In this economy, can you still make quick money by selling off those rare collectibles that are sitting in your attic? Jason Cochran went to the new L.A. Flea Market at Dodger Stadium, where he got the answer.

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Investigation fails to tie Pampers Dry Max diapers to thousands of rash complaints

Mitch Lipka Sep 2nd 2010 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Health, Consumer Ally, In the News

Pampers Dry Max, the newest version of the popular diaper line that was blamed by thousands of parents for causing rashes and burns on infants and toddlers, survived an initial federal investigation and is not being recalled. However, the case has not been closed.

"We encourage parents to talk with their pediatricians if they are concerned about any rash that their child has," CPSC spokeswoman Stacey Palosky told Consumer Ally. "We want them to continue to send us reports related to any Dry Max issues that they feel are happening."

Continue reading Investigation fails to tie Pampers Dry Max diapers to thousands of rash complaints

The lottery economy: dismal odds, huge payouts

Tom Barlow Sep 2nd 2010 @ 11:30AM EST Filed Under: Make Money Fast, Wealth

While some of us consider the lottery a tax on those who flunked statistics, many more Americans play anyway in hopes of making their dreams come true. Here, from our friends at Mint.com, is a breakdown of the lottery; odds, payouts, jackpots and more.

Budget Planner - Mint.com

Are you sure that vacation package is a good deal?

Jason Cochran Sep 2nd 2010 @ 10:00AM EST Filed Under: Bargains, Travel, Economizer, Go For Less

Hotels spend a lot of money hiring marketing, advertising, and public relations specialists to sell packages to consumers, and lots of times, they win by getting press. But just because you see a hotel package advertised in a newspaper or a blog doesn't mean the editors of that blog have lifted a finger to figure out of it's really a deal.

From your pocketbook's perspective, there are only two kinds of packages: discount and "value-added." Discount packages truly give you a break, and they end up costing you less money than if you bought all of the components individually. But "value-added" packages are sales tools, and the stuff you get is provided as a convenience so you don't have to assemble them yourself, and possibly at a mark-up.

There's only one way to know if that hotel or vacation package that you're about to buy is a discount package or one designed to put expensive frosting on the same old cupcake. And that's to see what everything costs individually and do the math yourself.

Continue reading Are you sure that vacation package is a good deal?

Water Jet review: It's no pressure washer

Lisa Kaplan Gordon Sep 2nd 2010 @ 8:00AM EST Filed Under: Consumer Ally, As Seen on TV

The Product: Water Jet
The Price: $19.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling
The Claims: Turns an ordinary garden hose into a high-power washer
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 2 out of 5

Continue reading Water Jet review: It's no pressure washer

What else is in your tuna can? Group urges boycott

Sally Deneen Sep 2nd 2010 @ 7:45AM EST Filed Under: Food, Consumer Ally

Step away from that tuna can.

Its "dolphin safe" label produces warm feelings, but don't mistake it for "turtle safe" or "ocean safe." And it's certainly not "tuna safe." Accidental entanglements of sharks, sea turtles, juvenile tuna and other marine creatures take their own ecological toll -- prompting the Monterey Bay Aquarium's well-regarded Seafood Watch consumer guide to take an unusual step: It recently began telling consumers to avoid all canned tuna, except for the minority labeled "troll caught" or "pole-and-line" caught. That describes precious few cans, typically from small brands selling for around $2.50 to $6.50.

Yes, the canned tuna in U.S. supermarkets is dolphin safe. So is the tuna of more than 90% of the world's tuna canners -- a big eco-marketing accomplishment. The marketing and labels are effective for selling tuna, but extremely misleading if you think the label means environmentally safe, as you'll see in the list farther below.

Continue reading What else is in your tuna can? Group urges boycott

Novelty company fined $70k for selling banned yo-yo waterballs in N.J.

Linda Doell Sep 2nd 2010 @ 7:00AM EST Filed Under: Consumer Ally

A New Jersey superior court judge ordered toy and novelties company Kipp Brothers to pay almost $70,000 in fines and other costs after ruling the company illegally sold yo-yo waterballs despite a ban on the potentially dangerous toy.

Yo-yo waterballs consist of a rubber ball filled with liquid attached to a rubber cord with a finger loop on its end. The cord can be stretched about 3 feet when swung. When 5-year-old Sydney Blacker of Scotch Plains, N.J. (pictured) played with one of the toys on June 3, 2008, the cord became wrapped around her neck and she suffered strangulation injuries -- including burst blood vessels -- before her mother was able to remove it.

The toy had been banned in New Jersey as of April 2008, more than two months before the incident. The state sued Kipp Brothers, based in Indiana, in June 2009 for selling water balls in the state after the ban went into effect. (The toys are also banned in Illinois and New York.)

Continue reading Novelty company fined $70k for selling banned yo-yo waterballs in N.J.

Apple and TV networks can't agree over 99 cent rentals

Sarah Coffey Sep 2nd 2010 @ 6:00AM EST Filed Under: Technology, In the News

Apple introduced a new version of Apple TV on Wednesday with shows from just two networks, as big media companies including General Electric's NBC Universal, CBS and Viacom remain hesitant to get on board.

The new $99 Apple TV will allow users to rent TV shows for 99 cents, due to partnerships with Walt Disney Co's ABC and News Corp's Fox. But other companies remain worried about losing control of program pricing.

Apple is said to be asking to keep 30 percent of the rental fee, similar to past deals it has made for TV show and movie downloads from iTunes, but most of those products are prices at $1.99 to $2.99.

The worry is that consumers will get used to a 99 cent price point and not want to spend more, as well as undermine DVD sales for TV shows and movies.

But from a consumer perspective, 99 cents sounds like a pretty good deal, especially if I don't have to leave the house.

Schumer asks Fed to curb pitching of business credit cards

Sarah Coffey Sep 2nd 2010 @ 6:00AM EST Filed Under: Credit Cards, In the News

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is asking the Federal Reserve to scrutinize credit-card issuers pitching business credit cards to people who don't own businesses or are retired.

Business credit cards are exempt from the provisions of the newly-enacted credit-card regulation. Issuers increased mailings of corporate-card offers by 256 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared with a year earlier, Schumer's statement said.

"Credit card companies seem to be purposely hawking corporate cards to consumers who don't own a business and may even be retired. This is more than deceptive marketing; it is a dirty trick meant to get around the new credit card law. We need to put an immediate stop to this scheme, but in the meantime, consumers should be sure to read the fine print of the offers they are getting in the mail. This is the latest, most brazen attempt yet by the credit card industry to get around the law," Schumer said in a statement.

Schumer sent a letter to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke requesting that the Federal Reserve require credit-card companies to verify consumers are business owners by providing federal tax identification numbers before approving corporate card applications.

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act was signed by President Barack Obama in May 2009. The act limits rate increases, requires banks to apply payments to higher-rate balances first and mail bills 21 days before the due date instead of 14 days, among other provisions. The reforms don't apply to corporate cards, which are intended for use by small business owners.

Hidden meanings of 10 professional symbols

WalletPop Staff Sep 2nd 2010 @ 6:00AM EST Filed Under: Career

Most of us would recognize the red, white & blue striped spinning barber shop pole, but do you know what those three colors represent? And do you know why many pawn shops display three golden balls in their window? Read on and see how much you know about the symbols of common professions and other organizations.

Continue reading Hidden meanings of 10 professional symbols