The Barbie collector “William and Catherine Royal Wedding Gift Set” will go on sale in April.

The dolls are dressed in clothing similar to their wedding attire.

The set costs $100.

For information on ordering the dolls, please click here.

The FDA’s recent study found lead in all 400 lipsticks and lip glosses they tested, with Maybelline’s Color Sensational in Pink Petal topping the list.

The news has prompted a lot of concern among women.

READ: Full FDA List Of Lipsticks With Lead

The FDA tells us: “In response to a number of inquiries the FDA has received regarding reports of lead contamination in lipstick, we have developed and validated a method for analyzing lead content in currently marketed lipstick. Our results do not show levels of lead in lipstick that would pose a safety concern.”

WBZ-TV’s Karen Anderson reports

The FDA is now considering recommending limits for lead in lipstick.

Dr. Sean Palfrey, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Boston’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, says, “What they are saying is we don’t want you who have been using these lipsticks for years to panic, it’s probably not harming you. However, when we are trying to make our environment as safe as we can for children, we want to take the poisons out of their environment.”

Dr. Palfrey says lead can harm children’s learning, language and behavior development, which is why he recommends pregnant women take a closer look at their lipstick, and he says moms should keep it away from their kids. He explains, “Our bodies store lead unfortunately. For instance for a mother, that lead that is stored gets mobilized when they are pregnant. A baby could be born with lead poisoning simply because a mom was exposed herself.”

Cindy Luppi, of Clean Water Action, says more needs to be done. Luppi says, “Clean Water Action/Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is glad to see that FDA is considering setting an upper limit for lead in lipstick and we urge them to do so as soon as possible. Since there is no safe level of lead exposure, the limit for lipstick should be based on the lowest lead levels that companies can feasibly achieve.

This is the same logic the FDA used in recommending a limit for lead in candy at .1 ppm — not because that level of lead is safe in candy but because that is the lowest lead levels companies can reasonably achieve with good manufacturing practices. She says, “It’s disturbing to see that L’Oreal makes five of the top 10 most lead contaminated brands, including numbers 1 and 2. L’Oreal owes it to women to do a better job keeping the lead out of their lipstick.”

L’Oreal issued this statement in response:

“The FDA’s independent study, which will be published in the May/June, 2012 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Science, confirms that lipsticks pose no safety concerns for the millions of women who use them daily. The lead levels detected by the FDA in the study are also within the limits recommended by global public health authorities for cosmetics, including lipstick.

All the brands manufactured and marketed by L’Oréal are in compliance with FDA regulations as well as the European Union Cosmetic Directive and the requirements for consumer safety in the more than 130 countries in which our products are sold. L’Oréal maintains the highest standards for safety and consumers can use all of our products with complete confidence.”

Senator John Kerry is of the lawmakers leading the effort for more accountability. He tells us, “For years, Senators Boxer, Feinstein, and I pressed the FDA to hold these companies accountable and provide strong oversight to ensure the products our families use are safe. It’s hard to believe all these years later we’re still hearing about lead in lipstick. Consumers shouldn’t have to cross their fingers and hope that an FDA-approved product won’t put them at risk, they should know it for a fact. The FDA needs to act fast to set clear safety standards.”

Until there is more accountability, Dr. Palfrey says, “Be smart, try to find out whether it has lead in it, and try to find the safest lipstick you can.”

Instead of just throwing them away, Chantilly Place in downtown Lowell is hoping to clear more room by giving away over 70 discounted wedding gowns. Shop owner Colleen Ferry says the designer sample gowns range in size and color.

She says the gowns are for military couples who are planning for their special day. Teajin Sung got one of the free dresses.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Bernice Corpuz reports

Sung says, “The one I found was ivory color, trumpet style with the train on it.”

“I helped her pick it out,” says her fiance James Bartlett, an Air Force veteran. “I think she looks beautiful in it.”

Her dress normally costs a few thousand dollars, but they’re taking it home for free. The couple plans to get married this summer.

“I see more people looking for freebies,” said Michelle Ashamalla, consumer advocate.

Ashamalla said it’s not hard to find freebies if you know where to look.

“There’s a lot of stuff out there that peole don’t know about,” said Ashamalla.

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports

Have a computer problem and need help? Try protonic.com, where you just submit a question and an answer is delivered via email from a volunteer expert.

How about learning a new language? The BBC offers weekly emails from a teacher with lessons and learning tips.

Give your eyes a break with free glasses from freeshades.com.

Freejewelry.com, meanwhile, offers many items for just the cost of shipping.

Companies offering these goods and services hope these deals will lure customers in and get them to buy other items that are not free.

“There are a lot of things that companies, or organizations, are willing to give away to let you try their product or service,” said Ashamalla.

Vistaprint, an online printing company offering 200 business cards you design yourself, is an example of one of these companies.

There are also sites that rely on the old adage that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

“If it’s your first apartment and you can’t afford to go to Pottery Barn, you can try Freecycle,” said Ashamalla.

Freecycle is a place where people in your community post things they don’t want or need anymore.

An Arlington-based Freecycle community recently offered a computer printer and an espresso machine. The idea is to keep things out of a landfill, and people are encouraged to give and take.

“And also Craigslist has a free section where there are lots of different things,” said Ashamalla.

Whhether you are looking to try something new, or to save a dime, these freebies might help fatten your wallet.

AAA Southern New England reports Monday that self-serve, regular has jumped to an average of $3.56 per gallon.

That’s 16 cents higher than a month ago and a nickel above the national average.

The current price is also 45 cents more than at the same time last year.

AAA found self-serve, regular as low as $3.45 and as high as $3.79 per gallon.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The contenders were Amy’s, Campbell’s, Progresso, and Wolfgang Puck.

Campbell’s finished in last place. This condensed soup just didn’t stand a chance. It was way too watery and completely flavorless. Maybe if Phantom ignored the directions and added way less water, this soup might have measured up.

Watch video:

A big step up from there was Progresso. This hefty can boasts a full serving of vegetables in every bowl, and with the biggest chunks in the bunch, it certainly delivers. The addition of spinach gives a rustic earthy feel, but in the end Progresso just tastes too canned.

The runner-up is Amy’s. This organic entry is rich and thick with tons of veggies and noodles in every spoonful. Unfortunately the pasta was mushy, and the broth was overwhelmed by so much onion flavor phantom could barely taste anything else.

At the top of the food chain is Wolfgang Puck. This celebrity chef is more than just a pretty face; he actually makes some seriously good soup. The broth was well balanced, tasting like it was slow-simmered for hours. And the pasta and beans stayed firm, giving this soup a wonderful contrast of textures.

For more food and fun, watch the Phantom Gourmet every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on myTV 38.

Check: More Frequent Flyer Mile Tips

In the past 30 years, travelers have earned millions of free flights using frequent flyer miles.

Over the last decade, all those frequent flier miles cost the airlines a fortune, so many of the them adopted a “use them or lose them” policy.

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports.

In many cases now, the frequent flier miles are only good for about six months, which is a huge inconvenience for travelers who aren’t paying attention and don’t get a notice from their airline.

George Hobica of airfarewatchdog.com says for most airlines, extending those points is as easy as spending a few points on the airline’s online shopping mall.

“You could buy a tube of toothpaste at drugstore.com, $1.99 and your miles will be extended for another 12 to 18 months,” said Hobica.

You can also earn miles shopping at many of your favorite stores as long, as you access them through the airline malls.

So, if you buy a $2,600 refrigerator, that equates to 5,200 points, and you are almost a quarter of the way to a free ticket with that one purchase.

“People can get a free ticket very, very easily just by buying high-ticket items on the airline malls,” said Hobica.

What’s better than earning a vacation by just buying the things you need?

CHECK: More Information

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been 140 reports of problems with the Tassimo (TAH’-sih-moh) single-cup brewers dousing people, including 37 cases involving second-degree burns.

In one incident, a 10-year-old girl was hospitalized with second-degree burns to her face and neck.

CPSC says the coffee maker’s “T-disc,” the plastic disc that holds the coffee or tea, can burst while brewing.

About 835,000 coffee makers are on recall in the United States; another 900,000 in Canada.

The agency also announced the recall of 4 million packages of Tassimo espresso T-discs after 21 reports of problems.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Massachusetts was one of the last states to sign on to the settlement.

Under the agreement, five major banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial — will reduce loans for nearly 1 million households.

They will also send checks of $2,000 to about 750,000 Americans who were improperly foreclosed upon. The banks will have three years to fulfill the terms of the deal.

All but one of the 50 states agreed to the deal. Oklahoma, the lone holdout, will receive no money.

Coakley filed suit in December against five major U.S. banks after expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations toward a national deal.

She says the settlement announced Thursday will allow the state to continue pursuing legal claims against the banks on issues specific to Massachusetts law, including claims that lenders initiated foreclosures without holding the actual mortgages.

Of the $318 million targeted for the state, Coakley says $224 million will go toward loan modifications and other direct relief to borrowers.

For more information about specific loan modification programs and whether they qualify under terms of the state-federal settlement, contact the appropriate lenders:

• Bank of America: 1-877-488-7814
• Citi: 1-866-272-4749
• Chase: 1-866-372-6901
• GMAC: 1-800-766-4622
• Wells Fargo: 1-800-288-3212

Additional information can be found on the state-federal settlement at the websites below:

• www.mass.gov/ago/
• www.NationalMortgageSettlement.com
• www.HUD.gov
• www.DOJ.gov

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Harriet Laurin researched how much it would cost to heat her home this year and the news wasn’t good. “It was nearly $4.00 a gallon in the summertime, and I said, ‘I don’t think so.’ There’s got to be a better way, so I started looking.

That’s when she found www.neighboroil.com, a new company based in Andover which promises to save homeowners big bucks by earning points. The more points, the cheaper the oil.

WBZ-TV’s Kate Merrill Reports

Harriet’s first reaction wasn’t positive. “Scam. Scam. It’s got to be a scam. It looks too good to be true.”

CEO Paul Harkins says he’s hearing that a lot because people aren’t used to saving money on their heat. “You could buy food, clothes, airline tickets. You could reduce the price all the way down to almost nothing by using coupons and reward, incentives. Home heating oil never had that ability.”

So in the past, the only option to save money was to turn the thermostat down and grab another sweater. With Neighbor Oil the focus is on accumulating those points, and there are a couple of ways to do that.

First, you can get points by getting family and friends to sign up. Harkins says that is the most popular approach. “It’s as simple as ‘I found this site, check it out’.”

You can become one of their ambassadors on social media which is what Harriet did. “I did Facebook. I did list groups because I belong to a few Yahoo groups, mostly related to dogs. And guess what? Dog owners use oil too.”

The American pastime of shopping can also help you save money on your oil. Harkins explained, “The other way to earn points is to shop with our more than 3,000 retail partners. You will see the for X dollars you spend, you earn Neighbor Points. It’s very easy to do.”

Neighor Oil keeps track of your points and calculates your lower price every time your order oil. The savings can add up fast for the average client. “We are saving them 30%-35% over last year’s price,” said Harkins.

Harriet did even better than that. Way better in fact. “$1.70 for the entire delivery, a penny a gallon,” she bragged. That’s right. A penny a gallon.

Harriet prides herself on being a smart shopper and says she still can’t find a catch to the Neighbor Oil approach.

Neighbor Oil is free to use and doesn’t require any contracts. You do, however, have to use the supplier in your area who is part of their network.

A Harvard professor thinks the next big thing will be people inhaling their caffeine from a lipstick-sized tube.

Critics say the novel product is not without its risks.

The product, called AeroShot, went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York, and is also available in France.

A single unit costs $2.99 at convenience, mom-and-pop, liquor and online stores.

Biomedical engineering professor David Edwards said AeroShot is safe and does not contain common additives, like taurine, used to amplify the caffeine effect in common energy drinks.

Each grey-and-yellow plastic canister contains 100 milligrams of caffeine powder, about the amount in a large cup of coffee, plus B vitamins.

But Democratic U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review AeroShot, saying he fears it will be used as a club drug so that young people can drink until they drop.

Schumer’s national press secretary did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey declined to comment, saying the agency will respond directly to Schumer on the matter.

Edwards said Schumer’s comments are understandable in the context of developments over the last few years, when students looking for a quick and cheap buzz began consuming caffeine-packed alcoholic drinks they dubbed “blackout in a can” because of their potency.

But he said AeroShot is not targeting anyone under 18 and it safely delivers caffeine into the mouth, just like coffee.

“Even with coffee — if you look at the reaction in Europe to coffee when it first appeared — there was quite a bit of hysteria,” he said. “So anything new, there’s always some knee-jerk reaction that makes us believe ‘Well, maybe it’s not safe.’”

Once a user shoots a puff of calorie-free AeroShot into his or her mouth, the lemon-lime powder begins dissolving almost instantly.

Each single-use container has up to six puffs.

“The act of putting it in your mouth is the act of breathing — so it’s sort of surprising and often people the first time they take the AeroShot, they laugh … that it’s kind of a funny way of putting food in your mouth,” said Edwards, who also came up with a breathable chocolate product a few years back.

Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist and internal medicine doctor at New York-based St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, said people need to be aware of how much caffeine they are ingesting.

“You want those 10 cups of coffee, it will probably take you a couple hours to get through all that coffee with all that volume that you are drinking,” Ganjhu said.

“With these inhale caffeine canisters you can get that in 10 of those little canisters — so you just puff away and you could be getting all of that within the hour.”

Even the product packaging warns people not to consume more than three AeroShots per day.

Northeastern University students who sampled the product recently gave it mixed reviews.

“This tastes really good and I think it rocks,” student Zack Huang said after puffing onto a free sample before rushing to join a group of friends who were walking away from campus.

Still, one student was not happy with the taste, echoing sentiment expressed online by some consumers.

People elsewhere vowed they would never give up their morning coffee.

“I want to brew it, I want to stir it and I want to drink it slowly as I absorb the caffeine,” said longtime coffee fan Mark Alexander.

The makers of AeroShot appear to be aware of that sentiment, declaring that the product isn’t about switching away from coffee, but rather making it easier for people with active lifestyles to get their caffeine fix.

“AeroShot can be used in a variety of settings inconvenient for liquids, such as when you study in the library, board an airplane or get into the car for a long drive,” they say in the section dedicated to frequently asked questions on their website. “It’s easy to take AeroShot with you when you go biking, skiing, curling, or any other activity that consumes energy.”

AeroShot, manufactured in France and the flagship product of Cambridge-based Breathable Foods Inc., is the product of a conversation that Edwards had with celebrity French chef Thierry Marks over lunch in the summer of 2007.

“We were discussing what interesting culinary art experiments we might do together and I had the idea that we might breathe foods since I’ve done a lot of work over the last 10 or 15 years on medical aerosols,” Edwards said.

The first venture Edwards worked on with Harvard students was the breathable chocolate, called Le Whif.

Now he’s preparing to promote a product called Le Whaf, which involves putting food and drinks in futuristic-looking glass bowls and turning them into low-calorie clouds of flavor.

Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ngowi

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Rod Fritz reports.

Schilling’s new video game, “Kingdoms of Amalur – Reckoning,” which is a fantasy adventure set in a mythical world, was released at midnight on Tuesday. It’s available for PC, X-BOX 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

Schilling’s Rhode Island-based company 38 Studios produced the game.

“We set out a goal to be the No. 1 entertainment company in the world,” said Schilling. “It’s going to take time, we get that. But, when you put really amazing talented together, and you allow them to do what it is they do best, special stuff happens, and that’s really what Reckoning is.”

The former Red Sox pitcher signed copies of the game when it was released at a GameStop in Bellingham.

Imagine trying on a new outfit without ever stepping into a dressing room, or interacting with a store associate. If that sounds like the shopping experience of the future, the future isn’t really so far off.

This is the premise of Cisco’s new “Style Me” application. It allows a shopper to quickly visualize a new outfit without putting it on.

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports

Retailers know consumers like features of online and mobile shopping such as product information and user-generated reviews.

The National Retail Federation in New York recently showed off technology that integrates a lot of those concepts with the in-store experience.

Michelle Tinsley of Intel said these new approaches “really enable the consumer to really drive the experience, and get all the data they would get from, typically, an online shopping experience, but get it at the store.”

Intel developed an in-store kiosk with Macy’s, which gives customers the freedom to explore product features on their own. A sales associate can help make the final sale.

Intel hopes this innovation will respond to discerning consumers who have more options than ever to research a purchase.

Why are brick and mortar retailers doing this? Because they look at the numbers and see the trends. Just this past holiday season, overall shopping was up about 4%, but online shopping far outpaced that rate, surging 15%.

Daniel Butler of the National Retail Federation believes customers will be embrace this technology to improve their experience in stores.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Fausto Menard spoke with AAA Southern New England’s Mary Maguire:

AAA Southern New England reports Monday that self-serve, regular is up to an average of $3.49 per gallon, 12 cents higher than a month ago.

WBZ-TV’s Jim Armstrong reports

The current price is a penny above the national average and 38 cents more than at the same time last year.

AAA found self-serve, regular as low as $3.39 per gallon and as high as $3.89.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The series is currently casting and shot footage in South Boston this weekend as the Patriots suffered through a devastating Super Bowl loss.

Eight episodes have been ordered and the series is scheduled to premiere this fall. The series is being produced by 495 Productions, the same company that produces the Jersey Shore.

“Spend some time with the women of South Boston and you quickly learn that pride runs deep, family comes first, and that their friendships and rivalries are forever,” said SallyAnn Salsano, President of 495 Productions. “And, their accents are wicked awesome.”

According to a press release, Southie Pride will feature, “The loudest, proudest, most in-your-face subculture on the Eastern Seaboard.”

But before you try to make your child a star on the web, there are some precautions you’ll want to take.

Nineteen-month-old Micah McArthur has a great laugh and 31-million people from around the world know it, thanks to a home video his father posted for friends and family on YouTube.

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports

The video went viral and started racking up millions of hits.

“We were just in shock,” says Micah’s father, Marcus McArthur.

Micah is part of a growing breed of little web stars gaining worldwide fame, often before they’re even out of diapers.

“They’re cute, they’re funny and some of them have sort of sound bites that people quote” says Damian Collier, CEO of Viral Spiral, a group that represents parents who find they have a Youtube hit on their hands.

Collier says in addition to fame, there’s also a potential fortune to be made on these videos through brand sponsorship, product placements, websites, books, and TV shows.

Like the father who posted the “David after Dentist” video and reportedly earned more than $150,000 in advertising revenue, merchandise and licensing.

Or the two dancing twins whose video scored them a commercial.

“Anything that is cute or funny I would say is hugely in demand,” Collier says.

But child and teen development specialist Dr. Robyn Silverman cautions parents to think before they upload.

“You never want to demean them, take advantage of them or embarrass them in any way because this is going to live online forever,” Silverman says.

And remember, once a video is uploaded, you can’t control who watches it.

“Sometimes parents will carelessly put geographic markers on their videos, say their full name, say the child’s full name, where the child goes to school,” Silverman says.

“All of those things could put your child at risk.”

As for Micah, he now has the start of a college fund thanks to his Youtube hit. But that’s not what makes his dad smile the most.

“The fact that my son’s laugh could bring that kind of happiness to people around the world… felt really good,” Marcus McArthur says.

Remember, by uploading a video you’re starting your child’s online portfolio.

Experts suggest you ask yourself, in 10 years, will my child be proud of this video or embarrassed by it?

Two best friends from Boston just lost $2,800 in a ticket scam. Matt and David, who don’t want their last names used, answered an ad on Craigslist. They drove to Stamford, Connecticut where they met a guy with a solid back-story.

“He said my dad is a Pats season ticket holder that’s how we got them,” David explains.

WBZ-TV’s Jim Armstrong reports

“I was drilling him with questions,” says Matt. “How’d you get them, where are you and your dad staying?” But the seller had polished answers at the ready, and made the guys believe he and his dad would even be setting next to them in Indy.

They paid $1,400 cash each for two tickets with face values of $800.

“I just kept looking at it all the way home and in the pit of my stomach something didn’t feel right,” according to David. “It just seemed too good to be true.”

He brought the pair to Ace Tickets, where it took three professional brokers to figure out that the guys got scammed.

According to David, the Ace Tickets employees, “said it’s a really good fake, it’s the best fake we’ve seen, but it’s a fake.”

The tickets have holograms and bar codes – even the square scan code on the back, when you run your smartphone over it, brings you to the Super Bowl website.

The guys know they were taking a risk, but they’re still disappointed.

“You would like to think that there are still good, honest people out there,” Matt said.

“It was all ready to go and now, I don’t even know if I want to watch the game,” said David.

Boston leaders have been working for years to change that due to tough economic times.

Just in Boston alone, dozens of big name non-profits do not have to write a single check for property taxes. Boston’s new voluntary payment plan was targeted at the largest and wealthiest tax exempt institutions and so far it seems to be working.

WBZ-TV’s Joe Shortsleeve reports

“We have raised almost ten million dollars, we are up 24%. It is good news for the tax payers in the city of Boston,” said the President of the Boston City Council, Steve Murphy.

If Northeastern University had to pay real estate taxes, they would owe about $39 million each year. The university has only paid Boston around $30,000. Under the new play, Northeastern will have to pay about $900,000 every year.

It was recently found out by the I-Team that 18 of the 45 largest nonprofits targeted by the city have not yet sent a check. Under the new city calculations, local colleges and universities that include Emmanuel College, Simmons College and Suffolk University owe more than $300,000.

Councilor Murphy believes these institutions need to start putting their money where their mouth is. He is quoted saying, “Come on, do the right thing. You were there. You were part of this.”

Suffolk University released a statement saying, “We are reviewing the city’s PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) formula to determine our voluntary contribution and have every intention of making an agreed upon level of payment.”

The New England Aquarium and Shriners Hospital are also on the list. And while many of these nonprofits took part in city talks, many now fear if they make a payment, legally it could threaten their tax-exempt status.

AAA Southern New England reports Monday that the average price of self-serve, regular is up to $3.47 per gallon.

That price is five cents above the national average and 37 cents more than at the same time a year ago.

AAA found self-serve, regular gas as low as $3.39 and as high as $3.89 per gallon.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

And a decade later, this comfortable bistro continues to turn out some of the best food outside the city, under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Andrea Schnell.

“The food is modern American with global accents. A lot of fresh flavors,” said Schnell.

Watch video:

Square Cafe has Fresh flavors and plenty of Asian influence too, like the crispy hot & sour calamari, Korean spice rubbed flat iron steak, or the amazing seared sea scallops with ponzu emulsion, sautéed asparagus, crispy bacon, and shrimp fried rice.

The menu is broken up into small and large plates, allowing diners to sample and taste a wide variety of dishes.

“Try not to mess with the food too much, I mean there’s beautiful food, you don’t really play with it too much and we just enjoy feeding people and making people happy and that’s what we do,” said Schnell.

For more food and fun, watch the Phantom Gourmet every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on myTV 38.

Andrea Woroch, is a consumer and money-saving expert.

WBZ’S Rod Fritz Reports.

Here’s the full interview, with WBZ’S Rod Fritz.

You can hear the WBZ Water Cooler on Saturday at 10:25 AM and 2:25 PM, and Sunday at 10:25 AM, on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.

Recently, Southwest’s website quoted prices starting at $99 to fly from Dallas to Los Angeles. Come Jan. 26, Southwest could have to show a fare of $120.60.

New rules from the U.S. Transportation Department will require that advertised prices include taxes and mandatory fees. Currently, airlines just have to note that other charges apply, and provide a link or footnote to the details.

The new rules will make fares easier to understand. Government and airport charges can add 20 percent or more to the price of an airline ticket.

“It’s truth in advertising, right?” said Angie Toriggino of Austin, who travels frequently in her job training salespeople for a pharmaceutical company. “Some people probably budget a certain amount for their trip and then spend more than they expected.”

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports

Airlines protest that other industries don’t have to include taxes in advertised prices. And they worry about the effect on ticket sales.

“We’re not raising our fares, but it will look to the consumer like we’ve had a big price increase,” said Robert Kneisley, Southwest’s associate general counsel.

David Berg, the general counsel of Airlines for America, a trade group of the biggest carriers, said the change will depress travel.

“It’s basic economics,” he said. “History tells us (that consumers) will see higher prices and buy less.”

Southwest, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air are fighting the government in court, hoping to roll back the rule, but a decision in that case isn’t expected until after the rule takes effect.

Transportation Department officials have been cracking down on airlines that, in their view, failed to make it clear enough that extra taxes and fees would be added to the advertised price.

In 2011, airlines and travel agencies admitted violating price-advertising rules in more than 20 cases and agreed to fines totaling more than $1 million. In the biggest case, Continental, which has since been acquired by United, agreed to a $120,000 fine after it was found to have touted some international flights at $240 less than the final cost by failing to include fuel surcharges in the advertised fare.

Penalties, however, are routinely cut in half if the airline avoids violating the rules for a year. And they pale in comparison to airline profits — about $850 million in just the first nine months of 2011 — and could be seen as a minor cost of doing business. That’s one reason that some consumer advocates wanted the Transportation Department to go even farther than it did in regulating how airlines describe prices.

The new rules will only require disclosure of government levies for things such as security and airport improvements. They won’t include the proliferating airline fees for checking bags, getting an assigned seat and other items. Those must be listed somewhere on an airline’s website, but the Transportation Department this week delayed whether to require more prominent disclosure.

Still, the inclusion of taxes in advertised fares “eliminates a lot of the skulduggery from airline pricing,” said Charlie Leocha of the Consumer Travel Alliance. “We’re moving forward.”

The advertising change is the latest of many passenger-service regulations imposed by the Transportation Department since 2010. The most notable was a limit on how long airlines can hold planes on the ground before giving passengers a chance to return to the terminal.

Just two days before the advertising changes kick in, several other new rules delayed from last year will also take effect, including a ban on airlines raising fares for tickets already sold. Allegiant Air raised the possibility of selling discounted seats that could go higher — even after the customers paid — if oil prices rose.

Another new rule will give customers 24 hours to cancel a reservation without penalty if it’s at least a week before their flight. Some airlines already allow that.

Leslie Araiza of San Antonio, who works for a nursing-home company, thinks free cancelations are a good idea.

“I travel every week for business,” she said, “and there are times when something comes up and I’ll have to change where I’m going.”

___

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

These cards can be useful when it comes to managing money, but you do have to pay attention to the rules.

Prepaid debit cards are aimed at those ‘unbanked Americans’ who don’t have a bank account, can’t get one, or just don’t want to deal with a bank. Users upload money on the card and pay transactions on line or in a store, just like a regular debit card.

WBZ-TV’s Paul Ebben reports

Some cards have drawn criticism for fees that can eat into the balance. Greg McBride of www.bankrate.com said “The primary downside of prepaid cards are the fees, and while the fees themselves are very modest, in isolation, it’s the fact they can mount quickly, in the course of just traditional financial transactions.”

That can include fees for opening or loading funds on the card, making ATM withdrawals, or even monthly or yearly fees for just holding the card. This makes it critical to understand the terms of the card before you activate one.

McBride said, “The smaller the print, the more important the words. That’s where you’re really going to find if this is really a fit for you. You really have to be dialed into what the fees are, what’s going to trigger those fees, and what you need to do to avoid them.”

Think ahead about services you need in a card, whether that’s being able to call customer service or receive a paper statement every month without being charged extra.

More people will be paying attention to those details as it looks like a prepaid debit cards are here to stay. They are now the fastest growing method of payment, having grown 35% last year alone.

The snack-sized contenders were Frigo Cheese Heads, Polly-O, Sargento, and Sorrento Stringsters.

Polly-O finished at the bottom of the barrel. This cheese stick was too firm and chewy, reminding Phantom of rubber. Even worse, there was virtually no flavor whatsoever.

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A big step up from there is Sorrento Stringsters. With a nice texture and flavor that’s not too tangy and not too salty, this brand had more of what Phantom was looking for. But when it came to stringiness, Sorrento just didn’t peel as well as the other contenders.

The runner-up is Sargento. Firm and flavorful, this snack actually tasted like real cheese. It had a salty earthiness that might not appeal to kids, but should keep adults full until dinner.

At the top of the food chain is Frigo Cheese Heads. The package boasts that this cheese is ‘America’s Favorite’ and Phantom has to agree. Softer, tangier, and much creamier than any of the other competitors, this fresh-tasting cheese was a satisfyingly stringy snack.

For more food and fun, watch the Phantom Gourmet every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on myTV 38.

State regulators have approved premium hikes averaging 2.3% for what’s called the Small Group Market.  That includes thousands of small businesses and self-employed residents.
They go into effect in April.

Last year, people saw health care premiums rise 9 percent, and there have been double-digit increases in years past.

State officials say the lower increases reflect years of efforts to get costs under control.