Consumerpedia

Podcast

From auto repair shops to doctors to plumbers to vets, you can count on Checkbook to help you find the best service—and avoid the worst. Our podcast features advice from experts that empowers consumers to save money and make smarter choices.

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November 14, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Alex Weinert - Vice President for Identity Security at Microsoft

No one really likes passwords. Even the best ones are no match for today’s international crime rings. So, the push is on, led by Microsoft, Apple, and Google, to get you to switch from passwords to passkeys.

In this episode: What passkeys are and how they work, why they are better than passwords, and how you can switch to them on your online accounts.

Additional Resources & Consumerpedia Episodes:

⁠Why It’s Time to Ditch Passwords and Switch to Passkeys⁠

#5: CyberCrime: a Former Cyber Crook Explains How to protect Yourself

#11: Stop, Thief! How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

#48: How Will Scammers Use AI?

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October 31, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook's Associate Editor; Edgar Dworsky - Publisher, Consumerworld.org; Amy Nofziger - AARP Fraud Watch Network, Bruce McClary - National Foundation for Credit Counseling

The hectic holiday shopping season is underway, and for many, that will put a strain on the family budget. Checkbook wants to make this stressful time a little easier.

Our annual holiday helper is packed with timely advice: Super shoppers share tips about how they find the best prices and avoid fake sales. Plus, how to avoid gift card scams, stop porch pirates, and spot bogus online shipping notices. Also, the pros and cons of buy now, pay later loans.

Additional Consumerpedia Episodes & Resources:

Checkbook’s Top Holiday Shopping Tips

Don’t Overspend This Holiday Shopping Season

#59: Saving Money at the Supermarket

#58: Misleading Marketing Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

#57: Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

#52: Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season

#26: Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

October 17, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Steve Brobeck - Senior Fellow at the Consumer Federation of America; Ilyse Glink - real estate and personal finance expert

The process has changed for anyone looking to hire a real estate agent; new rules took effect in August that are designed to bring transparency and competition to the marketplace. Consumer advocates hope agents will be more willing to negotiate their commissions, but the new process and unfamiliar paperwork could create confusion for a while.

In this episode: A look at the new rules and what they will mean to both buyers and sellers. Also, things everyone should know when they’re hiring a real estate agent.

More from Consumer Federation of America:

Consumer Alert: How Home Buyers and Sellers Can Cope with New Real Estate Broker Rules and Practices
CFA Releases Criteria for Evaluating Home Seller Contract Forms
CFA Releases Criteria for Evaluating Home Buyer Contract Forms

More from Ilyce Glink:

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask
Love, Money + Real Estate Newsletter

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

October 3, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jenn Barger - Checkbook's Director of Content; Karin Winsweiler - Winsweiler Design, Seattle

Kitchen and bathroom renos are the most common home improvement projects—and they can be mighty expensive. If the layout of your kitchen or bath already works for you, and its cabinets and other features are in decent shape, you might be able to save a bunch of cash by doing what’s called a “light remodel.”

In this episode, how to decide if light remodeling is the way to go, the savings to your wallet and the environment by going this route, and how to keep most of what you have. Plus, some specific ideas on ways to freshen up kitchens and baths.

Read Checkbook’s full report on redoing your kitchen or bath for less.

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September 19, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Lisa Gill - Consumer Reports investigative reporter; Stacie Dusetzina - Professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Prescription drug costs in the U.S. are “significantly higher” than in most other countries, according to a report earlier this year from the Rand Corporation. The average American spends more than $1,400 a year on prescription medications, research shows. For many, that expense is a budget buster. Because of the high cost, more than 9 million Americans don’t take their medications as directed, the CDC reports, which could result in serious health consequences

In this episode: Why are drug prices so high, and can anything be done about it? Plus, ways you can cut the cost of your prescription meds.

About our guests: Lisa Gill is an investigative reporter with Consumer Reports who focuses on health and medicine. Stacie Dusetzina is a professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Much of her research focuses on the economics related to prescription drugs.

Additional Consumerpedia podcast episodes on health.

More from Consumer Reports

How to Beat the Rising Cost of Prescription Drugs

Online Pharmacies Can Help You Save Big on Prescription Drugs

How to Find the Best Medicare Part D Drug Plan

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

September 5, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

Want to spend a few days in Dublin before going to Munich? Sightsee in Madrid or Lisbon on the way home from Paris or Rome? Maybe break up that long-haul flight to Australia or New Zealand with a few nights in Tokyo or Honolulu?

Dozens of airlines (mostly foreign carriers) let you visit two places for the price of one by allowing free stopovers. Book these tickets and you can stay in the hub city for a few days or weeks, and then continue onward to your final destination.

In this episode: A look at some of the stopover programs available and how to find them. Plus, tips for anyone planning to buy a plane ticket.

Additional Resources:

These 26 Airlines Let Flyers Stop Over in Their Hubs for Free

Consumerpedia Episode 62: The Travel Show 2024

New Rule Will Soon Require Airlines to Provide Automatic Refunds When Flights Are Canceled or Significantly Delayed

Don’t Get Left Behind When Your Airline Travel Credits Expire

Credit Card Reward Programs Under Scrutiny by Federal Regulators

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

July 25, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Brad Lipton - CFPB; Steven Carvell - Professor of Finance at Cornell University; Christopher Elliott - Syndicated Travel Columnist

Whether it’s points, miles, or cash back, it’s nice to be rewarded for shopping. The lure of “getting something extra” can encourage you to apply for new credit cards and spend more to score those rewards.

In recent years, many credit card reward programs have become more complex and confusing, and frustrated cardholders are complaining to federal regulators.

In this episode: Should the CFPB create new rules to regulate credit card rewards programs? Also, a close-up look at the most common complaints about airline rewards cards, and how chasing rewards can cost you money.

Additional Resources:

Credit Cards: How to Choose the Best One

Credit Cards Provide Strong Protections for Consumers

Saving on Gas: Which Rewards Credit Cards Offer the Best Deals at the Pump?

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

July 11, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

When it comes to buying corrective eyewear, the choices seem endless—from dozens of contacts to thousands of fashionable frames. Even so, shopping for new specs or contacts can be a major hassle, and it’s an expensive purchase.

In this episode: Which eyewear stores offer the best advice and service, where to find the best prices on glasses and contact lenses, and who should you see to get your eye exam?

⁠Read Checkbook’s full report on opticians, optometrists, and buying eyewear.⁠

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

June 27, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Dr. John Swartzberg - Head of the Editorial Board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter; Bonnie Patten - Executive Director and Co-Founder of Truth in Advertising (TINA.org); Caitlin Dow - Senior Nutrition Scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest

Many Americans are sold on supplements. They’re convinced the “natural ingredients” in these non-prescription products have powerful health benefits that can prevent diseases, make us feel better, and slow down the effects of aging.

But can you trust what’s in the bottle, and the marketing claims used to sell this stuff?

In this episode, we focus on the false claims, bad science, and marketing tricks often used to sell dietary and nutritional supplements. Plus buying advice for those who choose to take these products.

Additional Resources:

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter:

⁠A Guide to Dietary Supplements⁠

CSPI Nutrition Action Newsletter:

Why the supplement aisle is the Wild West

How supplements distort science to sell

Tricks of the trade: Are supplement companies playing you for a fool?

Truth in Advertising (TINA.org):

Jury Hands Down a Verdict in Prevagen Deceptive Marketing Case

Consumer Alert: Hair Growth Products

Cow Colostrum Supplements

What You Should Know about Apple Cider Vinegar Supplements

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Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

June 13, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

Moving is always a hassle. But if you hire the wrong movers, it can be a nightmare. An alarming number of consumers tell Checkbook they’re disgusted with movers who arrived hours or even days late, lost or broke their possessions, reneged on promises, and demanded more money than the quoted amount.

In this episode: Tips on choosing a moving company that provides fair and reliable pricing, gets the job done on time, and takes good care of your belongings. Plus: Why to avoid moving brokers and how to spot moving scams.

Read Checkbook’s full report on how to find a household mover.

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Meet The Host

Herb Weisbaum

Herb Weisbaum is one of America’s top consumer experts. He’s been protecting people across the country for more than 40 years. 

Herb is a contributing editor at Checkbook.org, and publisher of ConsumerMan.com.

During his distinguished career, Herb has covered the consumer beat for NBC News Digital, NBC’s TODAY Show and CBS News.

A five-time Emmy-award winner, Herb’s dedication to protecting consumers has been honored by the Consumer Federation of America, the National Consumers League, United Press International, and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Herb is a graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.