3 On Your Side

The holiday shopping season is here, and you're probably doing some of your spending while you're scrolling. The National Retail Federation says 57% of holiday shoppers will shop online. But there's a chance you could end up with fake stuff. The counterfeit market is big business, and it could put your health and safety at risk. Today, we're talking with Frank Cullen. He's the executive director of the Council for Innovation Promotion. We'll talk about the best ways to be a safe shopper, and what's being done to slow down counterfeit sales.

The race for the White House ended in a decisive victory for Donald Trump. The Dow soared more than 1,500 points the day the race was called. And now, investors are looking ahead to the transfer of power. Today, we are talking with Shane Stevenson from Winston and Companies Retirement and Financial Services about what the election results mean for your money, your investments, and your taxes. 

Being a new parent can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to finances. And childcare fits right into that category. Like everything else, childcare has gone up dramatically. In fact, a recent report released by Bankrate.com indicates that parents spend nearly 15 percent of their income on childcare alone. So today, Alex Gailey joins us on the On Your Side Podcast. She's an analyst with Bankrate and she shares some interesting information when it comes to childcare costs here in the U.S, including  what states are the most expensive for childcare. 

The busy holiday season is almost here, and people are getting ready to spend, spend, spend on all kinds of things including travel. A recent survey shows Gen Z and Millennials are changing how  their travel budget. Out with traditional vacations and in with experiences including fandom travel and silent tourism. Today our guest is Lauren Gumport. She's the vice president of communications at Faye Travel Insurance, the company that did this new study. We're talking with her about what's driving these travel trends and how plan the perfect trip.

Higher education, like earning a college degree, is supposed to help students land jobs with higher salaries. But a new study reveals that's not necessarily the case. Turns out, recent college graduates are somewhat disappointed with their new paychecks and are now struggling financially. On this episode, Sarah Foster joins us. She's an analyst with Bankrate.com which just released some surprising information regarding Generation Z, their college degrees, and the salaries they're getting. 

When it comes to paying bills, do you mail in a check or do you pay it online? How about writing a friend or relative? Do you mail a letter or do you simply email them? A new report out by Stamps.com found there is one generation that still relies heavily on putting a stamp on an envelope and putting it in the mail. And you might be  surprised to hear exactly what that generation is. Today, Nick Spitzman joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's with Stamps.com and he reveals the  unexpected results of who's still using stamps, who isn't, and where so-called "snail mail" will be in the future.

Learning to drive is a right of passage for many teenagers, but that learning period can come with a few bumps in the road. Right now, 37 states require teens to enroll and pass a driving education class, but Arizona is not one of them. Maria Wojtczak of DrivingMBA says teens can gain confidence and can even help parents lower their insurance rates with driving courses.

We've come to the end of something called the “on ramp” repayment program for student loans. As a result, if you're late or miss a student payment, your credit score will take a hit. So on this episode, we're talking with Jack Wallace, the Director at Yrefy. He'll walk us through recent changes for student loan borrowers and what you need to know to avoid problems. We'll also talk strategies to tackle those loan payments. 

Everyone likes to take a little time off for a vacation, but then again, we all seem to take our vacations at the same time. That usually causes long lines, higher prices, and overall just a bad experience. So, today, Steve Builday joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's the Director of Travel for AARP, and he has some great tips to make your vacation a whole lot better. 

Owning a car offers numerous benefits, but it also comes with the responsibility of maintenance, which can often be costly and confusing. In this episode of the On Your Side podcast, Gary Harper and Colin Stanton are joined by automotive expert Jim Garnin to debunk some of the most common car maintenance myths that could be costing you more than necessary. Jim, who owns High Tech Car Care in Phoenix, shares insights from his decades of experience in the automotive industry. From the truth about premium fuel and oil change intervals to the real deal on transmission fluid flushes and tire replacements, Jim provides practical advice to help you make informed decisions about your vehicle's upkeep. He also discusses the benefits of nitrogen in tires and the importance of regular vehicle check-ups, even if it's just for a quick look under the hood. Whether you're a seasoned car owner or new to the world of auto maintenance, this episode is packed with valuable tips to keep your car running smoothly without breaking the bank. Tune in to learn how to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure your vehicle stays in top condition.  

For many Open Enrollment starts next month depending on where you live and what company you might work for. But don't go into Open Enrollment without at least a little research. Today, Kelsa Dickey is on the On Your Side podcast. She's with Financial Fitness and explains everything you need to know when it comes to making  what could be life changing selections.

Buying a car, even a used one, can be one of the biggest purchases a consumer can make. But even if you do get a good deal, there are a number of hidden costs that come along with owning that vehicle. On this episode, we're talking to Shannon Martin of Bankrate. She breaks down some of the hidden costs and tells us exactly how much it costs each year just to drive a car.

It's one of the most overlooked maintenance items on a vehicle—we're talking about tires. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 400 people die every year due to tire-related crashes. So, today Glen Hayward joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's been in the auto repair business for 50 years and he has some really good advice when inspecting your tires. For example, did you know every tire has an expiration date. He'll tell us where to find it and other tire safety tips to keep you and your family safe. 

Negotiating your pay can be very intimidating. The same thing can be true if you are asking for a raise. We're joined by Andres Lares from the Shapiro Negotiations Institute to get insight into what to do, and what not to do, when negotiating a salary or asking for a raise.

Students are heading back to school, and that can put a financial strain on parents. According to the National Retail Federation, parents will spend an estimated $875 on school supplies, clothing, and other school-related items.  Andrea Waroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert joins us to provide some cool tips to save on sending your kid back to school.

In this episode of the On Your Side podcast, Gary Harper and Todd Martin discuss the sensitive topic of financial infidelity, where partners hide financial details from each other. They are joined by Christy Mathern from WalletHub to delve into survey results showing that two out of five Americans have secret financial accounts. They also explore how people handle money disputes, the dynamics of shared versus separate accounts, and cases of financial secrecy leading to serious relationship issues. Tune in for expert insights and real-life stories about managing finances in relationships.

Buying a used car can be an scary experience. You don't want to overpay and you need to make sure the vehicle is mechanically sound. So, on the On Your side podcast, we're talking to an expert about the do's and don'ts of buying a car.

Smart phones have become a part of our lives. Calls, texting, shopping, navigation, gaming, streaming, the list goes on. How does your screen time compare to others? A new report says Arizonans spend nearly nine hours on their smart phone, more than any other state. On this episode, we talk with Kyle Beierlein with Hosting Advice about the company's new data on cell phone usage and screen time.

According to the FBI, the healthcare and public health sector is the most targeted in the United States by  ransomware attackers. Why is that and what can you do to keep from becoming a victim? Today, Steven McKeon joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's a cybersecurity expert and founder of MacguyverTech. He explains that hospitals are targeted for a variety of reasons, including the healthcare industry is using outdated technology that is more than a decade old.

We're doing a little bit of a crash course today for people who are considering jumping into the stock market. Is it a good time to start investing in the market? What does every beginner need to know? Our guest is Shane Stevenson from Winston and Companies Retirement and Financial Services. He'll walk us through the things you need to know to get started with investing.

Homeownership is the American dream. You save up for a down payment, you find a house you can afford, and then you buy it. But there's a lot more to owning a home than your mortgage payment. There are unexpected maintenance issues and other expenses that former renters aren't used to paying. So today, Jeff Ostrowski joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's with Bankrate.com and his research reveals homeowners pay around $18,000 a year to own and maintain a home. He explains what you can do to cut those costs.

Nearly a decade ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered a full recall of Takata airbags. However, an estimated 6.4 million of those vehicles are still driving on our roadways with faulty airbags. So, today, Patrick Olsen joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's with Carfax and he explains that these airbags can be dangerous, particularly with the high heat we have here in Arizona. Twenty seven people have already died because of the airbags and 400 have been injured. So, how can you know if you're driving one of these cars, and if you are, what options do you have to get it fixed?

If you're struggling to make ends meet or you're trying to save up for a summer vacation, then it's time for a summer side gig. Today we are chatting with Kira Caban, who is the head of strategic communications with Instawork, a company that connects businesses with millions of temporary workers. We'll ask her about the jobs that are out there. What they pay and the best ways to get that gig.

Americans are infatuated with big vehicles. Whether it's a lifted pickup truck, an SUV that seats eight, or even mid-size SUVs, you can't help but see these vehicles just about everywhere you drive. In fact, just three years ago—except for the Mustang—Ford completely stopped making cars altogether so it could concentrate on turning out more trucks and SUVs for consumers It was a crucial decision, but was it the right one. Brian Moody from Kelly Blue Book joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He says a new analysis finds that larger vehicles have been losing market share since 2022. So, what does that mean for American consumers and what types of vehicles are we turning to for remainder of the year?

You've most likely got them on your phone before. Text messages appearing to be from legitimate companies like your bank, or maybe even Amazon. The messages seem urgent, like telling you someone made a fraudulent transaction from your checking account. Or, you've missed an important delivery and you're asked to click a link for more information. It's called "brand impersonation." Today, we're talking to Rob Shavell. He's a online privacy expert from DeleteMe. He tells us brand impersonation scams have become more sophisticated. But there are some things you can do to recognize the scam and to keep from becoming a victim.

In honor of Mother's Day, which is right around the corner, we are celebrating moms. Our guest today is Julie Roy, a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, wife, and mom of four. She's also the is the author of "The Multi-Million Dollar Mompreneur." We're chatting with her about her journey to financial freedom, setting goals, making connections, and the desire to have it all.

It's a word we seem to hear a lot these days: Inflation. Everything from auto insurance to groceries have spike over the past few years. In fact, recent published reports indicate buying groceries have gone up a whopping 23 percent since the pandemic. That means what used to cost you $100 at the grocery store now costs $123. So, what can you do to save some money when it comes to buying food at the store? Today, Rachel West joins us on the On Your Side podcast. She's a registered dietician and editor for eMeals and has some creative ideas to make grocery shopping a little less painful.

Prices are going up for pretty much everything. That includes subscriptions. Think about how many you have, from streaming services, to wholesale clubs, to gym memberships, and music.  According to tech site CNET, "subscription creep" is a very real thing and it's eating into a lot of budgets. On average, we spend $91 bucks a month on subscription services. And nearly half of us have signed up for a free trial...and then we've forgotten to cancel it.   Today, we're talking with Nick Wolney. He is CNET's managing editor, and he's going to walk us through ways to save on subscriptions and some different methods to manage them. 

We earn. We save. We spend. But how much of that work are we sharing with our kids? April is Financial Literacy Month and our guest today is Sharon Lechter, the New York Times bestselling author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." She's going to help us raise smart savers. We'll talk about introducing basic financial concepts to little ones and how to get teens involved in big household decisions about money.

Have you ever thought about how much fine print you actually encounter? From big purchases to smaller contracts, we sign our names on the dotted line a lot. The National Association of Consumer Advocates just issued a report showing some of the worst of the worst in standard form contracts that consumers regularly sign. So today, we're chatting with the organization's Christine Hines. She is a senior policy director. She'll break down red flags to watch for and if there are actually ways around these contracts that may not be in your best interest.

Chances are you have at least one if not more credit cards in your wallet. In fact, a recent report indicated that half of Americans have two or more credit cards. And rewards credit cards seem to be pretty popular with consumers. These kind of cards have perks like cash back or points that you can apply and reduce airfare. But with all the benefits, rewards credit cards come with some risk. Today, Richard Barrington joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's a financial analyst for Credit Sesame and has worked for 30 years in the financial industry. He says rewards credit cards are deceptive and can lead some consumers into debt.

Getting a notice that your vehicle has some type of manufacturer recall is never good news. However, in most cases, dealerships can get you in and fix the problem for free. But, when they can't...that's a problem. Sometimes, parts are not available, leaving motorists driving a potentially dangerous vehicle. In fact, right now, there are 3.7 million vehicles that are on the road that have "Park Outside" recalls because they can catch on fire. So motorists are encouraged to not park in their garage.  Today, Mike Lavigne joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's with Carfax, which just released concerning data involving "Park Outside" recalls. He says there's been a 40-percent spike in these recalls since last year. So, what can you do as a consumer?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released its first results from tests on more than a dozen partial automation systems. What they found may be concerning and reveals there's a lot of potential for drivers to misuse those features. Today, David Harkey joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's the President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. We're talking about how these safety features are tested and changes already on the horizon to make the road and your car safer for you.

Rising interest rates have made all kinds of loans more expensive. They've also made lenders pickier about who actually gets money. A recent Bankrate survey shows half of people who've applied for a financial product have been denied since the Fed started raising rates in march of 2022. So today, we're talking with Bankrate's Sarah Foster about this trend. We discuss who's mostly likely to be denied for loans and new credit cards and the ways you can improve your credit score to make you more credit-worthy. 

Spring break season is right around the corner, and summer vacation will be here before you know it. Once you're at your destination, the fun can begin. But actually getting there can be full of annoyances, like hogging that middle arm rest on the airplane. We're talking with travel expert Katy Nastro from Going about some of the top traveler complaints, some the unspoken rules you should never break when you board, and we'll answer the burning question: What's better? The aisle seat or the window seat? 

If you have a car payment, is it a little bit more than you can afford? You're not alone. The average auto payment right now for a new car is $726, and for a used cars it's $533. Brian Moody joins us on the podcast. He's the executive editor for Autotrader and he tells us what the pros and cons are right now if you're thinking of refinancing, or buying a vehicle. 

It's  a topic many of us don't talk about until we absolutely have to: Planning a funeral. When people are faced with losing a loved one, many don't know exactly what to do, who to contact or how much a funeral or cremation is going to cost. So in this episode, Ed Reggie joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's a consumer advocate who specializes in educating folks on funeral planning. He's also the founder of Funeralocity, a website that breaks down the costs at individual funeral homes across the nation, no matter where you live.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so we're talking about love and money. If you're dating someone, when should you start talking about finances? Our guest is Angelica Prescod.  She's a financial advisor is Scottsdale. She's going to help us tackle some big questions about budgets, retirement accounts, debts you owe to old flames, and what you need to tell your new partner.

With tax season here, we're talking with Mark Steber, the Chief Tax Information Officer at Jackson Hewitt who is the company's liaison with the IRS. He's the perfect guy to help us understand what we need to know about filing our tax returns this year. What's the best way for taxpayers get organized and get ready to file? And is there actually a benefit to filing early?

It's a common problem. You wait patiently for concert tickets to go on sale and the moment they're made available, you discover they're sold out. It's called Scarcity Marketing and it's not just happening with concert tickets. Popular video games, name brand handbags, even shoes have been known to have Scarcity Marketing. Today, Jesper Essendrop joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's the CEO of Queue-it which tries to prevent Scarcity Marketing. He explains how Scarcity Marketing works and what you the consumer can do to avoid it.

We just entered a new year and it's time to take inventory of a few important items, and one of them is insurance. We're talking about home, auto, and even life insurance. Chances are you may be paying too much for them. So, today on the On Your Side podcast, we're talking to Mike Gallagher of Trusted Choice which represents the members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. He'll explain why insurance has dramatically increased over the past few years and what you can do to save yourself some money on some if not all of your insurance policies. 

Many consumers will soon be getting their credit card statements for last month's holiday shopping season. Will you be in good financial shape, or will you have a little sticker shock? Today, on the On Your Side podcast, we're talking to Kelsa Dickey. She's a financial coach with Financial Fitness. She'll tell us what we need to do to start reeling in our credit card debt, so we can have a debt free 2024.

The holiday season means merriment, parties, and good food. It also means we may also be packing on a little extra weight. Between parties and dinners, the calories can quickly add up. So what can you do to get back in shape without a big gym membership or an expensive piece of exercise equipment? We're joined by Jim Bathurst, who is head of Nerd Fitness. He provides some great advice and tips to lose those holiday pounds.

We're approaching the end of 2023 and we want to take a look forward to see what 2024 may have in store when it comes to real estate. 2023 was a roller coaster ride for real estate. Interest rates sky rocked and as a result, that meant home sales decreased significantly with leaving little inventory. So, today Trevor Halpern joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's an Arizona real estate agent whose won numerous sales awards over the course of  numerous years and has a pulse on where the real estate market may be heading.

For next school year, there's a new, easier-to fill-out FAFSA. That's the free application for federal student aid. The FAFSA is typically available for students and their families in the fall. This year, it won't be ready until the end of December. But there are plenty of ways to get ready for the new school year right now.  Our guest today is Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. She's going to walk us through some of the things you need to know about student aid and 529 plans, including what this money can be used for, tax deductions, and changes taking effect in the new year to make 529s easier to use. 

The holiday season is here and chances are you'll be doing some if not all of your shopping online. But with that convenience comes risk. Scammers are waiting for you to make one small mistake allowing them to hack into your computer. You don't want that to happen, so today we're talking to Luke Secrist who's the CEO of a company called BuddoBot. BuddoBot has a team of engineers and professional hackers who will tell us all we need to know about staying safe while shopping online.

The holiday season is here which means we're shopping for the perfect presents and putting up decorations. It's also time to think about holiday tipping. Who are you supposed to tip during the holidays? And how much? Today on the On Your Side podcast, we're talking with Jacqueline Whitmore. She is an author and etiquette expert who has some good “tips” on holiday tipping.

Thanksgiving is almost here. For a lot of us, it's our favorite meal of the year. But it can also be stressful for the host because it's a lot of food to prepare. Today, we're talking with Kenneth King from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. He'll walk us through the best ways to prepare and cook the turkey, the most important things to remember about food safety, and how to safely store all those delicious leftovers.

If you've ever bought or sold a house, you know how costs, including realtors' fees, can add up quickly. With that said, the National Association of Realtors and several large brokerages were ordered to pay $1.8 billion dollars in damages after a jury found real estate agents conspired to inflate home commissions. On this episode, we're talking with Katrina Barrett. She a Valley realtor, and she's going to dive into this landmark case with us and what it could mean for buyers, sellers, and the real estate industry.

The kids just finished trick-or-treating, and we're moving on quickly to the holiday season. This year, holiday shopping started earlier than ever as people try to spread out their spending and manage inflation. On this episode, we're talking with Angelica Prescod, a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Scottsdale. She's going to help us stick to our holiday budget, and give us some cost-saving tips to get through the season with less stress.

On Your Side is always working to warn people about the different tactics bad guys are using to steal money and information. Today we're talking with Brian Watson on the On Your Side podcast. He's a retired special agent with the IRS' Criminal Investigation and now he works with an organization called ROSE which stands for "Resources and Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly." We'll talk about scam losses, the things most scams have in common. And the schemes you may never see coming, particularly for senior citizens.