Smart Spending
Consumer trends, deals, price changes, subscription services, comparison shopping, and making smarter purchasing decisions in everyday life.
Latest in Smart Spending
$39 billion in matured U.S. savings bonds sit unclaimed, and a free government search finds any with your name
For much of the twentieth century, paper U.S. savings bonds were among the most common financial gifts in America. Grandparents bought them for newborns, employers...
Heated insoles sold online are recalled after fires caused burns serious enough to need skin grafts
Battery-heated insoles sold online under the Meisinuo and METASONO names have been recalled after the products caught fire and caused burns severe enough that some...
Flaunt MagSafe battery chargers are recalled because the lithium battery can overheat and catch fire
Flaunt MagSafe battery chargers have been pulled from the market because the lithium-ion battery packed inside them can overheat and ignite, creating a fire and...
Kobalt-branded Greenworks power tools are recalled after their batteries sparked and caught fire while charging
Kobalt-branded yard and power tools made by Greenworks have been recalled after their batteries were reported to smoke, spark, or catch fire while charging, creating...
Anyone on SNAP or Medicaid can take $9.25 a month off a phone or internet bill through Lifeline
For older adults living on a fixed income, a phone and internet connection is not a luxury. It is how a person reaches a doctor,...
One in seven Americans is owed part of $70 billion in unclaimed property, searchable free at MissingMoney.com
Unclaimed property sounds like an abstraction, but it is usually something ordinary: a final paycheck that never got cashed, a security deposit a landlord returned...
Living-room furniture sets sold nationwide are recalled over a serious fire hazard
Roughly 10,400 sofas, loveseats, and recliners sold across the United States are being pulled from homes after federal regulators determined that a faulty power switch...
A traditional funeral now averages about $8,000, and total end-of-life costs can top $88,000
Families burying a loved one in the United States now face a traditional funeral bill averaging about $8,000, and when that cost is stacked on...
Best Buy is recalling Insignia gas ranges whose knobs can switch on by accident
Owners of certain Insignia-brand gas ranges sold through Best Buy face a straightforward but serious safety problem: the control knobs can switch on with nothing...
Greenworks is recalling 554,780 Kobalt yard tools after 34 caught fire
Greenworks Tools is recalling 554,780 Kobalt-branded yard power tools sold across the United States after 34 units caught fire. The affected products, which include 24V...
Airlines must refund your checked-bag fee if the bag arrives 12 hours late
Air travelers who pay to check a bag on a domestic flight and then wait more than 12 hours for it to show up are...
A Wegovy weight-loss pill now costs $149 a month through the new TrumpRx site
Americans paying out of pocket for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can now buy the Wegovy pill for $149 a month through TrumpRx.gov, a price that represents...
Toyota is recalling Lexus SUVs whose rearview camera image may fail to appear
Toyota is recalling certain Lexus SUVs because the rearview camera image may not appear on the display when drivers shift into reverse, eliminating a federally...
A record 1 in 5 new-car buyers now has a monthly payment above $1,000
More than one in five new-car buyers in the United States now carries a monthly payment above $1,000, a record share that signals how deeply...
QVAR asthma inhaler buyers can claim cash from a $35 million settlement by July 31
People who bought the QVAR asthma inhaler could be eligible for a share of a $35 million settlement, but the window to file a claim...
California is holding $15 billion in unclaimed cash, the most any state owes its residents
Billions of dollars in forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, and dormant insurance payouts sit in California’s state treasury, and the pile keeps growing. The state...
Owners of some 2022 Mitsubishi Outlanders can claim cash over a hood that can fly open, by July 27
Owners of certain 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs face a July 27 deadline to file claims for cash payments connected to a defect that can cause...
Sony will pay $7.85 million to PlayStation gamers who bought digital games since 2019
PlayStation owners who purchased digital games through Sony’s online storefront since 2019 could receive a share of a proposed $7.85 million settlement tied to a...
880,000 Honda Pilot, Ridgeline and Passport and Acura MDX vehicles are being recalled
Owners of certain Honda and Acura SUVs and trucks sold in cold-weather states face a rear suspension defect that could lead to loss of vehicle...
419,967 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs are being recalled over seat belts that can fail to hold you in a crash
Ford is pulling back 419,967 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because the seat belts in those vehicles can fail to hold occupants during a crash....