Wichita Eagle: Consumer

BBB explains common benefits of using credit unions

roberta namee — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:08 CDT

Consumers who are feeling the chilly winds of current economic conditions need to know they have options when it comes to financial institutions. One such institution, which almost everyone has heard of, is the credit union.

But if you've never been a member of one you may find yourself wondering just exactly what a credit union is. The name can be off-putting. Do they just deal in credit? Are they some sort of union like truck drivers or aviation workers belong to? Some may have driven by credit union branches for years without ever really knowing what goes on there. The Better Business Bureau offers the following information about credit unions for the uninitiated.

Put simply, credit unions are institutions through which members pool their savings and lend to each other. CUNA, the Credit Union National Association, describes a credit union as "a cooperative financial institution, owned and controlled by the people who use its services." Anyone who holds an account is considered a member and as such, part owner. CUNA goes on to say that credit unions are "not-for-profit, and exist to provide a safe, convenient place for members to save money and to get loans at reasonable rates."

Eateries sign on for healthier kid meals

SANDRA PEDICINI — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:08 CDT

ORLANDO, Fla. —Children's meals at Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other chains owned by Orlando-based Darden Restaurants are getting healthier.

The world's largest casual-dining company on Thursday enlisted in Michelle Obama's campaign to help young people lose weight and immediately won the first lady's praise.

"This is a breakthrough moment in the restaurant industry," Michelle Obama said as she joined Darden chief executive officer Clarence Otis at an Olive Garden in Hyattsville, Md., near Washington, D.C. "I'm here because I believe the changes Darden will make could impact the health and well being of an entire generation of young people."

Taking vacation? These tips may help create a fun, stress-free time

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:08 CDT

Summer is upon us and for many people that means taking a vacation.

Whether you're considering travel by plane, train, bus or car, the Better Business Bureau wants to advise vacationers to plan ahead to ensure a safe, fun-filled and stress-free vacation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the BBB advise consumers to be proactive when it comes to planning a trip by air. According to the Department of Transportation's 2011 statistics, 25.5 percent of flights were delayed.

BBB: Guard against bed bugs to exterminate scams

Sat, 21 May 2011 01:26 CDT

The alarming increase in bed bug infestations enables some self-proclaimed pest control professionals the opportunity to go into homes — not to solve your bed bug issue but to take your money.

So far in 2011, the Better Business Bureau has received more than 375 complaints against pest control service companies. Here are the BBB's recommended tips for choosing a trustworthy pest control company:

* Research the company with the BBB. Use the Accredited Business Locator to assist in finding a local company that upholds BBB's standards for ethical business practices.

Efforts at home can cut utility expenses

RON SYLVESTER — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:07 CDT

Devvi Walter knows that living in a more energy-efficient home has drastically cut her electric bill in the heat of the summer.

"Last year, we were in a trailer in Cheney with almost no insulation," Walter said. "It was like living in a metal box."

Although last summer brought cooler temperatures, the utility bill for her, her fiancee and their five children ran from $200 to $250. But after moving to a house in Wichita last month, their bills dropped to between $50 and $60.

Ice cream trucks not music to all ears

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:28 CDT

There are two basic reactions to the tinny, distorted version of "Turkey in the Straw" that carries across Wichita neighborhoods this time of year:

"Yaaaaay! The ice cream truck!!"

Or, "Oh no, not another ice cream truck!"

Profits continue as arena enters a less-busy season

TIM POTTER — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:31 CDT

In its first year, Intrust Bank Arena continues to make a profit — $1.24 million through April.

Sedgwick County commissioners sounded pleased Wednesday when they heard the latest financial report on the arena.

In its first four months, the downtown venue held 37 events, including concerts, family shows, sporting events and Wichita Thunder hockey.

Lexie's Law tightens regulation of day care providers

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:47 CDT

Every day, parents shopping for day care call the Child Start office in Wichita. And just about every day, Clairissa Maddy has to explain that thousands of child care homes in Kansas — about one in three — operate without ever being inspected.

"There's a lot of confusion," said Maddy, senior manager of the call center at Child Start, a nonprofit resource and referral agency.

"Parents assume that if someone has a piece of paper from the state, that checks have been done, that everything's been inspected ... We have to explain that's not really the case."

Some moms just want time, help and a hug

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:05 CDT

Flowers are sweet, and jewelry is beautiful. New clothes are thoughtful and a stand mixer practical. A new iPad would be marvelous.

But here's a hint from a real-live mama: You don't really have to shop for Mother's Day.

Overworked, tuckered-out moms like me know what they really want, and it isn't sold at the mall. Here are five tokens of love just about any mom would appreciate:

Home Show booth set up to explain lead law

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:07 CST

A booth at the Wichita Home Show designed to educate do-it-yourself remodelers on the dangers of lead may get substantial traffic from professionals who are curious — or furious — about impending regulations.

"These rules will create added cost to small-business owners and to homeowners," said Wess Galyon, president of the Wichita Area Builders Association, which stages the annual show.

"And I don't think that's a positive."

Used-car database doesn't include Kansas

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:51 CST

A national database that allows consumers to view the history of used vehicles is up and running, but officials say four states — including Kansas — are not contributing records to the system.

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System — or NMVTIS (pronounced "nim-VEE-tis") —allows potential car buyers to check the title, odometer reading, accident history and other information for a fee of less than $5.

Kansas did not meet a Jan. 1 deadline to comply with the program. State officials say it's because they're in the midst of a massive computer upgrade, and that they'll be part of the system by July 2011.

New lead regulations may raise home remodeling costs

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:53 CST

The price of remodeling homes is about to go up — way up, some contractors say — because of new regulations aimed at protecting homeowners from lead-based paint.

"This is absolutely the biggest change" to hit the remodeling industry in decades, said Tim Shigley, president of Shigley Construction in Wichita.

"It has a lot of legitimate contractors really worried. ... And our clients have no idea it's coming."

Price of gold sends owners digging

TIM POTTER — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:17 CST

In Wichita and across the nation, the high price of gold is bringing items out of jewelry boxes and into businesses eager to buy a metal that has become extra precious in a troubled economy.

It often happens with jewelry that people have put away and forgotten about. Sometimes, the jewelry loses its sentimental value.

Now, owners of jewelry and other gold items are trying to cash in on a price that has topped $1,100 for an ounce of pure gold, local gold merchants say.

Disc fever

Christopher Borrelli — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:08 CDT

CAROL STREAM, Ill. —The Netflix warehouse in Carol Stream does not appear on any map. Your odds of finding it are only slightly better than your odds of stumbling upon a rare insect in a field of weeds. The warehouse is, after all, one of those mythical New Economy temples. You know it must exist somewhere, because a P.O. box on every Netflix envelope suggests it does. You imagine this place processing your Netflix queue with magical efficiency, possibly with Oompa Loompas in matching jumpsuits of Netflix red dancing about.

The truth is stranger.

After a period of begging Netflix to let me poke around its clandestine Chicago-area hub, and see how its ubiquitous red-enveloped packages are processed, I was given an address and a time to arrive and asked not to blab about it.