Saturday, October 16, 2010

10 Energy-Efficient Moves to Do in a Weekend

With winter approaching, why not give these 10 DIY weekend projects a try? They range in price from $10 to no more than $250 -- money you should easily recoup with improved efficiency or when you go to sell your home. You'll be saving cash and going green at the same time.

1. Replace Your Showerhead

Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Estimated Cost: $10 to $60

Install a new WaterSense-labeled showerhead, and you could save more than 2,300 gallons of water annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Using less hot water will cut your energy bills, and your local utilities may provide a rebate, too. EPA vouches that models labeled WaterSense still provide a satisfying shower.


Your showerhead is a water-waster if it fills a gallon bucket in 20 seconds. To find out how much water and money you could save in your home with water-saving improvements, use the calculator at EPA.gov.


2. Add Aerators to Your Faucets

Estimated Time: About 5 minutes per faucet
Estimated Cost: $2 to $10

You can save another 500 gallons of water annually simply by replacing a standard aerator, which delivers more than 2.5 gallons per minute, with a low-flow one, with a flow of 0.5 to 1 gallon per minute. The low-flow aerators will cut water and energy usage while maintaining adequate water pressure. Unsure whether your faucets are water wasters? Put a quart container under the sink faucet and let 'er flow. If the container fills in less than five seconds, get busy.

In the kitchen you might want greater flow, say 2 to 4 gallons per minute, for filling a pot or the sink.

3. Install a Water-Efficient Toilet

Estimated Time: One hour
Estimated Cost: $200 or more

EPA estimates that a family of four that replaces a home's older toilets with WaterSense-labeled models will, on average, can save more than $90 annually on their water bill and $2,000 over the toilet's lifetime.

Concerned about performance? Read the rave reviews of the American Standard Cadet 3 high-efficiency toilet ($198) at Home Depot. For example, "... easy to install and flushes like no tomorrow. You hit that handle, your problems disappear." For how to install tips Bob Vila can help you. If you still don't feel comfortable, you can always hire a contractor for about $150.

4. Switch to CFLs

Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Estimated Cost: $2 to $15 for specialty bulbs

As the days get shorter, you'll keep on the lights longer. Now's a good time to switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Energy-Star qualified CFLs use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescents.

Start with your five most frequently used fixtures and you can save more than $65 annually. Don't forget about your hardest-to-reach locations, too. Don't want to climb a ladder? Use the Bayco 11-foot Light Bulb Changer ($20).

5. Install a Programmable Thermostat

Estimated Time: A half hour
Estimated Cost: $25 to $250

With a programmable thermostat you can preset temperatures for your home that will automatically reduce heating and cooling when you don't need it as much. Energy Star says an average household can save about $180 annually on their energy bills by properly setting their programmable thermostat and maintaining those settings.

This is a low-voltage wiring installation that will involve 2 to 10 wires. If you don't feel comfortable following the instructions, a heating-and-air-conditioning contractor will probably charge you $75 to $150 for installation

6. Build or Install an Insulated Attic Hatch

Estimated Time: Several hours
Estimated Cost: $30 if DIY; $30 to $240 for ready-made models

If your attic entry is uninsulated your home gains heat in summer and loses it in winter, jacking up your energy bills.

You also have your choice of several, ready-made products. Check out: Battic Door Home Energy Conservation Products, The Energy Guardian Kits, the Attic Tent and the Draft Cap.

7. Stop Chimney Drafts

Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Estimated Cost: $55 for ready-made draftstopper

Even with the damper closed, in winter your home's heated air goes up the chimney and in summer hot outdoor air comes down. When you're not using it your fireplace, plug the flue with a chimney balloon like the Draftstopper from Battic Door Energy Conservation Products.

For a really cheap alternative, you can make one out of an old seat cushion or a pillow placed in a heavy plastic bag. Stuff the cushion into the flue and tie a long tail to it, so you don't forget about it the next time you make a fire.

8. Drain Sediment From Your Water Heater

Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Estimated Cost: $0

To ensure your water heater's performance and longevity, drain it annually to get rid of accumulated sediment -- sand, minerals or other non-soluble stuff that settles at the bottom of the tank. A good tip-off that you need to do this? The heater sounds like a coffee pot, making bubbling or burping noises.

The basic strategy: Attach a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the rank and run it outdoors or to a utility tub.

9. Replace Your Washing Machine Hoses

Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Estimated Cost: $10 to $20

Washing machine hoses don't last forever, regardless of the material they're made from -- reinforced rubber of stainless-steel reinforced (even those touted as "burst-proof"). A broken one can deluge your home with hundreds of gallons of water per hour, and your homeowners insurance probably won't cover the flood.

Check the hoses frequently for rusting, bulging, cracking, fraying and leaks -- signs that you should replace the hoses now. Otherwise, State Farm recommends that you replace them every three to five years. While you're at it, check the hoses leading to water heaters, dishwashers and refrigerator icemakers.

10. Add Insulating Window Treatments

Estimated Time: One hour for drapes; half hour per blind
Estimated Cost: $30 to $200 and up

You can increase your comfort and cut your energy bills this winter with thermal window coverings. Duette Architella honeycomb shades, by Hunter Douglas (from $202 per blind), is the only window covering that qualifies for the federal energy-efficiency tax credit of 30% of the cost, up to a maximum of $1,500, if you install them before December 31. The shade more than doubles the insulating value of a double-paned, low E window (when "inside mounted" and fully recessed within the window casement).

Other options: Country Curtains sells foam-backed thermal curtains and insulated liners that you can hang behind your existing curtains with heavy-duty double rods that hold curtain and liner.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

10 Brands That May Disappear in 2011

24/7 Wall St. regularly compiles a report of brands that are likely to disappear in the near-term. Last April, and again in December, we published our findings. Usually, it would take a full year before such a list could be compiled again. However, the current economic climate has accelerated this process and a majority of the brands on the first two lists are either gone, have been acquired, or have filed for bankruptcy.

With a number of the brands on the December list either gone or on a short-term path to extinction, 24/7 Wall St. has put together the latest version of the Ten Brands That Will Disappear. To qualify, we expect that brand to be gone by the end of 2011, or for its parent to be sold or go into Chapter 11.




Reader's Digest was once the most widely read magazine in the world. According to the company, it still may be when its overseas editions are taken into account. Last August, the company took its U.S. operations into Chapter 11 to decrease debt. It emerged from bankruptcy in February with $525 million in exit financing. The company cut the number of issues it publishes a year from 12 to 10 last year. It also cut its circulation guarantee for advertisers to 5.5 million copies from 8 million. It would have been unthinkable just a few years ago that a magazine as old and famous as Reader's Digest would be shuttered. However, Reader's Digest as it is known in the U.S. will be gone.

Blockbuster was the national leader in the video rental business for nearly two decades. Now it is contemplating Chapter 11 to eliminate debt. The company lost $65 million last quarter. Its revenue continues to fall rapidly as firms such as Redbox and NetFlix (Nasdaq: NFLX - News) siphon off its revenue. Blockbuster has more than 6,000 stores, so it is hard to imagine that the company could disappear. But, there is some precedent, even if it is on a smaller scale. Blockbuster rival Movie Gallery said in February that it would close all of its 2,400 U.S. stores. Blockbuster's model of renting movies through physical locations has been destroyed by cable and satellite video on demand, DVDs via mail and dispensing machines. Blockbuster may still be around as a company that has movie kiosks and a small mail and Internet-delivered content business. But its brick and-mortar business is dead.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, the car rental company, is for sale. Hertz (NYSE: HTZ - News) is a potential buyer, as is Avis Budget (NYSE: CAR - News). Each of the larger car rental firms would use the Dollar Thrifty business to expand their market share. That does not mean that they would keep the brand. The current company is not much of a business. It made only $27 million last quarter on revenue of $348 million. It has more than $1.5 billion in "debt and other obligations." The number of vehicles that Dollar Thrifty operates at any one time is only 95,000 compared to 420,000 for Hertz. The firm's customer base and some of its locations may be valuable, but Dollar Thrifty can't compete with Avis and Hertz. A decade ago, the car rental industry was able to support six independent brands. A significant drop in business and leisure travel and sharp competition among the companies has already caused the creation of Avis Budget. Dollar Thrifty will be the next casualty of the industry's consolidation.


T-Mobile, the U.S. wireless provider, is owned by telecom giant Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY.PK - News). It is the No.4 cellular company in an American market that only supports two really successful firms -- AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless. Even the third-largest company in the market -- Sprint-Nextel (NYSE: S - News) -- has 50 million customers. T-Mobile had 34 million customers at the end of last year. T-Mobile only had a profit of $306 million in 2009. That was down from $483 million in 2008. T-Mobile not only faces three larger competitors, it also has to begin to offer 4G service to compete with Sprint's new WiMax service and LTE-based products from AT&T (NYSE: T - News) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News). T-Mobile may seek a partner to offer a 4G network, but there are no super-fast broadband networks likely to be finished before its three rivals offer the service. As it now stands, T-Mobile has no future in the U.S. A merger with Sprint-Nextel has been mentioned several times. The combined company would have a customer base about the same size as AT&T or Verizon. And the transaction would probably make Deutsche Telekom a large owner of the combined operation. Another alternative would be a merger with Virgin Mobile. Maybe Deutsche Telekom will just change the firm's name.

Moody's Corp. may have the name with the largest negative brand equity in the U.S. Scandals about the company's rating of mortgage-backed securities and allegations that the firm compromised it ratings process to get business have ruined the company's image. Moody's is more than 100 years old, but the reputation it built over those years is irretrievably lost. There is a chance Moody's could be ruined by civil actions, four of which are pending, and by charges brought by the U.S. government. Overseas authorities may bring a number of actions against the company as well. Moody's activities are almost certainly to be more regulated, which will squeeze margins and hurt sales. Moody's may end up selling its accounts to a new rating company, which would probably hire many of its employees. Pacific Investment Management Co. and other institutional investors have talked about taking on some if not all the roles that the current rating firms play. Research houses like Alliance Bernstein (NYSE: AB - News) could also take on some of those rolls. Part of Moody's operation may stay alive, but there is not much left to salvage in the brand.

BP: The case against the BP brand is not so much that the company will enter bankruptcy. It is that BP may end up breaking into pieces for its own sake. This may be to put the liabilities for the Deepwater Horizon spill into a company that also holds escrow capital to cover the huge costs of clean-up and suits. BP may also want to separate its successful refining operations from its exploration business, or recreate an American- based company similar to BP America, which existed for two decades. A restructuring of BP would also allow the firm to take a badly crippled brand and give the oil operation a new name -- much as it did when it changed its name from British Petroleum. The second time may be the charm.

RadioShack is one of the oldest retailers in the U.S. It was founded in 1921 and in the early 1960s was purchased by Tandy Corp. The Tandy name was used for some of Radio Shack's retail stores. RadioShack is currently a takeover target. There have been rumors that the company may be taken private via a leveraged buyout or purchased by Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News), probably for its locations. Best Buy would certainly not keep the RadioShack brand because it is considered downscale and does not have the reputation for quality products and service that Best Buy enjoys. RadioShack has already begun to rebrand itself as "The Shack," an indication that it knows the older brand is a burden.

Zale Corp. was founded in 1924 by the Zale brothers. It was one of the earliest retailers to offer the ability to buy items on credit. By 1980, Zale had revenue of over $1 billion. In 1992, Zale filed for bankruptcy and by the end of that decade, its revenue was $1.3 billion -- about the same as it is today. Zale has been at death's door for some time. Its market value is down to $48 million. The company is trying to turn itself around, but most experts are not convinced. The company recently made the Forbes list for firms with extreme financial risk. In the last quarter, the retailer lost $12 million on revenue of $360 million. Zale is also in a very crowded market that includes retailers as large as Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News). Golden Gate Capital recently put money into Zale to buy it time. New money may defer the point at which Zale goes under, but it won't prevent it.

Merrill Lynch may have been acquired, but that will not keep it safe. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Banks and other large financial services firms have a habit of buying large retail brokerage houses and then changing their names. Shearson is gone. So is EF Hutton and Prudential. In most cases the parent company wants to put their own names on the door. That is very likely to happen to Merrill Lynch, which was at one point the largest full-service broker in the U.S. Merrill is now owned by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC - News), and the buyout spawned a number of scandals that kept Merrill's name in the paper for weeks and did a great deal to harm its name with customers. Bank of America will follow a time honored tradition, and Merrill Lynch will become BofA Investment Management.

Kia Motors Corp. is one of the two car brands of Hyundai of South Korea. It has always been a marginal brand. Its stable mate, Hyundai USA, has a reputation for high quality cars like the Sonata and Genesis. Kia sells "low rent" cars and SUV nameplates like the Sorento and Rio. As GM and Ford (NYSE: F - News) have already discovered, it is expensive to maintain multiple brands and storied car names, including Pontiac, Saturn and Mercury, are disappearing. Most Kia cars sell for $14,000 to $25,000. Hyundai has several cars in the same price range. Hyundai's Sonata has quickly become one of the best-selling cars in America, and its Genesis flagship model competes with mid-sized BMWs and Mercedes. The parent company will take a page from several other global car companies and dump its weakest brand.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

പ്രാര്‍‌ത്ഥന അനുഗ്രഹത്തിന്‍റെ താക്കോല്‍

ഹൃദയത്തില്‍ നിന്ന്‌ മാലിന്യം നീക്കം ചെയ്യാനുള്ള ഉപാധിയാണ്‌ പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന. പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനയിലൂടെ മനസിനേയും ഉപവാസത്തിലൂടെ ശരീരത്തേയും ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കുകയാണ്‌ നോമ്പുകാലത്തിന്‍റെ ലക്‍ഷ്യം.

ഭൗതിക മോഹങ്ങള്‍ മൂലം ദൈവസ്‌മരണയില്‍ നിന്ന്‌ അകലുന്നവരെ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടവരെന്ന് കരുതുന്നു. അവരുടെ ഹൃദയങ്ങളില്‍ പുണ്യം നിറയില്ല. അവരുടെ പ്രവൃത്തിയും വാക്കും പിഴച്ചതായിത്തീരും.

ദിക്‌റുകളില്‍ ഏറ്റവും മുഖ്യമായത്‌ “അല്ലാഹു വല്ലാതെ മറ്റ്‌ ആരാധ്യനില്ല” എന്നതാണ്‌. ഈ സത്യവിശ്വാസം ശിഷ്ട ജീവിതത്തിലും മുറുകെ പിടിക്കാനുള്ള കരുത്തു നേടുകയാണ്‌ നോമ്പുകാലത്തിന്‍റെ ആവശ്യം.

“നിന്‍റെ നാഥന്‍ വിധിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു, നീ അവനെ അല്ലാതെ ആരാധിക്കരുത്‌”. എന്ന വാചകം ഓര്‍ക്കുക. സൃഷ്ടാവായ ദൈവത്തോടാവണം മനുഷ്യന്‍റെ പ്രാഥമികമായ കടപ്പാട്‌. അതിനൊടൊപ്പം തന്നെ പ്രധാനമാണ്‌ മാതാപിതാക്കളോടുള്ള ബാധ്യതയും.

സ്വന്തം അച്ഛനമ്മമാര്‍ക്ക്‌‌ വേണ്ടിയാണെങ്കിലും നീതിയുടെ പക്ഷത്ത്‌ നിന്ന്‌ വ്യതിചലിക്കരുത്‌ എന്നും പലസ്ഥലങ്ങളിലും നബി വ്യക്തമാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്‌‌. ദൈവത്തോടാവണം ഏറ്റവും അടിയുറച്ച കടപ്പാട്‌ കാഴ്‌ചവയ്‌ക്കേണ്ടത്‌.

അതിനുള്ള ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച വഴിയാണ്‌ പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന. അല്ലാഹുവിനെ സ്‌തുതിക്കുന്നവര്‍ സര്‍വ്വവും അവനില്‍ അര്‍പ്പിക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്‌. അവന്‍റെ കഴിവുകളില്‍ സംശയാലുവാകരുത്‌. പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥന എന്നത്‌ അനുഗ്രഹത്തി‌ന്‍റെ താക്കോലാണ്‌.

തിന്മകളില്‍ നിന്ന്‌ സ്വയം അകന്നു നില്‍ക്കാനുള്ള മനസാന്നിധ്യമാണ്‌ അല്ലാഹുവിനോട്‌ നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കുള്ള കടപ്പാട്‌ വ്യക്തമാക്കുക. അല്ലാഹുവിന്‍റെ നാമങ്ങളോ അവനോടുള്ള പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനയോ നിരന്തരം ഉരുവിട്ട്‌‌ മനസിനെ അല്ലാഹുവിന്‍റെ സന്നിധിയില്‍ ഉറപ്പിച്ച്‌ നിര്‍ത്തുമ്പോള്‍ മാത്രമാണ്‌ അത്‌ സാധ്യമാകുക.

കലിയുഗ ദുരിതം മാറ്റാന്‍ ജപം

കലിയുഗത്തിലെ ദുരിതങ്ങള്‍ മറികടക്കാന്‍ എന്തു ചെയ്യണം എന്ന് നാരദ മഹര്‍ഷിക്ക് സംശയം. ആശങ്ക അകറ്റാനായി നാരദര്‍ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ അടുത്തെത്തി. നാരായണ മന്ത്രം ജപിച്ചാല്‍ കലിയുഗ ദുരിതങ്ങള്‍ മറികടക്കാനാവും എന്നായിരുന്നു ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ഉപദേശം. ബ്രഹ്മാവ് നാരായണ നാമം നാരദര്‍ക്ക് ഉപദേശിച്ചു കൊടുക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു;

“ ഹരേ രാമ ഹരേ രാമ രാമ രാമ ഹരേ ഹരേ
ഹരേ കൃഷ്ണ ഹരേ കൃഷ്ണ കൃഷ്ണ കൃഷ്ണ ഹരേ ഹരേ “

ലൌകിക ജീവിതം നയിക്കുന്ന സാധാരണക്കാര്‍ക്ക് മുക്തി നേടാനുള്ള പരമമായ മാര്‍ഗമാണ് നാമജപം. നാമജപത്തിലൂടെ സാലോക്യം,സാമീപ്യം, സായൂജ്യം, സാരൂപ്യം എന്നീ നാല് മുക്തികളും പ്രാപ്യമാവുമെന്നായിരുന്നു ബ്രഹ്മോപദേശം.

ഭക്തര്‍ ബ്രഹ്മ ലോകത്തിലോ വിഷ്ണു ലോകത്തിലോ ശിവലോകത്തിലോ എത്തിച്ചേരുന്നതിനെ സാലോക്യ മുക്തി എന്നും ഭഗവാന്റെ സമീപത്ത് എത്തിച്ചേരുന്നതിനെ സാമീപ്യ മുക്തി എന്നും ഭഗവാന്റെ രൂ‍പത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നത് സാരൂപ്യ മുക്തി എന്നും ഭഗവാനില്‍ ലയിച്ചു ചേരുന്നതിനെ സായൂജ്യ മുക്തി എന്നും അറിയപ്പെടുന്നു.

കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ മനുഷ്യ മനസ്സിന് ചിന്താ ശേഷി കുറയുകയും മലീമസപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ദിവസേനയുള്ള നാപജപത്തിലൂടെ മനസ്സിന് തെളിച്ചം ഉണ്ടാക്കാന്‍ കഴിയും. തെളിച്ചമുള്ള മനസ്സില്‍ ദുര്‍ചിന്തകള്‍ കുറയുകയും ഏകാഗ്രത വര്‍ദ്ധിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുമെന്ന് മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠര്‍ ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു.

മൂന്നു കോടി നാമം ജപിക്കുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക് രോഗപീഡ ഉണ്ടാവില്ല. നാല് കോടി നാമം ജപിക്കുന്ന ആളിന് ദാരിദ്ര മുക്തി നേടാനാവും. അഞ്ചു കോടി നാമം ജപിക്കുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക് അയാള്‍ ജ്ഞാനിയായി തീരും. ആറ് കോടി നാമം ജപിച്ചാല്‍ മനസ്സ് ശത്രു വിമുക്തമാവും (അനാവശ്യ ചിന്തകള്‍ അലട്ടാതിരിക്കും). ഏഴ് കോടി നാമം ജപിച്ചാല്‍ ആദ്ധ്യാത്മികമായി ഏറെ ഉയരെ എത്തുകയും ആയുസ്സ് വര്‍ദ്ധിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യും. ഒമ്പത് കോടി നാമം ജപിച്ചാല്‍ പവിത്രമായ മരണം സംഭവ്യമാവും പത്ത് കോടി നാമം ജപിച്ചാല്‍ സ്വപ്നത്തില്‍ ഭഗവല്‍ ദര്‍ശനമുണ്ടാവും എന്നും മുനിവര്യന്‍‌മാര്‍ ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു.

നിഷ്ഠയോ നിയമങ്ങളോ കൂടാതെ വിശ്വാസത്തോടും അര്‍പ്പണ മനോഭാവത്തോടും മുക്തി നേടാന്‍ കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ ഉപദേശിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്ന മാര്‍ഗ്ഗമാണ് നാമജപം. ശുദ്ധമായ സ്ഥലത്ത് ഇരുന്ന് നിത്യേന നാമജപം നടത്തുന്നത് ഗ്രഹപ്പിഴകള്‍ ഒഴിഞ്ഞു പോവാനുള്ള ഉത്തമ മാര്‍ഗമായും ആചാര്യന്മാര്‍ പറയുന്നു.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Four myths about eggs

By Lori Bongiorno
Posted Tue May 4, 2010 12:09pm PDT
Related topics: Health, Food and Drink, Tips, Organic More from The Conscious

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not?

And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much.

It's not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions.



Myth: Brown eggs are different than white.

Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other. There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics.



Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.

Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.”



Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.

Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D.

If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.



Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells.

Fact: Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.)

Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Should You Buy or Rent?

Renting may be smarter if home prices in your area will fall further.
More from Kiplinger.com


If you're a renter, you may be champing at the bit to buy a house after watching prices fall for four years. Is it time to jump? It may well be, especially if you want to capture the home buyer's tax credit (you'll need to have a contract by April 30 and close by June 30). But before you leap, you need to go beyond calculating the impact on your monthly budget and figure out how much home-price froth is left in your local housing market.

Bubble Zone
The price-rent ratio -- a city's median home price divided by median annual rent -- is one sign of how stable home prices are likely to be. We have included the average monthly mortgage payment (based on a 10 percent down payment and 5.3 percent interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage) and median apartment rent.


Most Stable

Metro Area Price Rent Ratio Monthly Mortgage Payment Apartment Rent
Cleveland, Ohio 12 $788 $696
Detroit, Michigan 13 $762 $757
Tampa, Fla. 14 $909 $776
Indianapolis, Ind. 14 $828 $628
Atlanta, Ga. 14 $823 $756
Inland Empire, Cal. 15 $1,057 $996
Las Vegas, Nevada 15 $916
$795

St. Louis, Mo. 15 $891
$682

Cincinnati, Ohio 15 $892
$667

Jacksonville, Fla. 15 $1,028
$758

Least Stable

Metro Area Price Rent Ratio Monthly Mortgage Payment Apartment Rent
Oakland, Cal. 34 $2,934 $1,233
San Jose, Cal.
34 $3,428 $1,449
San Francisco, Cal.
30 $3,736 $1,732
Orange Cty., Cal.
29 $3,128 $1,444
Seattle, Wash.
29 $2,147 $926
Salt Lake City, Utah
27 $1,296 $694
New York, New York 27 $7,083
$3,327

Portland, Ore.
26 $1,627
$762

San Diego, Cal.
26 $2,263
$1,278

Tuscon, Ariz. 25 $1,122
$604




Encouraging signs
A key number to consider when switching from renter to homeowner is the price-rent ratio. This figure compares a city's median home price with its median annual rent. At the housing market's peak in 2005, the national median home price had inflated to nearly 21 times the median annual rent. By the third quarter of 2009, however, the ratio had deflated to 15, returning to the historical norm, according to Hessam Nadji, managing director of Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate brokerage company in Encino, Cal.

If the price-rent ratio where you're looking to buy is 18 or higher, your market may still be in the bubble zone, with a greater probability that home prices will fall after you buy. That could put you underwater -- meaning your home would be worth less than what you owe on the mortgage. If the ratio has fallen below 15, there's less chance that home prices will sink.

The table on Rent or Buy above shows the ten cities in which home prices are least likely to drop further, as well as those most likely to fall further, based on price-rent ratios. We also show the gap between median monthly apartment rents and median monthly mortgage payments. Five years ago, the difference between monthly mortgage payments and rent was $745 nationally; by the end of 2009, it was just $181.

To get a rough estimate of your local price-rent ratio, divide the average list price of several homes that meet your criteria by the average annual rent of several rental units with the same number of bedrooms and comparable amenities.

Weighing the decision
A year ago, the price-rent ratio in Phoenix was 14 -- down from almost 19 a year earlier. Home prices had fallen by half, and mortgage rates were at historic lows. Financial planner Brendan McNamar decided it was finally time for him to buy. He had rented since moving to the city in 2006, just after the housing bubble peaked, and was sitting on a nice nest egg from a home he had sold in 2004.

McNamar shopped for a long time, made offers on several houses and eventually bought a ten-year-old, four-bedroom, three-bathroom short sale listed for $219,000. (In a short sale, the sellers get permission from the lender to sell for less than the mortgage amount.) The house had sold for $355,000 in 2007. McNamar offered the full price, which the bank eventually accepted after 90 days. He put down 20% and took out a 30-year mortgage with a low fixed rate of 5.25%. He pays $1,176 a month (including taxes and insurance), which is more than twice his former monthly rent of $550. But because he hadn't owned a home in the past three years, he was able to snag the $8,000 first-time home buyer's tax credit.

From an investment perspective, McNamar wanted a house that would allow him to break even or earn a profit if he sold in three years. But given that prices have fallen even further in Phoenix since last spring -- the price-rent ratio is a rough guide, not an infallible one -- he reckons that his break-even point now may be four years away. But it's not a big financial setback to him because he has no plans to move.

Good deals for renters
Renting can be a smart strategy while waiting for this choppy housing market to settle down. Consider Jeremy Portnoff and his wife, Heather, of Edison, N.J. By mid 2009, the median home price in Edison had fallen a healthy 19%, to $317,000, from the market's peak in mid 2006.

The Portnoffs had their heart set on a home with three or four bedrooms to accommodate the family they hope to have, plus an office for Jeremy. The house they could afford was a starter home, probably a small townhouse -- which, on an after-tax basis, they figured would cost them about the same as renting.

But the Portnoffs also figured that if they sold it in three years, real estate commissions would consume any gains they could reasonably expect. Plus, Jeremy believed that the price of their ideal home in that area would continue to decline.

So they took a pass on buying and got a great deal on renting a two-bedroom townhome -- $1,550 a month, $300 less than when they looked at the same development three years before. The couple prudently plan to continue to pay down debt and save for a larger down payment on their next home.

In some markets, rental prices have dropped as supply has increased. By the end of 2009, the vacancy rate nationally had grown to 8.2%, a 30-year high, according to Nadji, of Marcus & Millichap. Meanwhile, rents had fallen 5.8% from the year before.

Markets with the highest vacancy rates include Jacksonville, Fla. (forecast at 14% in 2010), Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Tucson. Renters in such markets can afford to shop around and negotiate hard. A building's leasing manager may be willing to lower the rent to attract or keep your business.

Nadji expects the vacancy rate nationally to tighten up a bit (to 7.8%) by year-end and start a rapid recovery beginning in 2011, with very strong rent growth between 2011 and 2015. Demographics (five million people will enter the peak renter age range of 20 to 34 over the next decade) and plummeting construction starts in 2009 and 2010 drive his forecast.

Not all cities have an excess of rental units, though. In some large cities, such as New York, downtown Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., vacancy rates have remained tight -- and home prices have remained stubbornly high.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

5 New Rules for a Healthy Credit Score

The rules that credit-card companies have to live by changed dramatically with the enactment of new regulations last month. Now, some of the rules for consumers striving to maintain good credit are changing, too.

For the most part, card holders would still do well to pay on time, keep their balances low and refrain from applying for too many credit cards at once. But some of the old tenets may not always hold up, as credit-card companies continue to adapt to the new environment and look for ways to run their for-profit businesses.

Case in point: Many issuers introduced annual or inactivity fees in the weeks leading to or immediately after the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act went into effect. "Now folks have to decide -- do they want this card badly enough to pay the fee, or do they close it," says Barry Paperno, the consumer operations manager at FICO (FICO). It's a question of more than just losing a credit line. Closing a credit card can have a big impact on one's credit score. That is, unless you do some groundwork in advance.



With the help of some easy -- if often counterintuitive -- steps, you can improve and retain a healthy credit score even in today's fast-changing credit environment. Here are five:

Open More Credit Cards

For years, credit experts warned that opening new credit cards will hurt your credit score -- not to mention enable you to run up huge debts. That's still true: The length of your credit history and new credit make up 15% and 10% of the FICO score, respectively. But with credit issuers lowering credit limits left and right these days, having too few credit cards puts a much more important credit-score component at risk: credit utilization, or how much of your available credit you're using. Credit utilization makes up 30% of your score. "More cards mean more available credit and more options if an issuer decides they don't like you," says John Ulzheimer, president for educational services at Credit.com. Generally, having four or five credit cards is better than having just one or two, he says.

Expanding your credit-card portfolio isn't something you should do tomorrow -- it's a strategy to be executed over time. If you have just two cards, now is the time to open a third. But wait at least six months or a year until you apply for a fourth.

Max Out (Some of) Your Credit Cards

A quirk of credit score math actually makes it advantageous to max out certain cards. How? It's a matter of what the issuer tells the credit bureaus.



Some types of payment cards don't report credit limits to the credit bureaus. They include all charge cards from American Express (AXP) and may include some high-end credit cards that are marketed as having no preset spending limit, such as Visa (V) Signature and MasterCard (MA) World. (These cards have a credit limit, but card holders can exceed it and must pay off the excess in full on their next bill.)

When the FICO scoring system comes across such an account, it will either bypass it for the purpose of calculating credit utilization, or substitute the credit limit value with that of the highest balance on record for the account. The most current FICO scores from TransUnion and Equifax (EFX) bypass charge cards, according to Paperno. So as far as those two bureaus are concerned, your charge card spending will not affect your utilization.

But in cases where the FICO formulas substitute the credit limit value with that of the highest balance, consumers who spend roughly the same amount each month could end up with lower scores than they deserve. The solution: run up a balance that's much higher than usual, and your utilization ratio will improve in the following months, Ulzheimer says, and so will your score. (Just pay off that balance in full the next month to avoid interest charges.) Your score will drop during the month for which your card appears maxed out, so don't execute this strategy if you're shopping for a mortgage or another large loan.

To find out if you have cards that don't report a credit limit, check your credit report. You can order one free report a year from each of the three credit bureaus on AnnualCreditReport.com. Charge cards are typically reported as "open," while other credit-card accounts are reported as "revolving," Paperno says.

Don't Ask for a Lower APR

In the old days, consumers were encouraged to call their credit-card companies and ask for lower interest rates. "There really wasn't a downside to doing that," says Gerri Detweiler, an adviser with Credit.com. "These days, if you call you may trigger an account review." Should that happen -- and if the credit issuer doesn't like what they see -- they may cut your credit limit or actually hike your interest rate. This is where having multiple credit cards may come in handy, Detweiler says. "Don't make that call unless you have a back-up card where you could transfer that balance."

Closed a Card? Don't Pay It Off

Under the old rules, interest-rate hikes applied to your existing balance and future purchases. However, since the enactment of the CARD Act, lenders can apply rate increases only to balances going forward. That said, if you closed an account before the CARD Act to opt out of a rate hike, you may not want to rush paying off every last penny of that balance. In a little-known quirk, FICO counts the credit limits of closed accounts towards utilization ratios only as long as there's a balance on that account. "You may have a $100 balance on a card with a $10,000 limit, and it's doing wonderful things for utilization," Paperno says. "Once you pay that down, that utilization no longer counts toward your credit score." That means your credit score could take a dip because you paid off that balance.

Mix Business and Personal

Before the passage of the CARD Act, credit experts routinely advised business owners to keep business and personal expenses separate: use a business credit card for the business, a consumer credit one for their own expenses. Not any more. The CARD Act doesn't apply to business credit cards, so using a personal card for your business expenses is safer, says Detweiler. On the flip side, that may easily hurt your credit, especially if your business expenses are high. Even if you pay those high balances in full each month, they will be listed on your credit report and you could appear overextended. (Of course, there's no guarantee that this isn't happening to you even if you're still keeping things separate. Some issuers now report business credit card accounts to the consumer credit bureaus.) "There's no easy answer here," Detweiler says.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Want a Bigger Tax Refund? Don't Itemize

Six reasons why many taxpayers can save money and time by claiming the standard deduction.



Did you know you can legally take a deduction that is more than the total of your receipts? It's called the standard deduction and for a lot of taxpayers it's a money and time saver.

Year after year taxpayers spend hours hunting down and organizing all their receipts and canceled checks for totally legitimate deductions -- gifts to charity, medical expenses, unreimbursed business expenses and so on. Then they're told by their tax professionals, (or discover while using software such as Intuit's TurboTax or H&R Block's At Home) that all their conscientious record keeping is for naught. Those itemized deductions won't be showing up on their tax returns, because they'll get a bigger refund by claiming the "standard deduction."

Often people are left feeling a little cheated and confused by the process. So it helps to understand why you may be better off not itemizing, particularly this year. Here are six reasons:

1. The Standard Deduction Isn't So Small or So Standard



The standard deduction is an amount assigned to each filing status. The base amount for 2009 is $5,700 for a single filer and double that -- $11,400 -- for a married couple filing jointly. A head of household (a single parent with kids, for example) gets a standard deduction of $8,350. There are additions to these standard amounts for those who are blind or over age 65.

In addition, for 2009 filers using the standard deduction can claim some extra breaks, including a $1,000 per couple ($500 for a single) deduction for real estate taxes paid. In fact, there are so many special breaks the Internal Revenue Service created a new tax form this year: Schedule L, Standard Deductions for Certain Filers. You use Schedule L to claim the extra real estate tax deduction, certain casualty losses and a special deduction for sales tax on a new vehicle purchased after Feb. 16, 2009 and before the end of 2009. With such add-ons, the standard deduction can quickly become a large number, and more beneficial than deducting your actual expenses. The common complaint I hear is: "I don't get to take anything anymore." I explain it as "Let's Make A Tax Deal." Behind door No. 1 are all your receipts and behind door No. 2 is the standard deduction. You want to pick the door that will get you a bigger deduction.

2. Medical Expenses Aren't Easy to Deduct

The list of allowed medical deductions is long and includes out-of-pocket expenses such as medical co-pays, dental work, glasses, $0.24 per mile to get to and from medical appointments, nursing home costs, health and long-term care insurance and even the cost of adding a wheelchair ramp to your home. (Note: If you're self-employed, the cost of medical insurance is deductible on more favorable terms on your Schedule C.)

One point of confusion: Many people help pay for their health insurance with pre-tax money taken out of their pay. Even though those insurance premiums are a big and rising expense, they aren't deductible since they come out of untaxed money.

Here's another catch: You can only deduct medical expenses to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your income. So most people, while they may feel their out-of-pocket medical costs are high, will not qualify for much of any medical deduction unless they have a catastrophic illness or a family member in a nursing home.

Let's take the example of Charlotte, a single mom filing as a head of household. Charlotte works in a job with medical insurance and has an adjusted gross income of $42,000, She had out-of-pocket medical expenses totaling $3,300. But only expenses above $3,150 (7.5% of $42,000) are deductible for Charlotte. So she can deduct only $150 in medical expenses. (If she had a medical flexible spending account at work, she could have paid all of her expenses out of that -- pre-tax.)

3. Some Real Estate Taxes Are Deductible Either Way

Yes, real estate taxes on your first and second home are deductible. Charlotte paid real estate taxes of $1,200. That means if she itemizes, she can deduct $1,200. But remember, for 2009, if she claims the standard deduction, she can deduct $500 of that tax anyway.

4. Your Deductible Mortgage Interest Could Be Shrinking

Yes, this can be a big itemized deduction. But as you pay down your mortgage your interest deduction is lower, and that write-off becomes less valuable as an itemized deduction. Moreover, when you refinance to get a lower interest rate, your mortgage deduction also goes down. Note that points you pay on a new mortgage may be deducted in full the year you pay them, but those paid to refinance a mortgage must be deducted over the life of the new loan. Also be aware that closing costs are never deductible on a personal residence, although many of my clients seem to be told otherwise.

5. Charity Requires Record Keeping

You need receipts for any and all donations, including $20 you put in the church collection plate on Sunday. The Internal Revenue Service is serious about the records part, and if you're chosen for one of its "correspondence audits," it will deny charitable deductions you can't substantiate.

You cannot take a deduction for your time, but your travel to perform charitable works is deductible at $0.14 per mile. Back to Charlotte, who keeps fastidious receipts, gives generously and volunteers frequently at her church. Between donations and mileage, her deduction for charitable giving if she itemizes is $2,200.

6. Miscellaneous Deductions Are Deductible, but ...

Various items, including preparation fees, safe deposit box fees, and unreimbursed job related expenses are also deductible -- but like medical deductions, only to the extent that they exceed a certain percentage of your income. For miscellaneous deductions, that is 2%.

Charlotte paid $195 to have her taxes done, $30 for a safety deposit box and $560 in job search expenses. Her total is $785, but only amounts above $840 (2% of $42,000) are deductible. So she can't claim any miscellaneous itemized deductions.

Let's recap. Charlotte's allowed deductions, if she itemizes are: real estate taxes, $1,200; sales tax on a car $650; state and local income tax withholding from her pay, $1,100; medical expenses, $150; mortgage interest, $3,000; charity, $2,200. Grand total: $8,300. (Normally, you can deduct either state and local sales taxes or income taxes, but the car provision is an extra for 2009 that can be claimed in addition to state and local income taxes.)

Charlotte's standard deduction, as figured on Schedule L, is $8,350 for head of household status, $650 for the car taxes and $500 for real state taxes. Grand total: $9,500. So she, like many filers, receives of a larger tax break by not itemizing.

In some cases, whether itemizing saves you money will vary from year to year. But the point is this: Don't assume you're being deprived of some benefit if your tax preparer or your tax software tells you to take the standard deduction.

Cheryl Morse has been an enrolled agent specializing in individual and small-business taxes for more than 25 years and is a tax manager with Emerging Business Partners in eastern Massachusetts. She is a national instructor for the National Association of Tax Professionals, an instructor for the University of Massachusetts Tax School and area chair of the IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
Copyrighted, Forbes.com. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The 5 foods you should eat every day

Eating right on a budget can be a challenge, but it's certainly not impossible. Consider this your cheat sheet to the 5 inexpensive foods you should eat everyday for optimum health.



#1 Leafy greens
Medical experts call them one of nature's miracle foods. Leafy greens like Swiss chard and kale are high in nutrients like folate and vitamins A and C that can lower your risk of cancer. Just one cup of dark, leafy greens a day could also prevent diabetes and high blood pressure.

#2 Nuts
Many nutritionists recommend nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts because they're high in natural fiber. Fiber slows your digestive process, keeping hunger and unhealthy mid-afternoon snacks at bay. Goodbye vending machine runs!

#3 Onions
Studies show that consuming onions on a regular basis may reduce symptoms of asthma and the risk of developing stomach cancer. Add them to soups and stir-fry, and just remember -- the stronger the onion, the greater the health benefit.

#4 Whole grains
Refined grains, like white rice and pasta, have lost 90% of their nutritional value through the refining process. As if that weren't reason enough to choose whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and whole oats, a recent study showed that a diet rich in whole grains actually flattens your belly by reducing fat storage in your lower abdominal region.

#5 Yogurt
Making yogurt part of your daily eating routine can improve your digestion -- if you're buying the right stuff. Check that the label lists "active cultures" to make sure you're getting healthy probiotics, and pick a yogurt rich in vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Gov't: 34 deaths alleged in Toyotas since 2000

WASHINGTON – Complaints of deaths connected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles have surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll reaching 34 since 2000, according to new consumer data gathered by the government.

Complaints to a database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the popular Toyota Prius hybrid grew by nearly 1,000 in just over a week.

On Monday, Transportation Department spokeswoman Olivia Alair said NHTSA is quickly gathering information to help guide the government's examination of sudden acceleration, the Prius braking system and other safety issues.

Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months because of problems with gas pedals, floor mats and brakes, threatening the safety and quality reputation of the world's No. 1 automaker. The government typically receives a surge in complaints following a recall. None has yet been verified.

The new complaints reflect the heightened awareness of the massive recalls among the public and underscore a flurry of lawsuits on behalf of drivers alleging deaths and injuries in Toyota crashes. Three congressional hearings are planned on the Toyota recalls.

In the past three weeks, consumers have told the government about nine crashes involving 13 alleged deaths between 2005 and 2010 due to accelerator problems, according to a NHTSA database. The latest complaints come on top of information from consumers alleging 21 deaths from 2000 to the end of last year.

The database also shows that new complaints skyrocketed over the 2010 Prius gas-electric hybrid, which was recalled last week to replace braking software.

When NHTSA opened its investigation of Prius on Feb. 3, the government had received 124 consumer complaints. Through Feb. 11, the government had a total of 1,120 complaints alleging 34 crashes, six injuries and no deaths.

The government has renewed an investigation into potential electromagnetic problems in vehicles built by Toyota and other manufacturers. Consumer groups have pointed to potential electrical problems while the company has said recalls to fix sticking gas pedals or accelerators that can become jammed will address the problem.

Toyota spokeswoman Martha Voss said the company takes "all customer reports seriously and will, of course, look into new claims." Toyota was taking steps to improve quality control and investigate customer complaints more aggressively, Voss said.

Testing by Toyota, NHTSA and Exponent, an outside consulting firm hired by Toyota, has found no evidence of problems with Toyota's electronics, said Toyota Vice President Bob Carter at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando, Fla.

"There is no problem with the electronic throttle system in Toyotas," Carter said Monday. "There's not anything that can even remotely lead you in that direction." Carter said Exponent was told to tear the components apart to try to find anything wrong and initial tests could find nothing.

Carter said Toyota has repaired about 500,000 of the 2.3 million vehicles recalled over a potentially sticky gas pedal.

Toyota has received many complaints over vehicle speed control in the 2009 and 2008 model years, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data.

In 2009, Toyota received the most complaints that year — a total of 130 for Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles. Ford and its Mercury brand received the second-highest with 14, followed by General Motors and Honda vehicles with 9.

Among Toyota vehicles in the 2009 model year, the Camry led the list of models with 52 complaints, followed by Corolla (17), Tacoma (16) and Prius (13). The AP found eight of the top 10 vehicles with complaints over vehicle speed control were manufactured by Toyota.

In the 2008 model year, Toyota vehicles received 176 complaints of vehicle speed control, followed by Ford with 44 and Chrysler with 25. In that year, Prius had 31 complaints, followed by Tacoma with 28 and Camry with 25.

Since Jan. 27, NHTSA has processed 686 complaints from consumers about problems related to "vehicle speed control" on cars and trucks manufactured by Toyota, nearly all of them submitted through NHTSA's Web site or by e-mail.

Regarding the AP analysis, Alair, the Transportation Department spokeswoman, noted that Toyota had a large market share of vehicles in the U.S. but said she could not comment on the AP figures without further analysis.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Your Cell Phone Company's Dirty Little Secret

Mobile phone companies have been lauded for slashing the cost of unlimited voice plans, but many wireless customers' monthly bills are actually going to get a bit more expensive.

Last month, both Verizon and AT&T lowered their unlimited voice plans by $30 to $70 per month. Sprint recently unveiled a plan that allows unlimited calls to any mobile device for $60 per month. That brought the three biggest mobile carriers' prices closer to rival T-Mobile, which offers a $60 per month unlimited plan, and in line with a slew of low-cost carriers that offer similar plans for about $40 per month.

But as the wireless giants go around touting their lower voice prices, data plan costs have been quietly moving higher for some non-smartphone customers.

It began with Verizon Wireless. Last month, that company began requiring certain non-smartphone customers to subscribe to a data plan that costs at least $10 per month. Mobile experts believe Verizon's move marks the first step in a larger trend to make up for carriers' lost revenue from voice.

"There's a big shift going on among mobile companies, in which there is a price reduction on voice and an increased emphasis on selling and requiring data services," said Dan Hays, partner at PRTM. "It is like a dirty little secret."


The New Smartphones


Smartphone owners are used to paying for an unlimited data plan with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T customers doling out the most: roughly $30 per month. Sprint offers a slightly different service, but also requires smartphone users to subscribe to an unlimited plan.

But non-smartphone customers aren't used to high-priced data plans. Less expensive, limited data plans have been largely available but not widely adopted. Verizon said it began to require new customers who purchase so-called "3G multimedia" phones to subscribe to a data plan in part so that they could get the full functionality out of their phones.

"Many customers didn't understand they could use the Web on their phones," said Brenda Raney, spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless. "We hope that people who were reluctant to use data plans because they didn't know it was affordable will use them now."

Previously, Verizon offered non-smartphone customers two data plans: $10 for up to 25 megabytes or $20 for up to 75 megabytes. In January, Verizon eliminated the $20 plan and replaced it with a $30 unlimited plan that was previously available only to smartphone users.

3G multimedia phones include a wide array of phones, ranging from the LG enV Touch, which has a touch screen and a QWERTY keyboard, to the Motorola Entice, essentially a standard flip phone that can access the mobile Web.

Other carriers are planning similar data requirements for their non-smartphone devices in the next several months, analysts say.

"Non-smartphone users aren't using as much data as smartphone users, but they're getting closer," said Ramon Lamas, mobile device analyst with IDC. "Carriers see them as a breeding ground for increased data usage."


Data Overload Vs. Revenue


It's not just about increasing revenue, say analysts. Carriers are banking on the consumer-friendly aspect: phones are more fun and useful with the Internet.

"The 'naked aggression' reason is to boost revenue to offset declining voice revenue," said Charles Golvin, mobile analyst with Forrester Research. "But carriers also realize consumers won't get the enjoyment out of their devices without data."

But analysts caution that carriers need to be careful of data overload. 3G data networks are already in high demand from smartphone users, and smartphone usage was up 40% in 2009, according to an IDC study. AT&T has had well-documented 3G network troubles in New York and San Francisco due to the success of the data-hogging iPhone.

"Carriers are getting people to move to data, but they're doing it cautiously," said Lamas. "Rather than have everyone move to data immediately, they're testing the waters and taking the people who can weather higher prices first."

"Look how much revenue AT&T is getting from the iPhone," said Golvin. "It's easy for Verizon to make hay of AT&T's problems, but it's a problem that Verizon wishes it had."

Relatively few complain about Toyota

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite a torrent of high-profile recalls that have tarnished Toyota's once stellar reputation, a study published Wednesday reveals that the automaker actually gets fewer customer complaints per car than the majority of its competitors.

Edmunds.com reviewed more than 200,000 complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the last decade and found that Toyota ranked 17th among the top 20 automakers in the overall number of complaints per vehicle sold.

The results come amid a series of recalls totaling more than 8.1 million Toyotas worldwide, including 400,000 of the popular 2010 Prius hybrid for problems associated with sticking brake pedals, software glitches and faulty floormats.

The study was based on the percentage of complaints each automaker received versus the total number of vehicles they sold in the United States between 2001 and 2010.

As a result, British carmaker Land Rover had the highest proportion of complaints relative to the number of cars it sold. The company received 0.6% of the total complaints in the database, while its sales amounted to only 0.1% of all new cars sold in the United States.

Meanwhile, Toyota had 9.1% of all the complaints in the database. But the company was number 17 on the list because its sales made up 13.5% of the U.S. market.

According to the study, Toyota had fewer complaints than its American rivals. Ford was number 10 on the list, while General Motors came in at number 11.

The only automakers to receive fewer complaints than Toyota were Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and the Mercedes-made Smart Car.

Among the other automakers that ranked high on the list were Suzuki and Isuzu, which came in at numbers 2 and 3 respectively. German automaker Volkswagen came in at number 4.

The complaints lodged against Toyota ranged from minor problems with lighting to more serious issues such as sudden acceleration and difficulty steering. But the study did not rate the reported incidences for severity.

Edmunds.com said that it found some unreliable reports in the database, including one complaint indicating that 99 people had died in one vehicle as a result of an accident. It also said that about 10% of the complaints appeared to be duplicates.

Quality control: Not just Toyota's problem
While the issues raised by Toyota's recent recalls shouldn't be overlooked, quality control concerns are apparent across the entire automobile industry, said Jeremy Anwyl, Edmunds.com chief executive.

"A broader view shows that consumer complaints reflect an industry issue, not just a Toyota issue," said Anwyl. "It is no longer an option for car companies to dismiss consumer complaints, even if the event is difficult to replicate or diagnose."

Some automakers assume that customer complaints are the result of driver error and not necessarily a reflection of design problems, said Jeannine Fallon, an Edmunds.com analyst.

"It depends on the culture of the car company," she said. "But it's clear now that Toyota has not had very many conversations with NHTSA."

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Prius brakes questioned; Toyota probe expands

WASHINGTON – Americans should park their recalled Toyotas unless driving to dealers for accelerator repairs, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned Wednesday — then quickly took it back — as skepticism of company fixes grew and the government's probe expanded to other models in the U.S. and Japan. Questions now are being raised about the brakes on Toyota's marquee Prius hybrid.

The Prius was not part of the most recent recall, but Japan's transport ministry ordered the company to investigate complaints of brake problems with the hybrid. LaHood said his department, too, was looking into brake problems. About 100 complaints over Prius brakes have been filed in the U.S. and Japan.

Harried dealers began receiving parts to repair defective gas pedals in millions of vehicles and said they'd be extending their hours deep into the night to try and catch up. Toyota said that would solve the problem — which it said was extremely rare — of cars unaccountably accelerating.

At a congressional hearing, LaHood said his advice to an owner of a recalled Toyota would be to "stop driving it. Take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it." His comments prompted new questions and rattled Toyota stockholders, causing shares to plunge 8 percent before they recovered, declining 6 percent for the day.

LaHood later told reporters, "What I said in there was obviously a misstatement. What I meant to say ... was if you own one of these cars or if you're in doubt, take it to the dealer and they're going to fix it."

Adding to Toyota's woes, LaHood said his department had received new complaints about electronics and would undertake a broad review, looking beyond Toyota vehicles, into whether automobile engines could be disrupted by electromagnetic interference caused by power lines or other sources. Toyota has said it investigated for electronic problems and failed to find a single case pointing that direction.

Toyota Motor Corp., in a statement, said if owners were experiencing problems with the accelerator pedal "please contact your dealer without delay. If you are not experiencing any issues with your pedal, we are confident that your vehicle is safe to drive."

But the damage was done for many drivers.

Meredyth Waterman, who bought a 2010 Toyota Corolla in December, said the alarming statements from Washington confused her and she planned to wait until her dealer told her to come get the fix to bring her car in for repairs.

"If it is largely believed to be a rare instance, why would he tell people to stop driving their cars?" asked Waterman, of Burrillville, R.I. "It was an irresponsible thing to say."

The confusion came as the world's No. 1 automaker dealt with fresh probes in the U.S. and Japan over the Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, and growing interest from congressional and other government investigators. Toyota has shut down several new vehicle assembly lines and is rushing parts to dealers to fix problems with the accelerators, trying to preserve a reputation of building safe, durable vehicles.

Since October, Toyota first recalled about 5 million vehicles over problems with floor mats trapping gas pedals and now, in a recall announced Jan. 21, some 2.3 million vehicles amid concerns that gas pedals could become stuck or slow to return to the idle position. The latest recall involves 2009-10 RAV4 crossovers, 2009-10 Corollas, 2009-10 Matrix hatchbacks, 2005-10 Avalons, 2007-10 Camrys, 2010 Highlander crossovers, 2007-10 Tundra pickups and 2008-10 Sequoia SUVs.

Lawmakers who are now digging into the recalls said they would also look into the Prius. Rep. Bart Stupak, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce investigative subcommittee, said his panel would request a briefing from Toyota officials about the hybrid.

New York Rep. Edolphus Towns, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sought more information about the acceleration issue from Yoshi Inaba, chairman and CEO of Toyota Motor North America and asked the question on the minds of Toyota owners: "Is it safe to drive the Toyota models that have been recalled?"

Towns' committee, which is planning a Feb. 10 hearing, also wants more details on how Toyota handled complaints about pedal entrapment, reports of stuck accelerators and electrical problems. Other panels in the House and Senate also are planning hearings.

Many consumer groups have questioned whether Toyota's fix will work and have asserted it could be connected to problems with the electronic throttle control systems.

Joan Claybrook, who formerly lead Public Citizen, a watchdog group, noted that Toyota told owners during last year's recall to remove floor mats to keep the accelerator pedal from becoming jammed. "I don't think that's what the issue is. I think it has to be electronic when it slam dunks and takes off and goes 120 miles an hour," Claybrook said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, meanwhile, asked CTS, the Indiana company that made the pedals behind Toyota's latest recall, if the same problem could exist for other automakers. CTS makes pedals for Honda, Nissan and a small number of Ford vehicles in China, but the auto supplier has said the issues are limited to Toyota alone.

LaHood, who plans to speak with Toyota President Akio Toyoda about the recalls, said the government is considering civil penalties against the carmaker. But he also said that it appeared "Toyota is making an all-out effort to do all that they can to fix these cars."

The Obama administration has been forced to backtrack on several statements during its first year, though LaHood's warning was particularly striking.

Last year, when LaHood suggested the administration consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive instead of how much gasoline they buy, his comments were quickly rejected by the White House. Vice President Joe Biden triggered a day of backtracking after publicly swearing off trains and planes because of swine flu worries.

LaHood's comments irked many dealers, who have been fielding calls from nervous customers for days. Most dealers are just getting the parts, a steel shim a couple of millimeters thick, to be inserted in the pedal assembly to address potential friction that could cause the pedal to stick.

The secretary "has the best of intentions, but unfortunately we can't fix 100 cars at the same time," said Adam Lee, head of Lee Auto Malls and owner of a Toyota dealership in Topsham, Maine. "I'm sure he has the best of intentions but it may not be very constructive for us."

Earl Stewart, who owns a Toyota dealership in North Palm Beach, Fla., said LaHood's comments "could instill panic." Stewart was expecting to begin making repairs — at half an hour per vehicle — later Wednesday.

"We're leaving our service department open 'til the last customer tonight," he said. "After Ray LaHood's statement, it might be all night."

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Toyota Shows How Giants Stumble

At General Motors, they used to call their surging competitor "Mr. T," as if intimidated by a muscular rival who seemed able to seize market share at will. But Toyota suddenly looks pretty meek, thanks to a mystifying safety problem that has led to a huge recall, an unprecedented production shutdown, and an ugly dent in a once sterling reputation.

This corporate nightmare has mushroomed since last fall, when Toyota recalled about 4 million vehicles because of floor mats with a propensity to slip down into the driver's side foot well, potentially interfering with the pedals and causing sudden acceleration. Now Toyota has recalled an additional 2.3 million vehicles for a problem that sounds similar, but the company says it's different: faulty gas pedals that can stick if they become worn, causing--once again--sudden acceleration.

[See 15 cars fueling the auto recovery.]

Recalls aren't unusual. Here's what normally happens: The owner gets notified of the recall and brings the car to a dealer, where the problem is fixed in a day or two with no charge to the customer. But this recall is more confusing and far more draconian than usual. For one thing, Toyota announced the recall before there was a fix in place, so dealers didn't even know what to do if you brought them the car. Toyota implies that most of the recalled vehicles can still be driven safely, but it also offers these instructions for people who feel their car might have a sticky gas pedal: "The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off, and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance." Beyond that, Toyota has also issued some Dukes of Hazzard style maneuvers drivers should use if they're cruising along and the pedal does, in fact, stick, such as shifting into neutral or turning off the ignition (but don't take the key out!). Do they teach that in driver's ed?

If you're a concerned parent with a suspect Toyota, you could easily imagine that the gas pedal seems a little stickier than usual. And do what? Risk your kids' lives by driving them around in a death trap? Pull off on the side of the highway and call a taxi? Garage the car and rent something safe--at $300 per week--until Toyota figures out what's going on? Stressing out your customers like that isn't exactly the way to win repeat business.

The sales and production stoppage suggests an even bigger problem, with lots of legal liability. Toyota has stopped selling or building eight models, including the Camry, Corolla, and RAV 4, which represent more than 50 percent of its sales. That will cost Toyota millions, maybe billions, of dollars. It already ranks near the top in the annals of corporate meltdowns, and it's not necessarily over. GM, meanwhile, is poaching Toyota customers with special financing and other incentives, along with cars that go the speed you want them to.

[See 10 products that boomed during the recession.]

How did this happen? Toyota itself may not even know yet, and it could take months or years for the full story to develop. But Toyota's dramatic comedown isn't as sudden as it might seem. Some industry-watchers feel the saga has been building for years and may even have been inevitable.

In his 2009 book, How the Mighty Fall, business guru Jim Collins outlined five stages of decline that many big companies go through. Mostly he wrote about companies that lose their edge gradually, even imperceptibly, until thousands of tiny termite holes bring down the house. Toyota might qualify as an accelerated version of such a collapse.

Toyota has grown steadily into the world's biggest automaker, earning customer loyalty for the reliability and longevity of its vehicles. But problems have been slowly building. The T100 pickup sold in the 1990s failed to hit Toyota's usual mark for quality, with some critics complaining that it was an underpowered make-do truck that paled next to American counterparts. Beginning around 1999, thousands of Toyota owners complained about mysterious "sludge" buildup that wrecked their engines, prompting criticism that Toyota was growing too fast and skimping on quality; Toyota resisted the claims but settled a class action lawsuit brought by owners in 2007. Toyota owners have also complained about faulty head lamps on the Prius hybrid, and more than 100,000 Tundra pickups were recalled in 2009 for problems with rusting frames. On the business side, Toyota badly miscalculated when it built a new pickup plant in Texas, with sales far below projections.

[See 21 things we're learning to live without.]

Consumers have noticed. Surveys by CNW Marketing Research in Brandon, Ore., show that from 1997 to 2007, Toyota consistently ranked at the top for nonluxury car makers, neck and neck with Honda. For 10 straight years, consumers rated Toyota 9.1 or higher, on average, out of 10. In 2008, that rating slipped below 9 for the first time, and in the latest survey--which took place before the gas-pedal recall--respondents gave Toyota an 8.5 rating. That's lower than the ratings for Honda, Buick, Mazda, Volkswagen, Ford, and even Saturn.

Toyota's recent history lines up fairly well with Collins's taxonomy of decline. His first stage is "hubris born of success," which certainly could apply to Toyota. For years, Toyota was a model of efficient manufacturing, mimicked even by firms in different industries. That may have convinced the firm's leaders they could grow rapidly and maintain quality at any size. Next in the evolution of decline comes "undisciplined pursuit of more." Toyota definitely had grand ambitions--to become the world's biggest automaker--but it's not clear yet if the firm was undisciplined or simply took risks that went against it. Collins's third stage is "denial of risk and peril," which many critics certainly saw in Toyota's rigid refutation of consumer complaints. Stage four is "grasping for salvation," which is what Toyota seems to be doing now.

[See 4 things that could derail a recovery.]

It's a safe bet, however, that Toyota will escape Collins's fifth stage: "capitulation to irrelevance or death." Despite its woes, Toyota remains a strong brand and a powerful company, and falling on its sword today may be the best path toward a corporate rebound. Surveys by BrandIndex, a market research firm, show that Toyota's "buzz" score--reflecting consumers' immediate perception of the brand--have dipped to historic lows. But positive impressions of Toyota still outweigh negative ones, which means customers are likely to return if the company solves its problems once and for all--and makes amends. "Consumers are pretty forgiving of blue-chip brands," says Ted Marzilli of BrandIndex. "Prospects are still quite good for Toyota, provided the issue is resolved quickly, there is clear communication to consumers, and there are no more issues in the near future." And humility replaces hubris.

Texas Leads U.S. in High-Growth Cities

A new survey finds the Lone Star State is leading in terms of growth rate and household income. Atascocita, Tex., is No. 1 in the state
Tired of reading about how rotten the real estate market is? Here's some good news that shows that even during the worst of the recession plenty of American cities, towns, and suburbs continue to grow.

One such place is Atascocita, Tex. A mostly residential community 20 miles from Houston, it gained more than 1,800 households in 2009, an 8% year-over-year increase, according to new data from Little Rock-based data firm Gadberry Group. Over the decade, amenities that have helped attract residents to this wooded locale include Lake Houston, just east of the city; the school district; and proximity to the city of Houston. With new roads in the area under construction, "we're starting to see major industry start to take a look at the area," says Mike Byers, president of the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce.


Migration levels nationwide stayed low last year as homeowners saddled with pricey mortgages stayed put--but there are some positive trends. Research by the Gadberry Group shows that some areas, resisting the effects of the recession, continue to attract both domestic and foreign migrants and, as an effect, bring in new businesses to provide services. While other cities across the U.S. have contracted, these have continued to grow.

Some states are better off than others, though. As thousands of people left places such as New Orleans and Flint, Mich. (the country's two fastest-shrinking cities), in the last decade, communities with the best mix of economic activity, proximity to job centers, and a good environment for families continued to grow. While not entirely spared by the economic downturn (some homes in these areas are now in foreclosure), people continued to move in during 2009.

Texas Grew the Most
Texas came out on top of Gadberry's survey, with four high-growth cities: Atascocita, Katy, Mansfield, and Wylie. The report only included areas larger than 10,000 occupied households that met requirements for growth rate, household income, length of residence, and other factors.

Larry Martin, principal of the Gadberry Group, says many of the places with the biggest housing growth at the beginning of the last decade, such as Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, also saw the biggest drop-off since the economy sank. Texas, however, enjoyed relatively strong housing and job markets over the last 10 years, thanks in large part to the presence of major employers in the robust energy business. As of December, the state unemployment rate was 8.3% (lower than the national rate of 10%), according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also had the largest state population growth between July 2008 and July 2009, according to a December release by the Census Bureau. "New homes are still being built and people are still moving into these homes" in Texas, says Martin.

Part of the state's strength, says Mark Mather, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C., is its diversified economy. Main industries include petroleum refining, chemical production, aerospace, and information technology.

Meanwhile, areas that depended on the housing boom are now dealing with high foreclosure rates. Places such as Summerlin South, Nev., which appear in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's slide show of fast-growing cities, gained population but, like the rest of the state, may be dealing with high mortgage default rates.

"If you live by migration, you also die by migration," says Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "It doesn't guarantee continued growth."

New Business Opportunities
Migration is typically highest among people in their 20s seeking jobs near large urban cores, but employment opportunities are not the only draw. "Amenities are also important in migrational decisions," says Johnson. Many families consider factors such as schools and recreational amenities like scenic areas and parks.

This is a consideration now in Spring Hill, Tenn., which gained 7,645 households since 2000 as many young families moved to the town for affordable housing and work at the General Motors plant, which is now idle. Dustin Dunbar, chairman of the Spring Hill Economic Development Commission, says this has created demand and opportunity for businesses that provide youth activities and entertainment. "We hope to recruit some businesses to cater to our largest demographics," he says.

While migration in 2010 may remain sluggish, "we'll see a continuation of urban sprawl once the economy bounces back," says Mather.

Fastest Growing Cities by State

Arizona: Buckeye
Number of households: 18,112
Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+261% since 2000)
Average household income: $52,927 (–6% since 2000)

Why: Buckeye is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in Arizona and has seen a large influx of Asian residents, especially Vietnamese, according to Gadberry. While many new housing units are planned, the price of real estate in Buckeye has dropped nearly 12% since 2008, according to Trulia, and thousands of properties are in the foreclosure process.

California: Lincoln
Number of households: 21,997
Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+250% since 2000)
Average household income: $90,608 (+16% since 2000)
Why: Lincoln, a suburban development 30 miles from Sacramento, is the fastest-growing suburb of California and the third fastest-growing town in the U.S. New office buildings, shopping centers, housing developments, and custom home properties have gone up in recent years as a part of the local development plan, according to ZipRealty.

Georgia: Braselton
Number of households: 13,929
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+118% since 2000)
Average household income: $113,664 (+67% since 2000)
Why: Gadberry Group noted Braselton, a suburb of Atlanta, as a remarkable high-growth area due to increases not only in population, but also average income and average household net worth ($532,628). Companies operating here such as Sears Logistics, Tractor Supply, Mitsubishi, and Progressive Lighting have helped to generate jobs.

Indiana: Avon
Number of households: 11,521
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+73% since 2000)
Average household income: $97,355 (+35% since 2000)
Why: Avon has experienced rapid growth since the 1990s due to its convenient location 10 miles from Indianapolis, where health care, social services, and education are the leading industries, according to Simply Hired.

Iowa: Urbandale
Number of households: 16,402
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+44% since 2000)
Average household income: $93,655 (+12% since 2000)
Why: Urbandale, within an hour's drive from Kansas City and Minneapolis, has a lower unemployment rate than the national average. The insurance and finance industries are major employers.

North Carolina: Wake Forest
Number of households: 17,803
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+118% since 2000)
Average household income: $82,771 (+18% since 2000)
Why: Not far from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle, Wake Forest has attracted residents with excellent quality of life, public schools, and health-care resources. Gadberry also notes the high percentage of children and ethnic diversity here.

South Carolina: Fort Mill
Number of households: 10,474
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+91% since 2000)
Average household income: $72,090(+23% since 2000)
Why: Companies such as Continental Tire and music distributor Muzak are located in Fort Mill, near Rock Hill, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C. While many financial companies moved into the area during the housing boom, they have mostly pulled out, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Tennessee: Spring Hill
Number of households: 11,814
Pct. Chg: +10% since 2008 (+183% since 2000)
Average household income: $92,347 (+44% since 2000)
Why: Spring Hill saw the fourth-largest increase in number of households on Gadberry's list, driven largely by the jobs created by GM's plant, which manufactured Saturn vehicles until 2008, when it started making the GM Traverse.

Texas: Atascocita
Number of households: 23,917
Pct. Chg: +8% since 2008 (+108% since 2000)
Average household income: $99,272 (+26% since 2000)
Why: Atascocita, 18 miles from Houston, boasts golf courses and country clubs. Residents can also boat and fish in nearby Lake Houston, a manmade lake. According to Gadberry, the number of Hispanic households increased by 278% since 2000, making it the largest-growing segment of the population.

Utah: South Jordan
Number of households: 13,622
Pct. Chg: +9% since 2008 (+82% since 2000)
Average household income: $108,300 (+37% since 2000)
Why: Development in this city, 10 miles from Salt Lake City, was fueled by the availability of land and large lots, planned communities, and a charming rural atmosphere. The new Daybreak Community development is expected to attract many more residents.

Honda sets own recall as Toyota details action

TOKYO/PARIS (Reuters) – Toyota said its global safety withdrawal would take up to 1.8 million vehicles off Europe's roads and rival Honda announced its own recall, placing the vaunted pedigree of Japan's carmakers under fresh scrutiny.

The move by Honda, tipped to benefit from Toyota's woes, came as suppliers, consumers and analysts weighed the financial impact on Toyota of its recall and its suspension of U.S. sales.

Investors also assessed the fall-out for an industry just emerging from global crisis as well as the damage to Japanese automakers' prized reputation for safety and reliability.

"It's not that their vehicles are worse than the others, (the recalls are) just showing maybe that their vehicles are like the others," said IHS Global Insight analyst Carlos Da Silva.

"The race to cost cuts and the competition between all brands is so fierce that even the mighty Japanese are doing things that are not as reliable as they were."

In a rare piece of positive news for Toyota, a source told Reuters that its U.S. sales could resume by the third week in February if a remedy to potentially sticking accelerator pedals was rolled out smoothly.

BENEFITS

Barclays Capital analysts still thought Honda would benefit from Toyota's massive recall, while Ford, GM, Hyundai and Nissan Motor Co also stood to gain market share in the short-term.

Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, this week suspended North American sales and production of eight models and widened its recall to China and Europe, bringing the total to around 8 million units, more than the number of cars and trucks it sold worldwide in 2009.

Toyota said Friday it would recall eight models in Europe, totaling as many as 1.8 million units in Europe.

A Toyota spokeswoman said the company was still checking on whether any vehicles in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa had an accelerator problem.

Honda said it would recall 646,000 of its Fit/Jazz and City models, including 140,000 in the United States, because of a faulty window switch, after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.

In an unusual move, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said the panel would investigate how effectively Toyota responded to concerns about sticking pedals and slipping floormats.

KNOCK-ON EFFECTS

In Tokyo, some worried about the effects on Japan's image and economy.

"If Toyota has hard times, there's a high probability that also Japan will," said Takeo Namekata, a 62-year-old office worker. "Particularly, trade will suffer."

Suppliers were expected to see some fallout.

"If Toyota gets the flu, its suppliers will also be sneezing," said Kevin Chen, president of Gasgoo.com, a major Chinese auto parts trading platform.

International component makers were most at risk, said Tatsuya Mizuno, president of Mizuno Credit Advisory, because it might encourage Toyota to switch to Japanese suppliers, he told Reuters Insider television.

Analysts have estimated the sales halt could cost Toyota at least 50 billion yen ($556 million) in operating profit a month, almost as much as it made in the September quarter.

SAFETY REPUTATION

IHS Global Insight's Da Silva said Japanese carmakers would be able to salvage their reputations as long as they moved quickly to show the recalls were isolated incidents.

Recalls can show companies care about the cars they build, and don't simply wash their hands of them once they are driven away from the showroom, he added.

Toyota shares have dropped 17.6 percent since January 21, when it said it would broaden its recalls by a further 2.3 million vehicles. Shares ended down 2 percent in Tokyo Friday.

Industry analysts and executives estimate it will cost some $250 million in warranty costs alone for Toyota to address the smaller of the two recalls underway in the United States.

The automaker also faces the fallout from the larger recall that began last year and was broadened this week for vehicles at risk of having floormats that can jam under accelerator pedals.

(Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall, Soyoung Kim, Kevin Krolicki in Detroit; Chang-Rang Kim and Taiga Uranaka in Tokyo; Janaki Krishan in Mumbai; Fang Yan in Shanghai; Tiisetso Motsoeneng in Johannesburg; Rhys Jones in London and Helen Massy-Beresford in Paris; Editing by David Cowell)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

9 Things You Should Ask Your Gynecologist

Do you ever feel shy about talking to your doctor about certain things? Whether it’s an embarrassing concern, question or confession, it’s important to say what’s on your mind and what’s been going on with your body when you’re in the exam room. Here are nine questions you should never feel nervous about asking your gynecologist:

1. “Why does sex hurt?”
9 Things You Should Ask Your Gynecologist

While not every woman will experience pain during intercourse, it affects as many as 15 percent of women at various points in their lives, says Debby Herbenick, PhD, author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction. “All too often, women think that pain is ‘normal,’ or something they should grin and bear,” she says. “But they don't have to. Genital pain can often be treated.” If you’re experiencing pain during intercourse, speak up! Your doctor can help you find a treatment plan that’s right for you, possibly refer you to a specialist and connect you to helpful resources like the National Vulvodynia Association, a group that specializes in vaginal pain.
2. “Why does it itch…down there?”
Vaginal itching can be embarrassing and troubling. “Women often think they have a yeast infection when they really don't and then they end up spending money on yeast medications that may make their problem worse,” explains Dr. Herbenick. “In fact, itching can also be a sign of a sexually transmissible infection, a vulvar skin disorder, a bacterial infection, a sensitivity to laundry soap or, in rare cases, an early sign of vulvar cancer.” Bottom line: If you’re experiencing vaginal itching, don’t hide it from your doctor. “Itching should always be brought to a healthcare provider's attention.”

3. “I’m concerned about my vaginal odor—is it a sign of an infection or STD?”
Concerns about vaginal odor are very common, says Dr. Herbenick, so don’t feel like you’re the first woman in the history of the world to worry about it. “Often, the scent is totally normal,” she says, “and your gynecologist can reassure you of this so you can feel comfortable and confident with your body.” But if you’re concerned that something is wrong, especially if a perceived odor coincides with other symptoms, like excessive discharge or burning and itching, your gynecologist needs to know. “It may reflect a bacterial imbalance or an infection that can be treated.”

4. “Why do I sometimes leak urine?”
Urinary incontinence affects many women—of all ages—says Keehn Hosier, MD, an ob-gyn who practices at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, but it’s most common for pre- and post-menopausal women, especially those who have had children. The condition can be embarrassing and socially isolating, and, he says, many are afraid to talk about it. “Women shouldn’t have to suffer in silence about something like this,” says Dr. Hosier. “It’s something that’s often treatable. There are many ways to treat the symptoms, ranging from weight-loss, bladder training, medication, implant devices or even surgery.”

5. “I’m concerned that my boyfriend/husband/partner is cheating. Should I be tested for a sexually transmitted disease?” Or “I had an affair. Should I get an STD test?”
Whether you’re concerned about the consequences of his unfaithfulness or yours, it can feel embarrassing to bring it up with your gynecologist. But she’s the first person you should talk to, say experts. Ask your doctor about getting a comprehensive sexually transmitted disease test, says Dr. Hosier. Not only will it ease your mind, but it could save your life. “If you have even the slightest concern, it’s always better to have it checked out,” he says. “We’re diagnosing many more cases of STDs in older women because of the increased use of erectile dysfunction medications.”

6. “Why am I having hot flashes—could it be menopause, or something else?”
According to Robert Gallo, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and past president of the New Jersey Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, many women keep quiet about their hot flashes because they assume it’s a normal and natural symptom of aging and menopause. But here’s some new thinking: Dr. Gallo encourages all women to tell their doctors about them. True, they may be a normal symptom of menopause, but they may also be a symptom of another health condition. “I can't tell you the number of times that a patient's hot flashes were a sign of a thyroid imbalance. The symptoms just may be related to premenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal issues, but don't assume that they are.” Thyroid conditions are often diagnosed with a simple blood test and easily treated with medication.

7. “The skin near my vagina appears to have changed color and texture—is this a problem?”
Being aware of the changes in your genital area is important, as is sharing them with your doctor, particularly if you notice changes in skin color or texture. “It could be an early warning sign of a benign vulvar skin disorder called lichen sclerosus,” explains Dr. Herbenick. “If left untreated, it can cause thinning of the vulvar skin, which can lead to painful sex or tearing of the genital skin during sex. It can also cause severe itching or pain if left untreated. Fortunately, successful treatments are available, so early detection is key.”

8. “Why do I have such painful periods?
”If you have severe pain and discomfort with your period each month, it could be a sign of many things, including a serious yet treatable health condition called endometriosis, which can cause excruciating pain and even infertility. According to data, endometriosis may affect millions of women in the United States, yet many cases go undiagnosed, says Tamer Seckin, MD, a laparoscopic surgeon and endometriosis specialist, and cofounder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America. The reason? Women fail to share their symptoms with their doctors. Women shouldn’t assume that all menstrual pain is “normal,” says Dr. Seckin, who urges women to discuss any and all symptoms to their doctor. “Endometriosis is treatable, even curable, if addressed early enough.”

9. “With breast cancer in mind, how should I check my breasts?”
If you’re confused about what you should be doing to detect and prevent breast cancer, join the club! There have been so many confusing messages for women in the last year, even the last month, says Lissa Rankin, MD, ob-gyn, author of the forthcoming book What's Up Down There? Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend, and founder of OwningPink.com. It’s why you should be asking your doctor this question and demanding a clear answer.

“The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force just changed the recommendations,” Dr. Rankin explains. “They are now suggesting that doctors refrain from teaching self-breast exams and that women skip self-breast exams.” Dr. Rankin says she has some concerns about this. “While the data to support breast self-exam as an effective screening tool demonstrates little benefit, we all know someone who has found her own breast cancer by examining her breast in the shower. If you’re that one woman, aren’t you glad your learned how to check your breasts? The way I see it, there’s no harm. Some argue that breast self-exams increase anxiety and lead to unnecessary doctor’s visits when patients find a ‘lump’ that doesn’t really exist. But I’d much rather have a woman come in to double-check a nonexistent lump than miss a breast cancer.”