible to get a payment from Google’s $700 million settlement over app store monopoly?

Rita R. Robison / August 18, 2026

A federal court Monday approved a $700 million settlement in a multistate antitrust lawsuit against Google. The lawsuit challenged Google’s control over Android

a person holding a dropper

RFK Jr.’s food ingredient proposal is weak and he’s punted again on a definition for ultra-processed food, consumer group says

Rita R. Robison / August 10, 2026

Two actions to modernize federal oversight of food ingredients and establish a stronger scientific foundation for future nutrition policy were

This week's top 10 money tips

1. Start earlier to buy an airline ticket because you need to compare the cost of classes within the plane, too.

2. Check out these tips on what to do to avoid over-spending on your cars or cars.

3. Let the FTC know you don’t like surveillance pricing. Prices for products and services need to change based upon supply and demand, not people’s web surfing habits or buying history.

4. Take a look at these seven household expenses, in addition to gasoline, that may rise when oil stays above $100 a barrel including groceries, package and food deliveries, airfares, heating and electricity, household products and clothing, and home repairs and construction.

5. Check out these tips on how to reduce your utility bills in addition to commenting on proposed increases for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and garbage.

6. Expect yields for savings accounts, money market funds, and Treasury bills to be slightly lower due to the recent .25 percent interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

7. Build a financial plan by starting with your goals, not someone else’s; be selective about who you listen to; remember that financial planning is about more than investing; and learn the difference between news and noise.

8. Think about September, rather than January, as a better time to set and work toward your big money goals. As the seasons shift, vacations are over and the kids have gone back to school, and you’ve lived enough of the year to know what’s working and what isn’t.

9. Be aware that 63 percent of U.S. consumers have stopped shopping with a retailer or abandoned a purchase because of its return policy, a survey shows.

10. Be aware scammers are using AI to mine information from obituaries to fool family members. Stop and consider if you need to include things such as full names, specific hometowns, employers, schools, and other identifying details.

Sign up for my newsletter and you'll get 10 tips like this every week, for no charge. And, tell your friends and co-workers about it so they can make savvy money choices, too. Here’s the sign up: https://tinyurl.com/makeyourmoneywork. And, for a big bonus, you’ll also get my free e-book on how to optimize their personal finance decisions.

September 17, 2026