U nder a new federal law, beginning today, you now can freeze and unfreeze your credit file at all three major credit bureaus for free. Freezing your credit is a good way to protect yourself from having someone obtain credit in your name. A credit or security freeze restricts third-party access to your credit file, greatly reducing the chances that a thief can use your identity to get a loan, credit card or other credit.  Identity theft has become an increasing concern because of the growing number of data breaches at major retailers and other businesses, including last year's breach at the Equifax credit bureau . And using bogus email and phone calls, computer viruses and other methods, scammers have tricked consumers  into handing over their date of birth, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information.  Until now, many states have allowed the credit bureaus to charge most consumers a fee to freeze and unfreeze their files.  But the Economic Gro...

A s the South endures the effects of hurricane Florence (now a tropical storm), warnings already are being issued about another storm that's expected to follow, this one entirely man-made: Consumer fraud. Even as Florence was approaching the mainland, alerts sent out about post-storm scams, including this warning from the Better Business Bureau. There are at least three types of disaster-related fraud you should know about, even if you don't live in an area directly affected by the storm: Charity and home contractor scams and the sale of flood and other storm-damaged cars to unsuspecting motorists. Here's how these types of fraud work and what you can do to avoid them. Charity scams During my more than 30 years as a consumer and finance journalist, I've seen many examples of scammers trying to take advantage of the generosity of people who want to help those affected by hurricanes and other disasters. The fraud could be perpetrated using a website for ...

T here have been a lot of reports in recent days about a homeless veteran who alleges that a New Jersey couple spent more than $400,000 they had raised on his behalf on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.  The case raises a good question: How safe are the campaigns on crowdfunding websites?  The answer is that you're taking your chances when you respond to these online appeals. There are plenty of cases of alleged fraud on crowdfunding websites, such as the one I mention in  a story  I wrote for Consumer Reports. In that instance, an Iowa woman was placed on probation after she pleaded guilty to misrepresenting that her daughter had cancer. Even if a crowdfunding site has a policy to protect donors from fraud, it can be difficult to determine whether the money has been used for the advertised charitable purpose. And there are other considerations. Donations to crowdfunding campaigns typically aren't tax deductible. And when you donate through these sites,...

I 'm surprised these days by how often people tell me they're keeping their savings in a major walk-in bank that's paying just half a percent or less interest. When I point out that online banks typically have savings rates that are many times higher than those of their brick and mortar counterparts, I'm often rebuffed. The most common reason I'm given is that walk-in banks simply are more convenient, providing such benefits as free local ATMs, in-person access to real human beings and even coin counting. Certainly there are good reasons to have a local bank. But it's not an either-or choice. As I point out in this  Consumer Reports story , it can make a lot of sense to have a walk-in bank or credit union for checking, ATMs and other benefits, as well as one or more online banks for their high rates on savings accounts and certificates of deposit. Indeed, many online banks actually require depositors to maintain an external checking account – most likel...

T he trick to saving money on repairs for your car, appliances or anything else may be something you've never even considered: Do the repairs yourself, or at least find out whether you can order the parts at a discount and have a technician install them. It may sound like it's more trouble then it's worth. But doing your own repairs or supplying your own parts can save you hundreds of dollars. These days there are many online retailers of low-cost parts for cars, computers, appliances, and more. Many of them have posted online how-to videos and instructions that show you how to diagnose a problem and replace a part yourself. Those resources can give you a good idea about whether the job is something you can handle on your own. (If you're hiring a repair shop, online videos also an help you decide whether a technician is misdiagnosing the problem, perhaps intentionally, or charging you an outrageous amount to fix it. I've saved a lot over the years maki...

I was a guest this month on Hot Shopping Tips  (episode 14) – a series of free and really helpful podcasts by my friends and former Consumer Reports colleagues Lisa Lee Freeman and Mandy Walker. The subject was: "Ten hacks to get the best deals on cars and avoid repair ripoffs." I thought I'd provide some additional specifics in a few posts here. Today: How to save hundreds on vehicle scheduled maintenance. I f you check your car's owner's or maintenance manual, you'll find the car maker's recommended maintenance schedules. For instance, there may a list of maintenance procedures at 5,000 miles or six months and another at 10,000 miles or 12 months. It's  important to take care of your car or truck as the manufacturer recommends, especially if you don't want to risk the warranty coverage. But just telling a car dealer or independent mechanic that it's time for scheduled maintenance is a surefire way to end up with an unnecessarily big bil...

W hen you're buying a house, especially if it isn't new, you should consider hiring a home inspector to make sure there are no hidden problems with the structure; plumbing, heating and electrical systems, roof, windows or anything else that can affect the price you'd be willing to pay or your decision to buy at all. But it's essential to investigate the inspector carefully before committing to a contract, based on the complaints dissatisfied customers have made online and elsewhere. In a recent undercover investigation, the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit group Consumers' Checkbook found shortcomings among all 12 inspectors it hired to examine a three-bedroom Virginia home. On average, the group said, the inspectors discovered only about half of the 28 problems it had identified in the test house. Among the issues some inspectors missed were unrepaired water damage to a ceiling and walls, an unsafe fireplace and a roof that was in poor condition. It didn...