Consumers Digest’s 2012 Automotive Best Buys
Forty-two recommendations across 12 categories.
New MPG Labels: Fueling Debate & Controversy
Labels designed to provide a better comparison of how much fuel and energy vehicles consume tend to oversimplify the differences.
Driving Innovations: Auto Trends 2012 & Beyond
Federal fuel-economy regulations will add to the motivation of automakers to produce more hybrids.
Feb. 17, 2012—As infotainment systems become more prevalent in vehicles than ever before, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stepped in to create voluntary “distraction guidelines” to maintain road safety in an age when social networks literally are at a driver’s fingertips.
Feb. 9, 2012—Consumers Digest saw automakers reveal 2013 models for several vehicles at Chicago Auto Show, which opened to the media Feb. 8.
Feature Attractions: Best Values in Microwave Ovens
New features appear to deliver limited cooking benefits.
Hands On: Next-Generation Specialty Vacs
New features and designs now make specialty vacuum cleaners more powerful and more versatile.
Upper Crust
Today’s Hottest Toasters & Toaster Ovens
Oct. 7, 2011—The LG Styler, which is a 6-foot-4-inch cabinet that can store clothes, hats, towels and even plush toys, features a steam generator and a heat pump that can deodorize, dry and remove dirt and wrinkles from cloth items.
Sept. 23, 2011—Underwriters Laboratories is notifying consumers and retailers that the EcoWatt 2700K compact florescent lamp (CFL) has an unauthorized UL mark.
Tablet Computers: It’s All About the Apps
More pretenders than contenders are in the market.
The Word on E-Book Readers
How to read between the lines.
A Bad Connection: Cellphone Radiation & Health Risks
The possible connection between cellphone-radiation emissions and health risks is worrisome—and seemingly ignored.
Feb. 22, 2012—Google plans to introduce a pair of eyeglasses by the end of this year that would stream data from a consumer’s smartphone for real-time viewing, The New York Times reports.
Feb. 20, 2012—If you own an Apple iPhone 4, you could get a $15 check or an Apple “bumper” cellphone case as a part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit that’s related to the smartphone’s alleged antenna problems.
Homebuyer’s Guide: How to Get the Best Deals Now
Don’t assume that this is the perfect time to buy a home.
Affordable Bathroom Updates
Top-Rated Bathtubs, Whirlpool Tubs, Sinks, Toilets, Vanities, Faucets, Showerheads & Medicine Cabinets.
Leading-Edge Cutlery
You’ll have to be sharp when you shop for kitchen cutlery.
Feb.10, 2012—Although the unprecedented $25 billion mortgage-fraud settlement is a step toward holding the mortgage-loan industry more accountable, it doesn’t come close to repairing the damage that homeowners suffered at the hands of fraudulent mortgage servicers in recent years, consumer advocates tell Consumers Digest.
Feb. 9, 2012—Five of the nation’s largest banks agreed to pay a $25 billion settlement to the federal government that will help to compensate former and current homeowners who were victims of widespread mortgage and foreclosure abuses.
How Your Personal Health Records Are at Risk
Storing information electronically is a double-edged sword.
New Age of Dentistry: Choices, Costs & Cautions
Dental services and alternatives: alluring but suspicious.
Treating Arthritis: Why the Truth Hurts
False promises of “miracle” arthritis cures persist.
Jan. 23, 2012—Combination treatments are effective for tendon injuries such as Achilles tendinitis, according to a Mayo Clinic study.
Jan. 23, 2012—Department of Health and Human Services announced Jan. 20 that it will include nonprofit religious organizations in its ruling that employers’ insurance plans must cover contraceptive options without charging a co-payment.
Baggage Claims: Today's Best Lightweight Luggage
New materials make luggage lighter. That can mean lower costs at baggage check-in, but you’ll pay more in a retailer’s checkout lane.
Trouble in Paradise: The Turbulent Timeshare Market
A struggling economy has led to a buyers’ market. But higher fees are the rule of the day.
The Great Beer Challenge
Major brewing companies and beer distributors want to limit your access to the wide array of beers that are available.
Feb. 6, 2012—Globe-trotting U.S. citizens will be able to zip past long lines at customs if they qualify for a new government program that’s designed to speed up the check-in process.
Feb. 3, 2012—Spirit Airlines took a well-deserved public beating for its reaction to new federal rules that force airlines to be more transparent about their advertised prices and that give consumers more wiggle room to cancel flights without being punished.
'Premium' Pet Food: Begging for the Truth
There is little evidence that cats and dogs benefit from costly and unusual ingredients in their food.
Learning a Foreign Language
Finding a Method that Works for You
Hard to Swallow: The Truth About Infant Formula
Evidence doesn't support claims that because premium infant formula includes supplements, it's an improved product.
Jan. 18, 2012—Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit today against for-profit school Westwood College, seeking to shut down the school’s criminal-justice program.
Dec. 13, 2011—An alternative Census Bureau poverty-threshold measurement finds that the number of senior citizens who live at the poverty level has increased.
Exceptional Values in Outdoor Fireplaces
Manufacturers have improved the design and functionality of their outdoor fireplaces at all prices.
New Steps for Backyard Playsets
Climbing walls are popular, but a few factors, such as adjustability of the wall and climbing-grip variations, can make prices steep.
Getting an Edge
String Trimmers • Hedge Trimmers • Pole Saws
Dec. 15, 2011—Consumers who seek a new snowthrower and aren’t sure whether to buy a single-stage model or a dual-stage model should take their geographic region into consideration, experts say.
Oct. 26, 2011—In Husqvarna’s third-quarter financial results, the company reported that production issues that affected its manufacturing operations this year hasn’t had any effect on consumer products.
New Age of Retirement: How to Revitalize Your Plans
Shrinking private pensions might dim your golden years.
License to Steal: Outrageous Bank Fees and Business Practices
Banks are living high on the hog while consumers are hog-tied by exorbitant fees. The government can’t be counted on to help.
The Hidden Costs of Higher Education & Consumers Digest's Top 100 College Values
It’s easier today to get a student loan from a university’s financial-aid office, but it’s tough to decipher the hidden fees that you will pay.
Feb. 22, 2012—Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today said it will investigate overdraft fees that banks charge to consumers.
Feb. 17, 2012—First-class-stamp prices will increase to 50 cents if U.S. Postal Service gets it way.
A Bad Connection: Cellphone Radiation & Health Risks
The possible connection between cellphone-radiation emissions and health risks is worrisome—and seemingly ignored.
'Premium' Pet Food: Begging for the Truth
There is little evidence that cats and dogs benefit from costly and unusual ingredients in their food.
Risky Business: How to Avoid Work-At-Home Scams
Scam artists find new ways to prey on consumers who are desperate for jobs or who seek extra cash.
Think twice before you take your computer to the nearest repair specialist. Many people are scammed by technicians who are moved more by profit than principle.
You might face more than the grief of the loss of a loved one: grave desecration and double-sold plots.
False promises of “miracle” arthritis cures persist.
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Dental services and alternatives: alluring but suspicious.
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