Health

woman writing on a newspaper

Check out these ways to support brain health daily

Rita R. Robison / August 23, 2026

While improving heart health has been studied for decades, attention is turning recently to brain health, too. Some of the

bottle with pills

President Trump’s drug pricing reductions claims are fake, consumer group says

Rita R. Robison / August 21, 2026

The Trump administration hasn’t delivered the prescription drug pricing reductions it claims, and may be basing those claims on misrepresented

What do you do with pumpkin seeds?

Rita R. Robison / August 16, 2026

After my company this summer left, I found this tub of pumpkin seeds in my cupboard. One of my daughters

Like to ride e-scooters? Wear a helmet

Rita R. Robison / August 11, 2026

A 37-year-old man riding an electric scooter died Tuesday after he was struck by a minivan being driven by a

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

How is your garden doing?

Rita R. Robison / August 8, 2026

It’s August. Gardens are coming into full production. I went on a two-week vacation the end of July and beginning

Heating fake squishy toys, a social media trend, can cause serious burns, safety agency warns

Rita R. Robison / August 7, 2026

Viral social media posts are encouraging children and teens to microwave squishy toys, which can cause serious burns. Squishy toys

man in black shirt drinking water from plastic bottle

What older adults need to do to reduce the risk of heat-related illness

Rita R. Robison / August 4, 2026

Recently, when I was on vacation in Seattle with my daughter and her family, I got dizzy after being in

a person reaching for a bottle of medicine

Sandoz agrees to pay $400 million to settle state charges over manipulating generic drug prices

Rita R. Robison / August 3, 2026

Sandoz Inc., a Swiss generic prescription drug maker, has agreed to a $400 million settlement with 43 states and territories

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