Consumer Reports played host to a teen driving event at its Auto Test Center in Colchester, Conn. The kicker was that the cars they learned on weren’t run-of-the-mill econoboxes. They were all classic cars, each fitted with manual transmissions.

Auto industry trade journals suggest that today’s teenagers are more interested in smart phones, iPads, and laptops than cars. The shift away from manuals can been seen in the dwindling availability of new cars equipped with manual transmissions. Hence, Hagerty Insurance—known for being one of the largest insurers of classic cars—runs clinics across the country focused on getting teens some wheel time with cars with actual clutches and sticks. And most of the cars they get for the events come from their customer’s classic rides.

And the best part was that Wayne Carini—star of the television show “Chasing Classic Cars”—stopped by to lend a hand. (See photo right. Watch Wayne talk Mustangs with Consumer Reports.) The "Chasing Classic Cars" episode featuring Carini and the CR crew airs Tuesday, May 12 at 10 p.m. on the Velocity channel.

Even with rain in the forecast, the event still drew a many intrepid car owners unafraid of what the weather or young, rookie drivers might do to their cars.

Visit our guide to teen driving for car buying advice, car recommendations, and safety tips.

Here’s a rundown of some of the cars that braved the rain.

• 1964.5 Ford Mustang
• 1966 Ford Mustang GT Fastback
• 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda
• 1971 Jaguar E-Type
• Porsche 911 Carrera RS
• Two MGAs
• 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi

Several adults attending the event were teeming with jealousy. Paul Cullen, watching as his 17-year-old son Nick went from clutching the E-Type to the Camaro, said, “Man, I never got to drive machines like this when I was a kid.” Age, in this case, was certainly a factor, as the cutoff to be a part of the event was licensed/permitted drivers from 15 to 25. How enthused were the attendees? Well, one “student” actually drove from West Virginia to attend.

If you have a teen and this sounds like an instructive event, look for a Hagerty Driving Experience near you.

And by all means, “Save the Manuals!"

See more pictures at instagram.com/crcars.

—Mike Quincy

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

When you buy a gas grill you expect it to work and work safely. When it doesn’t, you have to hope that customer service will quickly resolve your problem. Brinkmann delivered on its promise. The manufacturer said a replacement crossover channel would fix the safety problem Consumer Reports’ testers found on the Brinkmann 810-6230-S gas grill, and it did.

We bought this grill for $130 at Home Depot and it’s also sold at Albertsons and Hy-Vee. Our recent tests found that this small gas grill failed our drop-lid test after flames on one of the grill’s two burners occasionally went out when on the low heat setting. This occurred on both samples we tested. For details, read “Brinkmann grill fails Consumer Reports’ safety test.”

This test failure poses a safety risk and while the risk from this situation is low and there are no reported injuries, no gas grill should have this flaw. Bradley Gleaton, director of quality control for Brinkmann, said he did not believe this issue posed a risk, but they have improved the grill’s crossover channel as a result of our test findings. We called Brinkmann’s customer service (800-527-0717) and requested a crossover channel. It arrived 10 days later and we found it was easy to install, even though it arrived without instructions, and it fixed the safety problem. The owner’s manual has information on the crossover channel in the burner maintenance section and you can watch our experts show you how to properly install it.

A tip of the hat to Brinkmann and Home Depot

Ninety-nine percent of these grills are sold at Home Depot, says Brandon Gleaton, vice president of sales at Brinkmann. “Due to the ‘Do Not Buy’ rating on model 810-6230-S we decided to quarantine the item,” he says, adding that they’re replacing the crossover channels for all grills in stores and distribution channels and these boxes will bear a green sticker and be in stores by late May. Until the revamped grills are available Home Depot has put a stop sale on this grill, meaning their checkout system won’t allow it to go through the registers, says Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for the retailer. Grills currently being made include the new crossover channel and will have a yellow sticker on the carton, says Brandon. Consumer Reports’ policy is to keep the Do Not Buy status until we can buy and test this grill and it passes our safety test. We intend to buy it as soon as it becomes available, so check back for updates.

Shopping for a grill?

We tested over 100 gas grills to find the best and worst—prices range from $140 to $2,600. See our gas grill Ratings and use the gas grill selector to filter your results by brand, size, and price. Our buying guide offers tips to help you choose. Any questions? E-mail me at kjaneway@consumer.org. 

—Kimberly Janeway

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

The newly redesigned Nissan Murano tops the latest midsized SUVs to face the tough Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) small overlap crash test. In doing so, it earned the coveted Top Safety Pick Plus accolade from IIHS, which factors front, small overlap front, and side crash tests; roof strength; head restraints; and crash avoidance technology performance.

Redesigned for the 2015 model year, the Murano was found to have made notable improvements in roof strength over the previous generation. Further, it scored Good marks in all measures included for the small overlap test, in which just 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph, simulating striking a pole or tree.

Ranked second in this group, the Ford Flex scored an Acceptable in the small overlap test, although injury measures were judged to be Good across the board. It earned a Top Safety Pick designation.

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door scored better than the Flex in the small offset, with a Good rating. But in other IIHS tests, the Wrangler comes up short, with just Marginal ratings for the side crash tests and head restraint and seat evaluations. Further, because it lacks a fixed roof, IIHS states that the Wrangler “can’t provide good protection in rollover crashes.”

The Hyundai Santa Fe scored midpack in the small overlap test, with a Marginal score—a disappointment for a relatively recent design. However, it does earn top marks in the other key IIHS tests.

The Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey, and Jeep Cherokee are the worst scoring vehicles in this latest test. As we have seen with other test batches, older vehicles tend to be at a disadvantage in the small overlap crash unless running improvements have been made to update crash performance. Hence, the Poor score for the Dodge Journey and Marginal score for the Durango were not surprising, but the much newer Cherokee should have fared better. The Cherokee does earn a Good rating in the other IIHS tests.

With this latest batch of SUVs, the Murano joins the Toyota Highlander as the only vehicles in this class to earn a IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus. Other Top Safety Picks include the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Kia Sorento, and Nissan Pathfinder.

—George Kennedy

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

When a healthy, fit Swedish woman in her early 50s suffered a stroke last year while exercising, her doctor suspected that a supplement she took before her work out may have played a role. Now tests of the product, called Jacked Power, found it contained a controversial amphetamine-like ingredient called BMPEA that wasn’t listed on the label.

Earlier research had found that several other sport and weight-loss supplements also contained BMPEA (beta-methylphenethylamine), which is chemically similar to amphetamines. And some studies had suggested that it increases blood pressure and pulse rate in animals. But this is the first study to link the compound to a serious health problem in humans.

Read more about the dangers of weight-loss supplements, including garcinia cambogia, plus muscle-building supplements.  

While the FDA recently sent warning letters to five companies about products that contain BMPEA, Pieter Cohen, M.D., a Harvard researcher who wrote the case report in the Annals of Internal Medicine and previously found the compound in other supplements, says the new evidence should prompt the FDA to immediately yank supplements with BMPEA off the market.

“The FDA has to move aggressively,” Cohen says. “There is a very grave concern that BMPEA can lead to bleeding strokes, which can be extremely serious. What if, when you take this substance, it increases your blood pressure so high that you pop a blood vessel in your brain and bleed into your brain?”

Cohen also says that the FDA needs to rethink how dietary supplements are regulated, "so people can’t just introduce supplements to the market without any testing.” Unlike drugs, supplements do not have to be tested for safety and effectiveness before being sold, though the FDA can act after a supplement is proven to be unsafe.

—Roni Caryn Rabin

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

For years, Consumer Reports readers have lauded Whole Foods Markets, the high-end grocer with 400 stores from coast to coast, for exceptional produce and other perishables, wide array of organics, sparking shopping environments, and blue-chip service. However, they’ve been equally vocal about the chain’s outrageous prices.  After all, Whole Foods didn’t earn the derisive nickname, “Whole Paycheck,” for nothing.

Now, it appears, all that grumbling has paid off. In a recent conference call with financial analysts to discuss the company’s quarterly earnings, CEO John Mackey and other executives teased the Austin, Texas-based retailer's plan to launch a "uniquely branded store concept unlike anything currently in the marketplace."

In a presentation filled with hyperbole but few details, executives described the new format as a concept offering “industry-leading standards at value prices, a modern, streamlined design, innovative technology, and a curated selection.”  

For more ways to save at the supermarket, read our Supermarkets Buying Guide.

Said Walter Robb, co-chief executive officer: “It will deliver a convenient, transparent, and values-oriented experience geared toward Millennial shoppers, while appealing to anyone looking for high-quality fresh food at great prices."

The company says smaller stores with a lower cost structure, a more standardized design, and limited product assortment would help deliver goods for less.

Mackey said the company would release specifics about the new store before Labor Day, in September. In fact, the company hadn’t planned to spill the beans about the concept for a while, but decided to do so now out of concern that the news would leak out and fuel speculation because Whole Foods is actively signing leases for the stores. Executives said the first of the new stores would open next year and rapidly expand from there.

While a lower-priced Whole Foods would be a welcome addition to the supermarket landscape, there’s no denying that many supermarket chains are rethinking their marketing strategy toward Millennials.

This influential group of 18-to-35 year olds numbers 75.3 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s larger than the contingent of Baby Boomers. But millennials march to a different drum beat. Food is much more a source of fun, exploration, social connection, and individual expression. Compared to Boomers, for instance, they’re less inclined to plan meals or make shopping lists in advance; many don’t want to cook everyday; and they don’t keep a fully stocked pantry. They’re “occasion” eaters, meaning they build a meal or ingredient list around a recipe or encounter that inspires them. In fact, one-quarter of all meals consumed by twentysomethings include items purchased the same day.

To keep restaurants from hijacking these shoppers, who are inclined to make last-minute meal decisions, many grocers have responded by developing immediate-consumption sections that sell fresh prepared meats, salads, sandwiches, sushi, and beverages. Some, like Whole Foods, are bringing a restaurant feel right into the shopping experience.

—Tod Marks

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

It's been a busy spring for consumers in the credit-report arena. Several new developments ensure a better shake for job-seekers; folks in credit counseling; and those disputing mistakes on their credit reports. But other developments point out how far we still need to go to ensure all consumers get a fair shake regarding credit access.

Early this month, New York City banned employers from checking prospective employees' credit records. The result can only be positive for job-seekers. Now, people whose credit is less than stellar—due to their own actions or to an uncorrected mistake on a credit report—won't have to worry about that part of their background affecting their job prospects. The new law, with some exceptions, prohibits employers, labor unions and employment agencies from using or requesting applicants' credit histories. Those entities also cannot discriminate against an applicant based on his or her credit history. 

Researchers have shown there's not much to back up employers' contention that a job applicant's good credit score correlates with responsible behavior, dependability, ability to meet deadlines, and other positive personality traits.

New York City's law comes on the heels of another major step taken in the Empire State on behalf of consumers beset by credit report errors and glitches. In March, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a settlement with the three major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, to improve their resolution of consumer complaints. The companies now must employ specially trained workers to handle all disputes involving fraud, identity theft, and mixed files—where one consumer's credit information inadvertently lands in another consumer's credit file. 

The agreement also requires that, for all types of credit disputes, the credit reporting agencies can't just assume that the creditor is right and the consumer is wrong. When a creditor validates a disputed item on a consumer's report, personnel with the authority to resolve the dispute must look over the supporting documentation. The agencies cannot automatically reject the consumer's dispute.

Medical debt also will not be entered into credit reports for a 180-day period, giving consumers a reasonable period of time in which to pay their bills without appearing to be in trouble on their credit reports. Medical debt is a major issue in credit disputes.

All consumers already are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three agencies, by going to annualcreditreport.com. But the new settlement requires the agencies to give a second free report to consumers who want to see whether changes have been made following a resolved dispute.

As we've written, credit reports are used as the basis of all kinds of decisions. And mistakes on your report can have serious repercussions. You may not get a lease, or you may get a mortgage with less-than-favorable rates. You may pay more for auto insurance. And—except now in New York City—you may miss out on a job. 

Consumer Reports Banking and Credit Guide provides unbiased advice and tips for getting the best bank services and loans.

Debtors attempting to make a fresh start got a helping hand recently from FICO, the company that provides the bulk of credit scores in the United States. The company said it and the three credit-reporting agencies would allow counselors at not-for-profit credit counseling services to let the consumers they counsel see their own FICO credit reports and credit scores. 

It seems like a no-brainer that a consumer would need to see his or her credit history to figure out how to improve. But apparently, a "no-sharing" provision is common in contracts involving business users of credit reports and scores, including credit counselors.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau praised the agreement, calling it "a step in the right direction." We agree.

One disturbing development, however, was outlined last week by the CFPB. An estimated one in ten adults has no credit history—at least none in the traditional sense used by mainstream lenders. Either these consumers don't have enough of a credit history to generate a credit score, or the information on their reports is so old or "stale" that it can't be utilized in a score. 

Most of those "invisible" consumers live in low-income neighborhoods, the CFPB reports. Black and Hispanic consumers are more likely than other groups to have no credit history. Having no credit record can make it near-impossible for those consumers to get loans at reasonable rates, or to get loans at all. 

“A limited credit history can create real barriers for consumers looking to access the credit that is often so essential to meaningful opportunity—to get an education, start a business, or buy a house," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said. 

Unfortunately, one possible solution to that problem, announced recently by FICO, doesn't sit well with consumer advocates, including Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.

FICO recently announced a pilot program with Equifax and Big Data broker LexisNexis to create a credit score from "alternative" data including property records, and phone and utility bills. The idea is to create a score for creditworthy consumers who otherwise would have difficulty obtaining traditional credit. "Working with Equifax and LexisNexis, we set out to help unbanked, under-banked and disadvantaged people gain equal access to the standard credit products enjoyed by millions of Americans," a FICO executive noted in a press release.

But the Defend Your Dollars blog, run by Consumers Union, notes that utility bills shouldn't be used as the basis of credit scores, and that such sources of data actually may hurt those disadvantaged people. 

"Utilities payments can skyrocket unexpectedly in a cold winter or sweltering summer, and consumers don’t always have the money to pay these bills on time," the blog notes. "And even turning in one bill one month late could dock you 100 points on your FICO score.

"We agree that more consumers should have access to credit – but mandatory reporting of utilities data isn’t the way to do it," the blog concludes.

—Tobie Stanger (@TobieStanger on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

You’ll probably never earn 300,000 to 400,000 frequent-flyer miles per year, as Jeff Harris does. An elite-level member of multiple award programs, Harris, from Los Angeles, travels the world buying and selling vintage high-end watches. But even infrequent flyers can benefit from his experience. We caught up with him in Sydney, Australia to get his best tips:

Explore connecting flights

Nonstops are always preferred, but when you can’t get an award ticket that way, get creative with connections. If you’re in the American AAdvantage frequent flyer program and are unable to book directly to London from New York on British Airways, the logical Oneworld alliance partner, check Iberia, another Oneworld partner, for New York to Barcelona, then connect to London.

Consider partner airlines

You can often redeem your U.S. frequent-flyer miles for overseas travel on your airline’s foreign carrier partners. For example, Cathay Pacific partners with American Airlines through the Oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways Executive Club, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, and others.

Be flexible

If you can’t get the flight you want, book what you can get, then check back in a few days to see whether a better itinerary is available. If you can change your award ticket plans, there may be a fee.

Don’t waste miles on non-flight rewards

“It’s almost criminal to redeem miles for hotels or car rentals,” Harris says. For example, United Mileage Plus would have charged 107,400 miles for three nights at the Omni Chicago hotel in June, a value we calculated to be worth only 0.8 cent per mile.

Look on the bright side

Sometimes you can’t find an award seat, but there’s a silver lining to paying for your flight with dollars, Harris says.  “When you’re flying on miles,” he points out, “you’re not earning miles.”

—Jeff Blyskal @JeffBlyskal on Twitter

This article also appeared in the June 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Taking a multivitamin as a nutritional insurance policy may seem like a good idea. But the truth is that there’s no proof that the pills provide any benefit for healthy people.

Many scientists have reached that same conclusion. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group of national experts that advises the government, recently analyzed studies that included data for about 450,000 people. It found no clear evidence that multivitamins prevented cancer or heart disease, helped people live longer, or made them healthier in any way.

Another problem is that supplements, including multivitamins, are not regulated in the U.S. the same way prescription and over-the-counter drugs are. For example, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t test them for safety or effectiveness before they go on the market. There’s also no guarantee that they contain what they say they do, or that they don’t contain substances other than what’s listed on the label.

According to Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports' chief medical adviser, the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need is to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, plus a small amount of animal-based protein. “A good diet can provide such a wide range of health benefits that the addition of a multivitamin is not only unnecessary, but can be looked upon as excess baggage,” Lipman says.

Find out if it's worth taking zinc for your cold and read about supplements tainted with a potentially deadly speed-like substance.

There are a small number of people who should take multivitamins to prevent deficiencies. That includes the very young and the very old, or very sick people who eat an extremely limited diet. For example, “Infants and babies up to age two or three who are not yet eating a varied diet, those who are chronically ill, and people in their late eighties or nineties whose food intake has become limited due to decreasing appetite or other factors," Lipman says.

If you suspect that you or someone you care for might need a multivitamin, talk to your doctor first to make sure that he or she agrees. The rest of us should skip the supplement aisle and head for the produce department instead.

—Lauren Cooper

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

In a victory for consumers, Keurig Green Mountain is bringing back the refillable My K-Cup, which was discontinued with the debut of Keurig 2.0 machines last year. The backlash was fast and furious and sales of the new pod coffeemakers dropped a stunning 23 percent. “We took it away because My K-Cup wasn’t going to work with our new system,” said CEO Brian Kelley in a call with market analysts. “Quite honestly, we were wrong.”

Keurig’s problems began last August when it introduced Keurig 2.0 machines that only accepted pods made or licensed by Green Mountain. To do that, the machines employed digital rights management (DRM) technology that blocked coffee drinkers from using older or unlicensed K-Cups.  From a business standpoint it made sense—Keurig makes its money on pods not coffeemakers—but from a customer service standpoint, it was a misstep.

The company explained that by recognizing which pod the machine is brewing,  the Keurig 2.0 would provide “the recommended, customized setting for that particular beverage.” Other brands, such as the Bosch Tassimo, do the same thing, but they don’t have the brand loyalty of Keurig. The new design meant obsolescence for older K-cups and refillable K-cup adapters that you can use with your favorite coffee. Hackers had a field day.

In truth, bringing back the refillable K-cup doesn’t do much for folks who want to use a Keurig machine to brew conventional ground coffee. That’s because single-serve machines use a brewing process that sends a shot of hot water through the pod in a process similar to electric cappuccino makers. By contrast, coffee ground for drip coffeemakers is meant to be immersed in near-boiling water for about 5 to 6 minutes per industry recommendations. In other words, coffee from a pod coffeemaker typically doesn’t taste like what you pour from the carafe of a drip machine.

By bringing back a refillable K-cup adapter that the Keurig 2.0 will recognize, the company has provided a back door to loyal Keurig customers who may still have cases and cases of unused pods. Popping in a pod offers the most convenience, of course. The next best thing: Slicing open a pre-2.0 pod and pouring the grounds into the My K-Cup.

We’ll see if Keurig’s reversal will be enough for the company’s fan base. Machines from other brands, after all, fit the older Keurig pods just fine. These include the Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5, $80, and Cuisinart SS-300 Compact Single Serve, $130. While neither matched our recommended models on a number of points, they scored impressively overall. Be sure to check out our coffeemaker buying guide before checking our coffeemaker Ratings of more than 30 pod machines and nearly 100 other coffeemakers.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Samsung's Galaxy S-series phones have traditionally been top performers in our smartphone Ratings. Our tests of the company's latest flagship phones, the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge (a curved-screened variant), have found them to be among the best phones you can buy. But surprisingly, these phones don't score as highly as their top-ranked predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S 5.

There is plenty to like about the S6 and S6 Edge. Both have large, ultra-sharp (1440p Quad HD) displays that present photos, videos, Web pages, and other objects with an incredible amount of detail (550 pixels per inch).

Samsung's new phones also have a multitude of convenient charging options most smartphone users will find useful. For instance, these phones can be rapidly charged (up to 50 percent capacity in about 30 minutes) via an included 9-volt, USB 2.0 charger. Or, you can wirelessly recharge them with charging pads that follow either the Qi or Powermat wireless charging formats.

Bleeding-edge innovations like these are what has helped the Samsung Galaxy S line earn its reputation as the leading alternative to Apple’s iPhones. Samsung's phones have traditionally offered the latest technologies, swappable batteries, and expandable memory, while Apple's devices have prioritized design, high-end materials, and simple ("too simple," say some) operation.

Shopping for a new smartphone? Learn about key features in our Cell Phone Buying Guide.

But with the new S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung has pulled an about-face on the Galaxy S line's anti-iPhone persona. The new devices are significantly more Apple-like than previous models.

Both new Samsung smartphones are made of glass-and-aluminum. (The S6 Edge’s screen also bends at both edges.) A decidedly more elegant look, but other Apple-like modifications actually hurt these devices in our Ratings—ironically, putting them on-par with Apple's iPhone 6.

For instance, these are the first Galaxy S models with non-removable batteries. Also missing: memory-expansion slots. That means Galaxy S6 owners will have to bring their phone to a service center to replace the battery, or buy a more expensive version of the phone if more onboard storage is needed—just as you do with an iPhone.

What’s more, these Galaxies are not water-resistant like the Galaxy S 5, so you’d better hold on to it tightly when you’re near a sink, puddle, or pool.

The Galaxy S6 battery life, although, very good, was also a notch below the Galaxy S 5 and smartphones from other makers, including LG.

As a consolation, Samsung promises a free battery replacement if charging capacity drops below 80 percent during the first year. Thereafter, you’ll pay only $45 plus shipping and local taxes to replace the battery. And if you accidently crack your phone’s screen, Samsung will replace it for a flat $45. 

It could be worse: Apple charges $80 for iPhone repairs. 

—Mike Gikas

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

The new Verizon FiOS Custom TV package sounds like a great way to pay only for channels you really want to watch, which should cut your cable bill, right? It does, to some extent, but you might wind up paying more than you expect and getting less than you want. Here’s what I discovered when I pieced together a package, an experience that should give you an idea of what to expect if you’re considering FiOS Custom TV service and whether you can save any money.

I chose an $80-per-month triple-play deal with TV, 25Mbps Internet, and home phone. The TV portion includes a core program package, plus two smaller add-on packs of my choice. Of the 44 channels in the base package, only a dozen really interest me—local broadcast channels and six cable stations, including AMC, CNN, Food Network, and HGTV. The other 32 are a mix of foreign-language stations, shopping channels, religious channels, and others I never heard of.

For the two included channel packs, I selected Lifestyle (18 stations, among them A&E, Lifetime, and TLC) and the Entertainment Pack (10 stations, including FX, TNT, and USA). But we can’t live without news and business channels, so I added a third pack for another $10 a month (16 stations, including CNBC, Discovery, MSNBC, and National Geographic).

Unfortunately, ESPN and Fox Sports, among others, are in a separate 12-channel Sports Pack, which would cost an additional $10 a month. Since there are lots of games on the broadcast channels, I decide to risk a war at home and passed on sports, but other households might not be willing to.

Even with the 88-channel lineup I assembled, I’m still not getting a bunch of channels I currently watch, such as ABC Family, Comedy Central, and IFC (part of the 14-channel Pop/Culture Pack) and TV Land and Disney (12-channel Kids Pack). 

Check our buying guide and Ratings for more information on telecom service providers for TV, Internet, and phone. And tell us how you plan to cut your cable bill.

So, how much did I save?

Time to tally up the bill. Including equipment rental (for two HD set-top boxes, multiroom DVR service, and a wireless router) and one extra channel pack, plus taxes, fees, and other charges, the grand total for this $80 triple play comes to $140.

That's a lot pricier than I expected. And I fear we’ll miss the channels in the packs I decided to do without, along with others that aren’t available in any of these packs, such as BBC America. (SO much for Dr. Who and Orphan Black fans.)

Just for kicks, I checked out a standard FiOS triple-play package with Preferred TV, which has 290-plus channels, according to Verizon. It also has 50Mbps Internet, twice as fast as the Custom TV package. This plan was more expensive, $171 a month, but it would provide faster Internet service, which is increasingly important to our home, and a ton more channels, many of which I like. The $30 a month I’d save with FiOS Custom TV is nothing to sneeze at, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to give up so much in exchange.

So is FiOS Custom TV a good deal for you? It depends on what you watch, what you’re willing to give up, and how much you’re willing to pay for a month of entertainment. It’s well worth taking 15 minutes to build your own package, then compare it to a standard package as I did. I give props to Verizon for making it easy to configure a package online, and for providing a detailed, itemized breakout of the monthly bill so you know what you’re in for.

But this is clearly a case of buyer beware: All those extra charges do add up. That's not unique to Verizon by any means. No matter what TV provider's bundle you're considering, be sure to check the bottom line before you sign on the dotted line.

—Eileen McCooey

Are you considering cutting cable-TV cord to save some money? Share your story with other readers in our forum.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

As this year’s crop of graduates prepares to start life outside of the college cocoon, are they ready to face the financial decisions of the “real world?” A recent survey found that barely half (58%) of college freshmen felt prepared to manage their money. Over the past three years, the percentages of freshmen planning to stick to a budget and pay their credit card bills on time have steadily declined.

For many of today’s grads, the coveted diploma comes with a heavy debt burden. And once they enter the workplace, they’re confronted by myriad financial decisions–and serious mistakes – that can pay off or punish them for years to come. Here are five steps that can help college grads get their new lives started on firmer ground.

For more information on this subject, read "Ramp Up Your Savings: Start with These 5 Strategies" and "Simplify Your Financial Life."

Don’t ignore your credit score

Don’t delay–save today

Thanks to interest compounding, smaller amounts of money saved sooner will outstrip larger amounts of money saved later. Family members who helped fund a 529-plan might be willing and able to contribute to a Roth individual retirement account. At the same time, regularly set aside money to build up your emergency savings stash. HelloWallet’s new free website calculator provides personalized guidance about how much you’ll need.

Invest simply and cheaply

Index funds that track a market benchmark can be much cheaper than actively managed funds, which aim to beat a market benchmark but often miss the mark. Funds such as Vanguard Total Stock Market exchange-traded fund (VTI) is a low-cost one-stop option for investors looking for a domestic stock fund that invests broadly across sectors, styles, and capitalizations. Both Charles Schwab and Vanguard Group have low minimum investments of $1,000 to open a brokerage account.

Say yes to free money

Take advantage of your employer’s 401(k) plan by setting aside enough from each paycheck to get the full “employer matching contribution.” That match is free money–and how often does that come along? Contribute even if your employer doesn’t offer a match; the money is taken from your paycheck pre-tax, so the dent in your take-home pay is negligible, while your savings grow tax-free. Similarly, sign up for other workplace plans that cut your tax bill by using pretax dollars to pay for health and commuting costs.

Leverage your apps

Use your smartphone to track spending with a budgeting app or check your credit card balance each month. Arrange to receive alerts when your bank balance is low, so you don’t get charged overdraft fees. Set up autopay for bills to avoid late fees, or schedule payments as soon as you get a bill.

— Catherine Fredman

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Would you rather be eaten alive by mosquitoes and ticks that can carry debilitating—and even deadly—diseases or douse yourself in harmful repellents full of potentially dangerous chemicals? Almost three-quarters of Americans say they worry more about insect-carried diseases, such as West Nile and Lyme as well as newer threats like chikungunya and Powassan, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey of 2,011 U.S. adults.

Here’s the real dilemma, though: Most people also say that safety is key when they choose a repellent, but only about a third think the products now on the market are safe for adults. Even fewer—23 percent—think the repellents are safe for kids.

If you’re conflicted about what to do, we have good news: For the  first time ever in Consumer Reports’ tests of insect repellents, new, safer products—made with milder, plantlike chemicals—were the most effective. (Check our insect repellent Ratings and buying guide.) The top scorers outperformed products that contained deet, a chemical that did best in our previous Ratings but can cause serious side effects.

The active ingredients in the top repellents are chemically synthesized compounds that are similar to or come from natural ingredients. The secret sauce in the best-scoring Sawyer product is picaridin; in the Repel it’s oil of lemon eucalyptus. They are not side-effect-free, but “those problems are much less severe than deet,” says Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., executive director of Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center. “Still, all repellents should be used sparingly and only for the time you need them—especially on children and older people.”

That’s why an effective bug-avoidance strategy requires a full arsenal. Our new tests identify  non-chemical approaches that offer some relief (setting up a fan on your back patio, for example) and those that don’t help much if at all (think citronella candles, wristbands, and “all-natural” products with geraniol, lemongrass, and rosemary oils).

Find out which insect repellents is best at keeping bugs at bay.

To find effective spray-on repellents, we went to an outside lab and tested 15 pump sprays and aerosols. The products contained deet, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin, a chemical called IR3535, and products made with natural plant oils.

Our brave testers had a different repellent applied to each of their forearms and, 30 minutes later, reached into an 8-cubic-foot cage containing 200 disease-free, female mosquitoes in need of a blood meal to lay their eggs. We used culex mosquitoes (the kind that transmit West Nile and are most active between dusk and dawn) and aedes (a variety that likes to feed on humans, is active all day long, and carries chikungunya). Our experts watched and recorded bites every hour.

A repellent failed if a tester was bitten two or more times in one 5-minute session, or once in two consecutive sessions. For ticks, we marked each tester’s bare arms with three lines, then released, one at a time, five disease-free deer ticks to crawl on them. The repellent failed if two ticks crossed into the treated area.

The top-performing products contained 20 percent picaridin and 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus. They kept mosquitoes and ticks away for at least 7 hours. Two deet products also earned at least Very Good scores, and the repellent that was 15 percent deet outperformed the 25 percent deet product, possibly because of its inactive ingredients. The IR3535 products didn’t make our list of top sprays. Some of the plant-oil products couldn’t ward off the aedes mosquitoes for even half an hour.

Deet (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) has been the go-to insect repellent since it was introduced in the 1950s. But consumers are still confused by it: 64 percent of people we surveyed admit that they don’t know how much deet a repellent should contain for it to be considered safe. And balancing safety and effectiveness is tricky. Products with 15 percent or more deet do work, though concentrations above 30 percent are no better, past tests have found. And deet, especially in high concentrations, can cause rashes, disorientation, and seizures. That’s why we say you should avoid repellents with more than 30 percent deet and not use it at all on babies younger than 2 months. But go too low—such as 7 percent deet—and it won’t stop bites for long.

Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus—two repellents introduced in the last decade—make good alternatives to deet. Here’s why.

They work. The repellents we tested that contain 20 percent picaridin and 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-Menthane-3,8-diol) warded off mosquitoes for at least 7 hours and kept deer ticks away for at least 6 hours. But the concentration is important: A spray that contained just 5 percent picaridin performed worse than the 7 percent deet product we tested.

They’re safer. Picaridin is made to resemble the compound piperine, which occurs naturally in black pepper plants. Oil of lemon eucalyptus comes from the gum eucalyptus tree. Both have less serious side effects than deet has. Oil of lemon eucalyptus can cause temporary eye injury. The Food and Drug Administration says it should not be used on children under age 3. Of the two, picaridin is a better choice for kids, although it can cause some irritation of skin, eyes, and lungs.

Proper use is essential, even with safer products. That means:

• Apply repellents only to exposed skin or clothing (as directed on the product label). Never put it on under clothing. Use just enough to cover and only for as long as needed; heavy doses don’t work better.

• Don’t apply repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.

• When applying to your face, spray first on your hands, then rub in, avoiding your eyes and mouth, and using sparingly around ears.

• Don’t let young children apply. Instead, put it on your own hands, then rub it on. Limit use on children’s hands, because they often put their hands in their eyes and mouths.

• Don’t use near food, and wash hands after application and before eating or drinking.

• At the end of the day, wash treated skin with soap and water, and wash treated clothing in a separate wash before wearing again.

Mosquito-borne diseases

West Nile was reported in 47 states last year and killed 85 people in the U.S. Chikungunya isn’t as widespread—yet—or as deadly. Of the almost 2,500 cases reported in the continental U.S. since January 2014, there were no deaths, and only 11 cases were from bites received in the continental U.S. (all in Florida). The rest were brought back from the Caribbean, Asia, or Africa. But experts worry that chikungunya may be prone to large outbreaks in urban settings. The mosquitoes that carry it bite all day long. Plus, roughly 70 to 90 percent of infected people develop symptoms, compared with 20 percent of those infected with West Nile.

What to do. See a doctor if you develop signs of either disease: fever, headache, and body aches for West Nile; and fever and joint pain for chikungunya. Both are viral, so antibiotics won’t help. But over-the-counter pain relievers can ease symptoms.

Tick-borne diseases

Lyme disease affects about 300,000 people each year, mostly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. But that geographic reach is expanding, and doctors in new areas may be less familiar with the disease. Other tick-related diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, most often in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri; babesiosis, in the Northeast and Upper Midwest; ehrlichiosis, in the Midwest and South; and an emerging virus, Powassan, mainly in the Northeast and Great Lakes region.

What to do. See a doctor if you develop a bull’s-eye rash accompanied by flu-like symptoms, which indicates Lyme. Prompt treatment can stop the infection and prevent more serious complications, such as joint pain and facial paralysis (Lyme disease); heart, joint, or kidney failure (Rocky Mountain spotted fever); blood clots and bleeding (babesiosis); difficulty breathing or bleeding disorders (ehrlichiosis); and neurological problems (Powassan).

This article also appeared in the July 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

To find out how well area mosquito repellents worked, we went to an outside lab and simulated a backyard barbecue in a 25x30-foot room, where we unleashed 250 aedes mosquitoes, known to be aggressive biters.

We suited up four testers in protective suits and sat them at a “picnic” table, where we lit an Off! Citronella Bucket, $8.50, containing a candle with 0.5 percent oil of citronella. Then we counted how often mosquitoes landed on them. We tested again with the Bug Band Portable Diffuser, $20, which uses a battery-operated blower to propel the scent of 20 percent geraniol, another plant oil. Last, we cranked up an oscillating pedestal fan to its highest speed to see whether it could literally blow mosquitoes away.

Find out how to win your battle with bug bites, and find safer insect repellents that did best in our tests.  

What we found

Neither the citronella bucket nor the geraniol diffuser kept the mosquitoes at bay. But the fan showed some promise: It cut mosquito landings by 45 to 65 percent, at least among people sitting close to the fan. Consumer Reports' survey of 2,011 U.S. adults found similar results: 45 percent of people who used fans said they were especially helpful, compared with 31 percent of those who tried candles.

What else can you do? Clean out gutters and empty old tires and birdbaths (where mosquitoes breed) and clear away ivy and decaying leaves (where they hide). For ticks, keep your lawn mowed, remove leaves, and let in as much sun as you can. Consider fencing, to keep out deer and other animals that carry ticks.

This article also appeared in the July 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

The car rental industry has made an art out of the low-advertised-price scam, promoting a bargain rate that neglects to mention mandatory extras. Rent a car at an airport and you may be hit by a truly amazing stack of additional fees.

Besides the rental itself, you could be charged for the airport concession, the rental facility, and even the car’s registration. You may find charges for a local civic improvement, a juiced-up local sales tax, and other surcharges, including one levied on frequent fliers.

Those don’t even touch the optional extras: insurance, gasoline, additional driver, child seat, toll transponder, and navigation system.

Drivers under 25 may pay a much higher rate, face a large-dollar hold on their credit card, or not be able to rent at all. A possible solution for these younger drivers is a car-sharing organization like Zipcar (see below).

You can ply these shark-infested waters with minimal danger if you’re willing to plan ahead. It can be a chore, but worth it in the end. For instance, you may find that renting the smallest car isn’t the best choice. Sometimes the rate for a midsized car is lower than for a subcompact from the same company—and it is likely more comfortable and safer.

When it comes to securing a rental car, comparison shopping is vital, and shopping online is the easiest way to go. Use a travel site like Orbitz, Kayak, or Expedia; a dedicated site like Carrentals.com; or simply Google “cheap car rental” and the name of the city you’re visiting.

We recently checked out prices for renting a Toyota Corolla for eight days, spanning a holiday weekend, from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The 12 quotes produced by Orbitz ranged from $274 (Ace) to $615 (National), not including those pesky extra fees. With those, the rentals actually ranged from $404 to $897. The median quote, including taxes, was about $500.

Another choice you’ll see is to pre-pay with your booking or pay the day of pickup. Pre-paying can net a big discount, but check the cancellation terms. You want to be able to back out painlessly if your plans change—or you find a better deal.

Don’t be afraid to check out smaller car-rental names like Ace, Advantage, Fox, and Payless. Local and regional agencies can charge 20 to 50 percent less than the big chains, even if, as in the case of Payless, they’re affiliated with one of the majors. It might be a good idea to check local—and recent—online reviews on the smaller players, though. Service quality can vary a great deal.

Skip the airport

You might get a big break, perhaps as much as 50 percent off, by renting downtown, or in a suburb if you’re headed for one, rather than grabbing a car at the airport.

If you can avail yourself of a cheap shuttle, train ride, or cab trip to your hotel, all the better, especially if it allows you to skip the airport-rental queues and chaos.

One possible option, if you go for an off-airport deal, is to check out the cost of a one-way rental. This is where you drop the car off at the airport on the return leg. That may give you the best of both worlds.

Organizations like AAA and AARP offer cheap—or at least discounted—rental-car deals. AAA members may get perks such free use of a child seat. Costco and BJ’s also offer some great discounts. Costco, for instance, looks for deals that include an additional driver at no extra cost. American Express and numerous Visa and MasterCard offerings also offer car-rental discounts.

Weekend rates are often the cheapest, but you can also get good deals by renting at a weekly rate. But watch out for bigcharges if your plans change mid-trip and you end up returning your car sooner or later than you planned.

You may be charged for a full extra day if you’re as little as an hour late at drop-off. Some companies also charge you extra for dropping your car off too early. Your weekly-rate discount may be voided as well, sticking you with a far higher daily rental rate.

A rental company’s insurance offerings—Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), property-theft coverage, and so on—can add $10 to $30 per day if not more. If you have no alternative, you should spring for CDW. But your own car insurance may already cover you, so check that out ahead of time.

If you don’t carry collision coverage on your own car, though, you probably won’t have it on your rental, either.

American Express and many Visa and MasterCard programs also supply rental-car insurance, so long as you book using that card.

The rental clerk may say your own insurance doesn’t cover tires, glass, or days out of service. Check the fine print in your own auto and credit-card coverage before you leave home. And bring your insurance card with you, just in case.

When you inspect the car before picking it up, take close-up pictures with your smartphone, to prove that any minor damage or upholstery stains present were there at the start.

Turn these down

Child seat. If you need a child safety seat while traveling, bring your own rather than taking a chance on whatever the rental company has to offer. It may not be clean or easy to secure, and the fee—typically $10 a day—can quickly mount up.

Navigation. It may not be worth your while to rent a navigation system, especially if you have a smartphone with GPS or own a portable system you can bring with you.

HD radio. Unless you’re really, really hooked on HD radio, which offers great sound but spotty coverage, we’d skip it.

You’re often given three fuel choices: agree to return the car with a full tank; prepay for a full tank; or let the rental company top up the tank when you return the car.

The first choice is best if you start with a full tank. Fill the car immediately before returning it—and save that receipt!

Buying a tankful up front makes sense if you can contrive to return the car almost empty. If you return it partly full, you don’t get a refund. In other words, you get to pay not just for your own fuel but some of the next customers’, too.

Letting them fill it for you could be the worst bet. Rental companies can add “service” charges that could tack on several dollars a gallon.

Electronic toll trolls

Many regions are adopting cashless electronic highway tolls—EZ-Pass in the northeast, SunPass in Florida, FasTrak in California, and so forth. Typically you’ll pay $3 to $5 a day for the car’s built-in e-toll transponder, whether you go through any tolls or not, plus the tolls themselves.

Sometimes you’re given a choice of having the transponder activated or not. If you decide mid-trip that you’ll need it after all, you’ll be charged for all the days you didn’t have it, as well as those you did. If you turn down that privilege and happen to breeze through a cashless toll, be prepared to pay a big charge, $100 or more, plus the toll, and perhaps other fees.

This table shows typical sedans you’ll find in retail rental fleets, according to their websites. Note that most sites mention a model name with the caveat “or similar.” That means you often can’t know for sure that you’ll get the exact car you wanted. Try calling the rental location to nail them down on what they have on hand.

Large chains like Avis, Enterprise, and Hertz also rent luxury cars, usually BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes, in select markets and locations.

Models that we consider especially mediocre, based on our testing, are marked in Italics. There is no reason to ruin your vacation by renting a model that has an uncomfortable seat, harsh ride, and/or poor fuel economy. Those include the Chevrolet Impala, because for now most rental Impalas are the previous-generation Impala Limited, which GM continued making for rental fleets, instead of the much nicer Impala redesign that bowed in 2014.

Zipcar is a leader in the “car sharing” movement, a low-hassle approach to very short-term car rental—from an hour or two to a week. Typical rental charges run about $8 to $9 an hour, which includes gas, insurance, and 180 miles. The varied fleet mostly has small and midsized sedans, but it includes vans, pickups, and luxury cars at select locations.

Despite being acquired by Avis in 2013, Zipcar maintains its youthful, socially conscious vibe. You first buy a membership, for $6 per month or $60 per year, and they mail you a personal key card that will enable you to access cars you then book by phone or online. Members can be as young as 18 for some college students.

Members are expected to leave plenty of fuel for the next renter, and fill up (at Zipcar’s expense) if necessary. They’re also enjoined to leave the car free of travel trash, return the car to the place where they picked it up, and not be late.

The honor-system approach doesn’t always work out. Numerous complaints cite cars that have been left with little gas and someone else’s food waste. Pickings may be slim in some places, too. But for people who need a car only occasionally, Zipcar can be a convenient and low-cost alternative to car ownership.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Spring is sports car season, with clear roads, fair weather, and flower-festooned landscapes inspiring a desire for a high-velocity escape. It can also be a great time to buy a fun car.

In analyzing the latest nationwide incentives, we have found several iconic models that radiate personality to be available at notable savings. Most cars featured here are late in their model run, meaning a little cash on hood is expected to help them in the sales race. Also, there are a few that are about to be either replaced or treated to a mild update, as noted in the profiles below.

These are the top deals on sports cars for May. In general, the deals are modest compared to what we're seeing in some other classes, but this is as good as it gets. There may be regional or other special incentives available. All the cars listed below are 2015 models and ranked in alphabetical order. Specific pricing details on these and other trim variations are available on the model pages, along with complete road tests, reliability, owner cost, and other key information.

Also, check our Best New Car Deals—updated monthly, that list features only those models that earn a Consumer Reports recommendation, factoring road test score, reliability, and safety.

When buying a car, in addition to research and reviews, Consumer Reports offers subscribers access to the Build & Buy Car Buying Service at no additional cost. Through this service, a nationwide network of about 10,000 participating dealers provide upfront pricing information and a certificate to receive guaranteed savings off MSRP (in most states). The pricing information and guaranteed savings includes eligible incentives. Consumer Reports subscribers have saved an average of $2,919 off MSRP with the Build & Buy Car Buying Service.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro looks and sounds like a classic muscle car. Our tested SS was very quick, thanks to its 6.2-liter V8. Performance from the base 3.6-liter V6 was unexciting. Handling is very capable, but the car's size and weight make it feel ponderous in everyday driving and on our track. Braking performance on the SS is excellent, and the ride is taut and controlled but not punishing. However, the emphasis on exterior and interior styling hurt practicality, hampering visibility, befuddling the control layout, and leaving room for just a small trunk and tiny rear seat. High-performance ZL1 and Z/28 versions top the line. Reliability has improved to average recently. An all-new Camaro will soon be introduced, further empowering shoppers to negotiate a great deal.

Dodge Challenger

The look may be old school, yet the Challenger is a modern, thrilling straight-line barnstormer. But it's too heavy and wide for handling finesse, and the view out is dreadful. Performance packages include a 485-hp, 6.4-liter Hemi V8, and the ferocious Hellcat uses a 707-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V8. Transmission choices are a six-speed manual and a new eight-speed automatic. Base models stick with the 3.6-liter V6, but we prefer the 5.7-liter V8. The 2015 model year brought new electric power steering, an updated suspension, improved feel for the electronic shifter, and a redesigned interior. Safety tech includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, and forward-collision warning. Notably, owner satisfaction has been excellent.

Ford Mustang

Ford's redesigned Mustang pays homage to its roots in a modern package with an independent rear suspension. Base models use a 300-hp, 3.7-liter V6, but the big news is the 310-hp, 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder that delivers some punch. And the GT returns with a 5.0-liter V8. We found the slick six-speed manual particularly satisfying, and the automatic works well. Fastback and convertible body styles are available. Handling is agile and balanced, and the ride is firm yet tied down. New features include keyless entry, push-button start, and the Sync infotainment system. In addition to fun, technology brings blind-spot detection with cross-traffic alert. With a few updates coming for the 2016 model year, you should be able to rope a great deal on a current Mustang.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The Genesis Coupe has always shown flashes of potential, but several flaws continue to hold it back. The 3.8-liter V6 engine is powerful and sounds great; the noisy turbocharged four-cylinder has been dropped. The Coupe is sporty and agile, and the communicative and direct steering makes it fun to drive. But the car is let down by its imprecise, clunky manual shifter and very stiff, unsettled ride. Front-seat occupants will find plenty of room, but as in most coupes, the rear seat is very cramped. A backup camera is now available.

Hyundai Veloster

The Veloster hatchback has three doors, with the right-side rear one providing access to the tight rear seat. Based on the small Accent, the Veloster's 138-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder delivers adequate power, and the precise six-speed manual has low-effort throws. A dual-clutch, six-speed automated manual is optional. We got 31-mpg overall from a version with the manual transmission. Moving up to the Turbo gets you a strong 201-hp turbo-four and an available six-speed automatic. Handling is responsive and secure. The ride is quite stiff, but it isn't punishing. Rear visibility through the split back window is merely adequate at best.

Nissan 370Z

Employing a wonderfully strong and smooth 3.7-liter V6, the Nissan Z delivers quick acceleration and respectable fuel economy. The six-speed manual is a bit notchy but easy to use, and it can match revs on downshifts. Handling is very agile, with quick steering and lots of grip, but somehow the car isn't as engaging to drive as one would expect. The ride is very stiff and choppy, and road and tire noise are constant. The Z's well-finished interior is cramped, and visibility is lousy. Convertible and stiffer-riding, higher-performance NISMO versions are available. Changes for 2015 include standard Bluetooth and revised suspension tuning.

Visit the 2015 Autos Spotlight special section for our 2015 Top Picks, Car Brand Report Cards, best and worst new cars, best and worst used cars, used-car reliability, new-car Ratings and road tests, and much more.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Karen Cobb’s 84-year-old mother lives in an assisted-living facility about 12 hours from her Houston home. “One of the biggest problems with the distance is that I have to trust others to be my eyes and ears,” says Cobb, director of A Place for Mom, a national senior-care referral network. Cobb says she chose a facility that is extremely responsive to her calls and keeps her in touch with her mom’s activities, often by text message. And she put her mom’s accounts in her own name and allows care providers to automatically debit the account, which she can monitor online 24/7.

If you live an hour or more away from a person who needs your care, you can think of yourself as a long-distance caregiver. There are about 7 million of you in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Aging.

Long-distance caregivers increasingly rely on technology to help with medication management, to get information on a treatment or diagnosis, to find support, and to search for services. “Technology can help a caregiver stay in closer touch with their relative and gain a greater sense of control over the care situation,” says Kathy Kelly, executive director of the Family Caregiver Alliance, a nonprofit that supports caregivers.

But the industry is young. “There’s not enough information yet to understand which applications are effective, and under what circumstances,” says Grace Whiting, director of communications and coalitions for the National Alliance for Caregiving, a coalition of national organizations. “We need lots more data.”

There’s also the concern of privacy. Wearable devices and sensors in the home can detect whether the fridge has been opened, doors are left open, or stoves have been running for a long time. But your parent, or the person who acts as their legal proxy, has to be comfortable with the fact that their data may be tracked and shared. And there’s the additional cost. But if it means you’ll need an aide for fewer hours, it might be worth it, Kelly says.

So check with caregiver organizations or ask facilities where your loved one resides about products they have used and recommend. Then research device prices and monthly costs, and make sure you can cancel their service at any time. Also check on their shipping, setup, return, and other fees.

Almost all of the examples that follow were compiled by the Center for Technology and Aging, a research group based in California. We have not tested them, so we are not recommending them, but we cite them as examples of types of products that may be helpful. (However, there are two exceptions: the Fitbit Flex activity tracker and Omron blood pressure monitor, which did well in our tests.)

Vital-signs monitors include traditional devices such as weight scales, blood pressure cuffs, and blood glucose meters that are now also connected to the Internet, so you and physicians can keep tabs on your relative’s condition. Products can also measure heart rate, temperature, heart function, and movement. Many products provide Web and mobile tools for tracking and analyzing data.

➜ Heart monitors. Some can record heart rhythms to monitor any heartbeat irregularities. Results can be shared with your parent’s physician.

Example: AliveCor Heart Monitor, $75.

➜ Pill dispensers. These medication reminders range from bottles with tops that glow when it’s time for a dose to dispensers alerting users to take their medications with a series of optional visual and/or auditory alerts. In some cases, if users do not take their medications, caregivers can be notified via phone, e-mail, and text message.

Example: MedMinder pill dispensers, $40 to $60 monthly monitoring fee.

➜ Blood pressure monitor. Models can take several consecutive readings and calculate the average. Some also have an irregular-heartbeat detector. Readings may be downloaded to a PC and shared with your parent’s doctor.

Example: Omron 10 Series BP786, $75.

These monitors measure steps taken, speed, activity levels, calories spent, and amount of time with no movement.

➜ Activity trackers. They can sometimes be worn as a wristband, clipped onto clothing, or carried in a pocket. They can track your parent’s activity and sleep patterns, and automatically sync the data on selected computers and smart phones. Of course, your relative must be comfortable wearing or carrying around one of the devices and remember to use it.

Example: Fitbit Flex, $100.

Individuals and clinicians use these products to monitor sleep to adjust behavior or to provide indications of other concerns that might require a professional intervention, such as sleep apnea.

➜ Wireless models. For people who find an activity tracker uncomfortable to wear while sleeping, or who might not remember to put one on, these products use a sensor tucked under their mattress and a smart-phone app to record sleep information such as heart and respiration rates, motion, and bed presence.

Example: Withings Aura, $300.

These include GPS tracking devices and personal emergency-response systems, which have evolved so that they can be activated while outside of the home. Some devices let caregivers create “geo-fencing,” which allows movement within a certain boundary around the home but sends alerts via phone or computer when an older adult wanders off.

➜ Emergency-response systems.

Two-way voice communication facilitated through a pendant or watch. Some claim a call for assistance is automatically placed if a fall is suspected but the user is unable to push a button. May come with the ability to call multiple contacts.

Example: Philips Lifeline GoSafe, $149 for device plus monitoring fees starting at $55 per month.

➜ GPS locators. Insoles with built-in GPS can be placed in your relative’s shoes. You can locate them by computer, laptop, tablet, iPhone, or Android device.

Example: GPS SmartSole, $299 plus $30 to $50 monthly monitoring fee.

These technologies include video-enabled PC or mobile-app solutions to communicate with remote family caregivers, other relatives, or friends.

Examples: FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Skype.

Sensor products can check a number of items within a house: motion patterns, stove on/off status, carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide levels, air quality, and presence of smoke or fire. They can also lock doors and control other items in the home remotely.

➜ Daily activity monitoring. Activity sensors can be placed on the refrigerator, stove, door, and other objects around the home. Your relative may also wear a watch that monitors activity. You can allow caregivers and physicians to access the data. Set up notifications to be delivered by e-mail, text, or mobile app.

Example: Live!y, $50 plus $28 per month.

➜ Home-management systems. Control the climate, manage the security system, lock and unlock doors, and even control the lights remotely. E-mail, text, or voice-call alerts may be sent if your relative’s alarm is triggered.

Example: Lowe’s Iris, $179 to $299 plus $10 per month.

Cameras can monitor an individual’s activities of daily living and provide caregivers with direct video feed on a smart phone, tablet app, or the Web to check on the status of a family member.

➜ Wireless systems. Cameras can be viewed remotely from a smart phone or computer. You may be able to get video motion alerts and the ability to pan and zoom.

Example: Netgear VueZone, $130 and more plus service that costs up to $100 monthly.

You can simply set up accounts as Cobb did to control and monitor her mother’s finances. Or you might want to use a program that tracks suspicious activity.

➜ Remote account monitoring. As soon as suspicious activity is suspected, an alert may be dispatched to your parent and one or more caregivers. Look for programs where no account numbers are available and no money can be moved to help avoid elder financial abuse.

Example: EverSafe, $5 to $10 per month.

––Mandy Walker (@MandyWalker on Twitter)

This article also appeared in the April 2015 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

For the first time, picaridin & oil of lemon eucalyptus products top the ratings

YONKERS, NY—There is good news for consumers concerned about dousing their skin with potentially harmful repellents in order to arm themselves against insect bites. Consumer Reports tests found the more effective bug repellents were also among the safer choices. 

For the first time ever in Consumer Reports tests, the top scorers (Sawyer Fisherman’s Formula & Repel Lemon Eucalyptus) outperformed products that contained up to 25 percent deet, a chemical that can cause serious side effects. The active ingredient behind Sawyer Fisherman’s Formula is 20 percent picaridin, and for Repel Lemon Eucalyptus it’s 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus. Both products were able to keep mosquitoes and deer ticks away for at least seven hours.

“They are not side-effect-free, but those problems are less severe than deet. Still, all repellents should be used sparingly and only for the time you need them—especially on children and older people,” said Ellen Kunes, Consumer Reports’ heath and food content development team leader.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they worry less about such side effects and more about the diseases, such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and emerging insect-borne threats like Chikungunya and Powassan, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey of 2,011 American adults. Yet, while most people also say that safety is key when they choose a repellent, only about a third think the products now on the market are safe for adults, and even fewer—23 percent—think the repellents are safe for kids.

Picaridin resembles the compound piperine, which occurs naturally in a group of plants used to produce black pepper. Oil of lemon eucalyptus comes from the gum eucalyptus tree. Both have less serious side effects than deet. Oil of lemon eucalyptus can cause temporary eye injury. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it should not be used on children under age 3. Of the two, picaridin is a better choice for kids, although it may cause some irritation of the skin, eyes, and lungs.

To find the most effective spray-on repellents, Consumer Reports went to an outside laboratory to test 15 pump sprays and aerosols. The products contained deet, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, a chemical called IR3535, and products made with natural plant oils.

An effective bug-avoidance strategy requires a full arsenal of approaches. Consumer Reports latest tests provide clarifying advice on other methods, too, identify a non-chemical approaches that may help. The complete ratings available at www.ConsmerReports.org.

Testers had a different repellent applied to each of their forearms and, starting 30 minutes later, reached into an 8-cubic-foot cage (2 feet long x 2 feet wide x 2 feet high) containing 200 disease-free, female mosquitoes in need of a blood meal to lay their eggs. Consumer Reports used the lab culex mosquitoes (the kind that transmit West Nile and are most active between dusk and dawn) and aedes (a variety that’s active all day long and carries chikungunya). Experts watched and recorded bites every hour. A repellent failed if a tester was bitten two or more times in one 5-minute session, or once in two consecutive sessions.

For deer ticks, the lab marked each tester’s bare arm with three lines, applied repellent between two of the lines and starting 30 minutes later, released, one at a time, five disease-free deer ticks to crawl on them. The repellent failed if two ticks crossed into the treated area.

Two deet products also earned at least Very Good scores in Consumer Reports tests for keeping bugs at bay—and the repellent that contains 15 percent deet (Repel Scented Family) out-performed the 25 percent deet product (Off! Deepwoods VIII) against deer ticks—possibly because of its inactive ingredients. The IR3535 products, Coleman SkinSmart and BullFrog Mosquito Coast, didn’t make Consumer Reports list of top sprays.

Consumer Reports tests found that products with natural plant oils, such as citronella, lemongrass, and rosemary, often have labels that talk a good game, sometimes claiming that the product is “proven effective” against mosquitoes or that it “repels mosquitoes for hours.” But don’t believe it. Unlike repellents with chemically synthesized ingredients, plant-oil products are exempt from scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s because the EPA considers them “minimum risk.” But none of those products Consumer Reports tested lasted more than one hour against aedes mosquitoes after being applied, and some failed almost immediately. In addition, the names of two products—Babyganics Natural and EcoSmart Organic—imply that they’re organic. But neither contains certified organic ingredients or bears the U.S. Department of Agriculture organic seal.

Proper use is essential, even with safer repellents. Consumer Reports recommends:

• Applying repellents only to exposed skin or clothing (as directed on the product label). Never put it on under clothing. Use just enough to cover and only for as long as needed; heavy doses don’t work better.

• Don’t apply repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.

• When applying to the face, spray first on your hands, then rub in, avoiding the eyes and mouth, and using sparingly around ears.

• Don’t let young children apply the repellent themselves. Instead, put it on your own hands, then rub it on the child. Limit use on children’s hands, because they often put their hands in their eyes and mouths.

• Don’t use near food and wash hands after application and before eating or drinking.

• At the end of the day, wash treated skin with soap and water, and wash treated clothing in a separate wash before wearing again.

The full report on bug repellents also includes safe tips for getting a pest-free backyard, the lowdown on deet and other active ingredients, and more is available in Consumer Reports July 2015 issue and at www.ConsumerReports.org.

About Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit, consumer organization working to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has achieved substantial gains for consumers on health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other issues. The organization has advanced important policies to cut hospital-acquired infections, prohibit predatory lending practices and combat dangerous toxins in food. Consumer Reports tests and rates thousands of products and services in its 50-plus labs, state-of-the-art auto test center and consumer research center. Consumers Union, a division of Consumer Reports, works for pro-consumer laws and regulations in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace. With more than eight million subscribers to its flagship magazine, website and other publications, Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, payment or other support from the companies whose products it evaluates.

A new car shouldn't have problems when you’ve owned it for less than a month. Yet Consumer Reports' brand-new $127,000 Tesla Model S P85 D, with the fancy retractable door handles refused to let us in, effectively rendering the car undriveable. (Read "Why We Bought a Tesla Model S.")

After we’d owned the P85 D for a mere 27 days, with just over 2,300 miles on the odometer, the driver-side door handle failed. The door handles in the Model S retract electrically so they rest flush with the sides of the car when they’re not in use. Walk up to the car with the key fob in your pocket, and the handles move out to allow you to grip them.

Except this time the one on the driver’s door of our P85D didn’t pop out, leaving us no way to open the door from the outside. And significantly, with the car sensing a problem, wouldn’t drive. We were able to move the car a short distance, thanks to the smartphone app that allows us to unlock the car and authorize two minutes of keyless driving, requiring a spry staffer to crawl behind the steering wheel from the passenger seat.

We’re far from the first Tesla owners to experience this problem. Our car reliability survey shows that doors, locks, and latches are the biggest trouble areas with Teslas and that the Model S has far higher than average rates of such problems.

Visit our guide to Tesla news and reviews.

“Model S’ connectivity paired with over-the-air software updates allow Tesla to diagnose and fix most problems in Model S without the owner ever coming in for service,” said a Tesla Motors spokesperson via e-mail. “In instances when hardware, like the door handle, need to be replaced, we strive to make it painless for a customer to get their Model S serviced. ”

The good news: Getting our Tesla fixed could hardly have been more convenient. We called our local Tesla service center to have the car picked up and hauled 60 miles away to the service center for repair. But instead, the company sent a local technician to our Auto Test Center the next morning. Tesla maintains a fleet of repair vans with technicians to provide on-site service for minor problems. Such house calls are part of the Tesla ownership experience, available to all customers.

The technician diagnosed and repaired the problem quickly. Our car needed a new door-handle control module—the part inside the door itself that includes the electronic sensors and motors to operate the door handle and open the door. The whole repair took about two hours and was covered under the warranty.

Now that we can open the driver’s door and slide behind the wheel, our P85D is ready to start our formal test regimen. We’ll keep you posted on how it performs and let you know whether we have any more problems with it.

—Eric Evarts

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

Rolling over a 401(k) to an IRA seems to be a retirement rite of passage, next to attending the farewell lunch and handing in your company identification badge. But if you have $5,000 or more in a 401(k), there’s no law that you must move it when you leave your company. Your plan may let you keep your money there indefinitely. You can even arrange for required minimum distributions starting at age 70½, the same as with an IRA.

Financial advisers, though, offer plenty of reasons for setting up IRAs, but sometimes there are reasons for sitting tight in a 401(k). Here are questions to consider:

Opening an IRA exposes you to thousands of investment options. But if your needs are simple—and “keep it simple, stupid” is a worthy investment mantra—you may be able to craft a 401(k) portfolio that works just fine into retirement. On the other hand, combining several 401(k)s into one IRA makes your money—and your beneficiary designations—easier to track.

The investment research firm Morningstar has reported that over time, low fees and expenses are strong predictors of good investment performance. A big, well-managed 401(k) plan may charge total fees that are lower as a percentage of your assets than an adviser’s fees. Big 401(k) plans also can obtain mutual-­fund classes with lower expense ratios—internal costs—than what you or your adviser could obtain. IRA account holders usually pay 0.25 to 0.30 percent per year more in fees than 401(k) plan participants, according to a 2011 Government Accountability Office study. What harm could 0.30 percent fee do? A $100,000 investment growing at 6 percent annually for 30 years would be $37,570 smaller when subject to a 1.10 percent fee vs. a 0.80 percent fee.

Flip side: By rolling over several 401(k)s, your total IRA assets may qualify for a lower adviser fee. Advisers typically charge more than 1 percent for balances of less than $1 million, less for bigger portfolios.

You’ll find your 401(k) fees in the annual fee statement your plan administrator is required to send you. Ask how an IRA under the adviser’s stewardship would cost less. “Will they be comfortable doing that? Probably not,” says Terry Dunne, managing director of the Rollover Solutions Group at Millennium Trust in Oak Brook, Ill. “But that’s a good place to start if you’re trying to do something in your best interest.”

With a direct rollover from your 401(k) to an IRA, there are no tax consequences. But if the company handling your new IRA won’t manage a competitor’s fund from your 401(k), you’ll have to sell it to purchase something new. Ask your adviser about the cost of that transaction.

Consumer Reports Retirement Planning Guide can help you make your second act fulfilling and financially secure.

With an IRA you have more control. You’re not subject to rules on how often you can trade, which might not be true with a 401(k). State law permitting, you have carte blanche on naming IRA beneficiaries; by contrast, federal law requires spousal permission to name others as 401(k) beneficiaries.

But there are rules that favor a 401(k). For example, folks who leave a job in the year they turn 55 or later can make a withdrawal from that employer’s 401(k) for any reason, without penalty. Withdrawals from IRAs before age 59½ trigger a 10 percent tax penalty, with a few exceptions.

Withdrawals from 401(k)s and IRAs are taxed the same. You must begin required minimum distributions from both by April 1 of the year after you turn 70½. (Exception: If you’re still working then, you don’t have to take an RMD from your employer’s 401(k)).

But a rollover of the company stock held by the 401(k) into an IRA does not carry that favorable tax treatment, says Jerry Love, a CPA and financial planner in Abilene, Texas. He gives the example of $5,000 in company stock purchased within a 401(k) that has appreciated to $20,000. Rolling over that sum into an IRA subjects all of it to the ordinary income tax rate at withdrawal. But transferring the $20,000 to a regular investment account—not an IRA—subjects only the original $5,000 to ordinary income tax. The remaining $15,000 will be taxed when you sell it, at a potentially lower capital gains tax rate. “It’s a great tax-­planning opportunity,” Love says.

—Tobie Stanger (@TobieStanger on Twitter)

This article appeared in the May issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.