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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June 26, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jennifer Barger - Checkbook's Director of Content; Tara Busch - Founder, Conscious Travel Collective
A bad hotel room can ruin your vacation or business trip, so you need to be careful when making your reservations. Hotel websites and online booking sites have great photos and glowing descriptions, but what you see isn’t always what you get.
In this episode, tips for booking a room so you don’t end up having a nightmarish experience. Plus, what to do if you wind up staying at the Bates Motel.
More from Checkbook:
Hotels: Tips for Finding a Sweeter Stay
Related Consumerpedia Episodes:
#41: Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates
#86: Travel Tips from a Travel Expert
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June 12, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Ben Winters - Director of AI and Privacy at Consumer Federation of America; Kolina Koltai - Senior Researcher at Bellingcat
Criminals in the U.S. and around the globe are weaponizing artificial intelligence to create scams that are more convincing and more harmful than ever. As AI technology advances, it’s becoming difficult or nearly impossible for the average consumer to tell what’s real from what’s fake.
AI is being used to create bogus celebrity endorsements, fake images, and even write books by non-existent authors. The technology is so easy to use that scammers can pose as someone else and have video conversations with their targets.
In this episode, we’ll explain how fraudsters are using AI to supercharge their deceptions and share tips on how you can protect yourself.
Additional Resources:
Scamplified: How Unregulated AI Continues to Help Facilitate the Rise in Scams
Don’t Get Scammed! Tips For Spotting AI-Generated Fake Products Online
More from Checkbook:
Identity Theft and Fraud: How to Protect Yourself
Fraud Alert: Criminals Pitch Bogus Cryptocurrency Investments
Social Media Scams Are Skyrocketing. Here’s How to Protect Yourself
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May 29, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Anneliese Lederer - Center for Responsible Lending; Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor
Shady contractors are going door-to-door pitching “free” solar energy systems that will eliminate costly electric bills. Most of these fraudsters do shoddy work; some take the money and run. By using high-pressure sales tactics, they get homeowners to sign high-interest contracts that leave them with massive debt.
In this episode: The tricks door-to-door con artists use to sell high-priced solar systems, the facts about solar incentives and tax credits, plus tips on how to find a good solar contractor.
Read Checkbook’s full report on solar scams.
Related Consumerpedia Episodes:
#1: How to Hire a Good Contractor
#10: Here Comes the Sun? Now May Be the Best Time to Go Solar
More from Checkbook:
Small Steps, Big Impact: Save Energy by Making These Free or Inexpensive Changes
Worth the Money: Energy Saving Upgrades that Quickly Pay for Themselves
Resources, Rebates, and Tax Credits to Help You Go Green at Home
Additional Resources: Center for Responsible Lending: The Shady Side of Solar Financing
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May 15, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Christopher Elliott - Syndicated Travel Columnist
Travel is always a hassle, but this year, it comes with some added twists. There’s growing uncertainty about the economy, and concerns about being an American tourist in a foreign country. Will you be welcome?
In this episode: What to expect when booking flights, hotel rooms, or vacation rentals; how to spot travel scams that can ruin your vacation and cost you a bundle; and tips on how to be a respectful and responsible tourist when visiting other countries.
Other Consumerpedia travel episodes:
#60: Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad
#41: Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates
#17: How to Find the Best Deals on Airfare
Additional Resources:
- 60 Strategies for Finding the Best Travel Deals and Avoiding Trouble
- Do You Need Travel Insurance? (Spoiler: For Most Trips, Probably Not)
- Hotel Intel: How to Find the Best Rates for Rooms
- Cell Phone Services: How to Avoid a Big Bill When Traveling Abroad
- Tips for Traveling with a Pet
Visit The Elliott Report to read Christopher Elliott’s travel reports and advice. His nonprofit Elliott Advocacy empowers consumers to solve their own problems and helps those who can’t.
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May 1, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Emily Mester - author of American Bulk: Essays on Excess
Americans are drowning in stuff: clothing, electronics, toys and games, collectibles, and appliances.
Some of us have so much that they need to rent storage units to hold it. Why do so many have the need to buy, buy, buy?
In this episode, author Emily Mester shares personal stories from her new book American Bulk: Essays on Excess about her father’s obsession with shopping and her own tendency to overbuy. Plus, she reveals the tricks she used as a salesperson to encourage customers to make purchases.
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April 17, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook Associate Editor
Whether it’s a complimentary dessert, an unexpected upgrade to a better hotel room, or you find a $20 bill in your coat pocket, we all like freebies.
The staff at Checkbook sifted through member benefits for credit cards, warehouse clubs, health plans, and AAA. We discovered dozens of perks that are often overlooked. If you don’t know about them, you may be missing out on significant savings.
Read Checkbook’s full report on free perks.
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April 3, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Mike Quincy - Consumer Reports Autos; Ivan Drury - Director of Insights at Edmunds
Whether you’re planning to buy a new or used vehicle, be prepared for sticker shock. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average new car sold for $48,600 in February. The average used car buyer paid $25,100. With so much money on the line, you really need to do your homework before driving off with a new set of wheels.
In this episode: The 10 top picks and the latest reliability ratings from Consumer Reports, advice for anyone considering an electric vehicle, and why used cars are going to cost more this year.
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March 20, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler- Checkbook's Executive Editor
When you have a pest problem, your first move may be to grab the phone and call an exterminator. That makes sense if you have termites or bedbugs, but if it’s some ants or cockroaches in the kitchen or maybe a few mice in the garage, you may be able to do it yourself.
In this episode: DIY solutions for some of the most common household pest problems and what to look for if you hire a pest control company.
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March 6, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Susan Weinstock - CEO of Consumer Federation of America; Jennifer Chien - senior policy counsel, Consumer Reports’ financial fairness team
An increasing number of important decisions about your life are now made by computer algorithms and artificial intelligence. They do more than suggest movies or music you might like—they’re making lending decisions for banks and screening job applicants for employers.
Consumer advocates acknowledge the benefits of AI, but they’re also concerned about the potential harm. They want lawmakers and regulators to put guardrails in place to protect consumers.
In this episode, the many ways companies are now using algorithms and AI, how these powerful computer programs make the marketplace less transparent—and, in some cases, less fair—and how the massive amount of data being collected and used to make decisions about lending, employment, housing, and insurance coverage can infringe on privacy rights.
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February 20, 2025
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jonathan Unverzat & Johnika Nixon - debt counseling success stories; Lara Ceccarelli - NFCC certified credit counselor with American Financial Solutions in Bremerton, Washington
Americans are piling on credit card debt at an alarming pace, and the unprecedented interest rates on these unpaid balances can be as much as 30% to 35%. No wonder it seems impossible to get out from under it.
But with hard work and proper guidance, you can do it. In this episode: Meet two people who were drowning in credit card debt and got their finances back in order. Also, a certified nonprofit credit counselor explains how debt consolidation works and the dangers of using a for-profit debt settlement company.
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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.