Halloween candy recall: Mega Pops lollipops might have metal in them
You might want to check that Halloween candy before giving it out or letting kids eat it. Certain lots of Mega Pops lollipops are being recalled because the candy may contain "minute traces" of stainless steel, said candy maker Colombina SA.A consumer complaint prompted North Carolina Department of Agriculture inspectors to test samples of the candy imported from Colombia. That state agency found metal fibers and flakes in the candy and issued a consumer warning.
FDA seizes Estrella cheeses over Listeria risk
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Marshals have seized cheeses from Washington state-based Estrella Family Creamery amid an ongoing investigation of Listeria contamination, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle said.Listeria can cause a sometimes fatal infection in young children, the frail or those with weakened immune systems. Even healthy people can get sick with a high fever, nausea, diarrhea, among other symptoms. The FDA said Listeria infections also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
Retail workers confess using the hard sell to pitch credit cards
Retail credit cards are a cash cow for the stores they represent, as well as for the banks that back them. But retailers' desire to boost profits by getting more consumers to sign up for and use their cards has resulted in some less-than-friendly selling tactics. In fact, the fine art of coaxing people to sign up for retail credit cards has become downright cutthroat. A former Macy's clerk tells WalletPop he was expected to sign up 10 new applicants for the store credit card each month and a former saleswoman at the Limited recalls that if she didn't get three new sign-ups for the store credit card per shift, she was punished by being assigned less-desirable hours. A third retail employee, this one from a chain store, confessed to us that her manager went so far as to tell her to sign up customers for store credit cards without their knowledge.
With all these hard-sell efforts, it's no wonder customers often feel badgered, browbeaten and outright bullied if they decline to apply for a credit card when they make their purchase. "People should understand that stores make a lot of money on credit cards for two reasons," says Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for watchdog group U.S. PIRG. "First, they have higher interest rates, and second, because you're locked into using it at that store, you may buy things you wouldn't otherwise get."
Forclosure freezes end - but there are lingering after-effects
It seems the whole country has been in an uproar the last two weeks, either in favor of or against the foreclosure freezes at a number of the nation's largest banks. But now that the banks are beginning to lift the freezes, there's been comparative quiet. And that's odd, because there are a number of lingering effects of the foreclosure freeze that will not benefit anyone -- not buyers, and not the banks themselves. The freezes, which varied by bank in terns of what foreclosure activity was frozen and in which states, had been instituted by Bank of America, GMAC Mortgage (a division of Ally Financial) and JPMorganChase -- which, combined, service 23 million mortgages with $3.68 million in unpaid principal balances -- in response to employees' testimony that tens of thousands of foreclosure documents had been signed without ever being read, and other alleged improprieties in foreclosure document processing.
Get 90% off at Lowe's and a Black Friday sneak peak on Facebook
Social Networking sites have significantly changed the way millions of people interact and keep in touch, and now sites like Facebook are offering new ways to save. With Black Friday quickly approaching, retailers like Lowe's are using the site to get the word out, build excitement and bring extra savings to its most loyal customers. On Nov. 5, Lowe's home improvement stores will begin airing videos on its Facebook page, giving viewers a sneak peak of its Black Friday deals. In each video will be coupon codes, offering 90% off some items. The videos go live just after midnight (12:01 a.m. Nov. 5) and there are a limited number of codes, a Lowe's spokesman informed WalletPop via telephone. He wouldn't, or couldn't divulge how many or what the sales items might be, but the underlying message is, look alive and check Facebook in the early hours.
The coupon codes can be applied immediately to items purchased on Lowes.com, and Black Friday will actually start on Thanksgiving day with online-only deals. Lowe's Black Friday ad will be posted on the retailer's website, but the videos containing coupon codes can only be accessed on Facebook.
As we head into the holiday season, savvy shoppers should be on the lookout for more deals like these.
Forbes: Top-Earning Dead Celebrities
WalletPop Staff
Oct 25th 2010 @ 3:00PM EST
Filed Under:
By Lacey Rose & Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes.com
The late King of Pop made more money over the past year than any other musician or actor, dead or alive.
Michael Jackson never graced Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 list while he was alive. In death, the King of Pop earned more in the past year than any star on that list, apart from Oprah Winfrey.It was enough to secure Jackson the No.1 spot on our 10th annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list. With gross earnings of $275 million, he earned more than the other 12 deceased stars on the list combined. Still more impressive: His estate's 12-month haul was greater than the pooled earnings of this year's two biggest living acts, U2 and AC/DC. Jackson's posthumous earnings come from his stake in the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog, the hit Sony film This Is It and renewed fan interest in music, videos and all things Michael Jackson.
Would you vote for a politician who has money problems?
Politicians come into office to, among other things, manage money that the government spends. The smart candidates, however, aren't calling much attention to how they manage their own money.Why? Because increasingly, it's looking like they can't win either way. The New York Times' recent article, "Political Ads Attack the Other Guy's Lavish Living," explained how, in this post-recession age, multimillion-dollar candidates are being criticized for being out of touch and not understanding what the average American is going through.
Nestle recalls Raisinets over allergy concerns
Nestle USA is recalling certain Raisinets Fun Size Bags because the candy may contain peanuts -- which can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction in people allergic to them -- and they were not included in the list of ingredients.The bags carry the warning label, "made on equipment that also processes peanuts," but the candy itself may contain peanuts and that isn't declared on the bag's label. So far there have been three complaints about the candy, sold nationwide at Target, ShopRite and Don Quixote stores, the company said in a statement released through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
McDonald's to raise prices in 2011
McDonald's Corp. plans to raise prices in 2011 in anticipation of higher commodity costs and a hope that an improving economy will mean diners returning to fast-food restaurants instead of cooking at home.
The company projects that commodity costs will rise 2-3% in 2011, Chief Financial Officer Peter Bensen said last week in a conference call and quoted by Chicago Breaking Business. "We'll actively look at the opportunities and with some optimism, the economy will get stronger next year and we'll get price increases," Bensen said.
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