Rita R. Robison

More than 35 percent of Black Friday sale items offered no savings, study shows Eighty-five percent of American consumers are planning to spend the same amount or less during the 2025 holiday season compared to 2024. Last year, 81.7 million Americans shopped in person on Black Friday, while 87.3 million made purchases online. While people are looking for bargains during the holidays, especially at Black Friday sales, a study found 36 percent of items offer no savings compared with their pre-Black Friday prices.

More than 35 percent of Black Friday sale items offered no savings, study shows

Eighty-five percent of American consumers are planning to spend the same amount or less during the 2025 holiday season compared to 2024. Last year, 81.7 million Americans shopped in person on Black Friday, while 87.3…

Take steps now and throughout the holidays so you don’t end up with a big pile of depressing debt in January The holidays can be a time of great stress. I’ve written many times about ways to make things calmer so you can get more joy, such asking people to bring food items to holiday dinners rather than exhausting yourself doing it all. When it comes to your money, it’s also important to plan ahead to reduce stress. Here are some tips from the FDIC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and others worth considering:

Take steps now and throughout the holidays so you don’t end up with a big pile of depressing debt in January

The holidays can be a time of great stress. I’ve written many times about ways to make things calmer so you can get more joy, such asking people to bring food items to holiday dinners…

Today is Wednesday. If you sign up for my free newsletter in the next couple of hours, you'll get 10 financial tips on Thursday. People love getting information on where to find bargains, how to save money, and the latest financial news. Sign up at tinyurl.com/makeyourmone....

Best gift cards to buy in 2025

Gift cards are a lame present, but if you need to buy one due to lack of time, you didn’t know what to get for a gift, or for some other reason, it’s best to be pick out a good one. Gift cards are the most popular type of present for the 19th consecutive year in…

Today is Tuesday. If you sign up for my free newsletter today or tomorrow, you'll get 10 financial tips on Thursday. People love getting information on where to find bargains, how to save money, and the latest financial news. Sign up at tinyurl.com/makeyourmone....

What’s wrong with 50-year mortgages President Trump and his advisors have come up with yet another questionable idea. Extending the length of the 30-year mortgage to 50 years. Yes, that would reduce the monthly payments of a typical homeowner who paid 20 percent down to about $250 a month. While that seems like it would be helpful, the 50-year mortgage has very serious problems: Most people would not pay off their mortgage before they die.

What’s wrong with 50-year mortgages

President Trump and his advisors have come up with yet another questionable idea. Extending the length of the 30-year mortgage to 50 years. Yes, that would reduce the monthly payments of a typical homeowner who paid 20 percent down to about $250 a month. While…

Time to mark your calendar with these holiday shipping dates Although the holidays bring great joy, the season can also be a stressful time as you work to get everything ready. Planning ahead and being organized is the key. Nothing is worse that finding great presents, then find you’ve missed the deadline for shipping it. The U.S. Postal Service has announced the deadlines for the 2025 holiday season for the Lower 48 states.

Time to mark your calendar with these holiday shipping dates

Although the holidays bring great joy, the season can also be a stressful time as you work to get everything ready. Planning ahead and being organized is the key. Nothing is worse that finding great presents, then find you’ve missed the…

Watch out for senior romance scams It breaks my heart when I hear reports of seniors who have had money stolen, sometimes all their retirement savings, by a romance scammer. One senior woman reported her “love” in Nigeria had taken all her money, and she had to go live with her brother. Another woman fell in love with “John” and send him money on gift cards.

Watch out for senior romance scams

It breaks my heart when I hear reports of seniors who have had money stolen, sometimes all their retirement savings, by a romance scammer. One senior woman reported her “love” in Nigeria had taken all her money, and she had to go live with her brother. Another…

Trump administration cancels cash payments for delayed or canceled flights, but you can still negotiate with the airline It’s no surprise. Candidate Trump and his backers were clear that they intended to cut federal regulations, including consumer protections, in addition to reducing the size of government. The Trump administration announced on Friday that it’s rolling back consumer protections for airline passengers created by the Biden administration that would require airlines to compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations.

Trump administration cancels cash payments for delayed or canceled flights, but you can still negotiate with the airline

It’s no surprise. Candidate Trump and his backers were clear that they intended to cut federal regulations, including consumer protections, in addition to reducing the size of…

Could you live on a SNAP food budget? - Unlocking the Power of Your Money The Thrifty Food Plan, a formula created in 1975 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, determines the amount SNAP benefits […]

Years ago, my family tried living on the amount of money a family on food stamps received. It wasn't easy. ritarrobison.com/could-you-li...

Hormone replacement therapy: Can you trust the advice from Trump’s FDA that most women can take the medication now without harm? - Unlocking the Power of Your Money For years, my health care providers – general practitioner and specialists – hounded me to take hormone replacement therapy, or […]

The FDA announced it’s removing the black box warning from the prescribing information of all menopause hormone treatments containing estrogen. Check with your health care providers on what they recommend in light of the FDA’s speedy decision on HRT. ritarrobison.com/hormone-repl...

Watch out for scams aimed at veterans - Unlocking the Power of Your Money It’s Veterans Day, a day when people honor family and friends who’ve served in the military. But, it’s also a […]

Veterans, service members, and their families are continuously targeted by scammers. Why? Because veterans and their families have access to government benefits and the monetary value associated with them. ritarrobison.com/watch-out-fo...

Why a Medicare Advantage plan may not meet your needs - Unlocking the Power of Your Money Medicare Advantage sales people make money when they get you to switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan. […]

A study found 6.4 percent of prior approval requests submitted to Medicare Advantage plans were denied, while only 11.7% of the denials were appealed. Insurers are using prior approval to boost profits by targeting costly stays in care facilities, a report said. ritarrobison.com/why-a-medica...

Research carefully when deciding whether to move when you retire - Unlocking the Power of Your Money The sister of one of my best friends is thinking about moving to Arizona when she retires next year. We […]

The five top reasons people decide to move for retirement are lower housing costs, a tax cut, getting close to family, better weather, and a lifestyle reboot. ritarrobison.com/research-car...

CSPI asks feds to define UPF as foods with high unhealthy nutrient density (high sugar, sodium, or saturated fat); high calorie density; processed meat; sweetened beverages; processed refined carbohydrates; or ingredients linked to health concerns. ritarrobison.com/heath-and-nu...

Attorney generals and consumer groups sue Education Department over new Public Service Loan Forgiveness rule - Unlocking the Power of Your Money Twenty-two attorneys general have filed a lawsuit challenging new U.S. Department of Education regulations that could exclude people with fede...

The rule threatens PSLF eligibility for organizations that are engaged in legal activities, such as providing legal services to immigrants. ritarrobison.com/attorney-gen...

Happy Halloween - Unlocking the Power of Your Money It’s hard to believe it’s Halloween already. Soon it will be Thanksgiving, Christmas, then the New Year. I wonder if […]

Happy Halloween. Here are some safety tips, such as make sure your kids can see well out of their masks to avoid falls, to make sure the scary holiday is a safe one. ritarrobison.com/happy-hallow...

Facts and figures for Halloween 2025 - Unlocking the Power of Your Money Halloween is a big holiday for spending with the average person expected to spend $114. Seventy-three percent of Americans will […]

Will you be spending $114 on Halloween? That's the amount the average person is expected to spend this year. ritarrobison.com/facts-and-fi...

Look for my money tips at a new location Thank you, wonderful readers, for supporting my blog for so many years. Unfortunately, Typepad, the platform that hosts my blog, is shutting down on Sept. 30. That means I’ll need to export my 5,000-p...

Dear Readers: My blog on Typepad is shutting down on Sept. 30. I'll be exporting my articles to a new website, Unlocking the Power of Your Money. Wish me luck in exporting 5,000 articles and getting a new website set up. See you soon. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

MAHA report sounds like pesticide industry’s talking points, environmental group says It’s disappointing and discouraging. The Trump administration’s final “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, report is abandoning MAHA leaders’ promises to ban toxic agricultural chemicals, the Enviro...

It's not surprising that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backed away from his promise to ban harmful pesticides in food, but it's disappointing and discouraging. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Which states in the U.S. are the happiest? Happiness is a mixture of many factors, internal and external. People can boost happiness by choosing to live positively, spending time with people they love and doing activities they enjoy. However, ...

I thought it would be fun to write about which states are the happiest instead of politics. However, I couldn't help but notice that seven of the 10 most unhappiest states are in the South. I think that says something about Red states. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

In killing a rule that would have made airlines pay for flight delays, the Dept. of Transportation said it wasn't "consistent with Department and administration priorities." So helping corporations is the Trump administration's priority. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Trump’s spring Unified Regulatory Agenda on deregulation is a tragedy for the America public The Trump administration is taking so many actions every day to get rid of government regulations that it’s difficult to keep up with what’s happening. Regulations from the Environmental Protection Ag...

Trump's regulatory plan for 2025 includes cutting rules on crypto, ag worker pay, chemicals, student loan forgiveness, appliances energy use, climate change, vehicle emissions standards, workers’ rights, and more. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

TTI Outdoor Power Equipment has received 135 reports of the pressure washers' capacitors overheating, including 41 reports of explosions, resulting in 32 injuries and/or fractures to the fingers, hands, face, and eyes. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Best wishes on Labor Day Thank you to American workers who are the heart and soul of this country, keeping its businesses and industries running and our country economically strong. While the nation’s workforce should be appl...

Happy Labor Day. I hope you're having a great holiday on this celebration of American workers. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Top places to celebrate Labor Day 2025 Many communities in the United States are known as great vacation spots and offer fun activities, entertainment, and just rest and relaxation opportunities. Here’s a list of cities getting the nod as ...

Are you celebrating Labor Day in one of the top vacation spots in the U.S.? boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Are you celebrating Labor Day in one of the top vacation spots in the U.S.? boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Facts and figures for Labor Day 2025 Labor Day these days is all about trips, barbecues, ballgames, and shopping. This year, 64 percent of Americans will celebrate Labor Day, nearly 200 million plan to barbecue over Labor Day weekend, an...

This year, 64 percent of Americans will celebrate Labor Day, nearly 200 million plan to barbecue over Labor Day weekend, and thousands will pack college football stadiums. What are your plans? boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Are protein powders healthy or dangerous? Although body builders and exercise enthusiast have been using protein powder for years, it hasn’t been a product that I’ve tried until recently. However, since took the Dean Ornish heart health progr...

The Clean Label Project tested 160 products from 70 of the top-selling protein powder brands, the EWG reports. The results showed that 47 percent exceeded California’s Prop 65 exposure safety guidelines for toxic metals, such as lead and cadmium. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...

Be sure to back up your photos so you’ll always have copies I’m a photojournalist, so I have lots of photos on my computer, more than 170,000. Since large numbers of photos fill up the hard drive of a computer quickly, I have my iMac set up so my Apple Photos ...

Although I put my photos in iCloud and used Apple's Time Machine for backup, I didn't check to see if all my photos were in iCloud and if the Time Machine was working properly. Don't be like me when your external hard drive gets corrupted. boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_...