April 10, 2010

The Hidden Fees Draining Your Wallet

They call it death by a thousand cuts. Thats how youre getting ripped off by hidden fees. So how much are they costing you? Well have the facts. Then if you have kids, we have a must-hear interview: a pediatrician spells out the biggest mistakes parents make. What are you doing wrong? And how can you do better? We have the details. Plus the surprising results of a government survey on suicide.

Episode Segments:

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Gotcha Capitalism Cell phones, cable services, Internet access, banking services - all are subject to hidden fees that add up to billions. Bob Sullivan, MSNBC.com consumer columnist, and author of Gotcha Capitalism says these charges take about $1000 out of the average Americans pocket each year. He discussed the creative and dishonest ways companies have devised to conceal new fees. He also explained how consumers can successfully complain.
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The Biggest Mistakes Parents Make Dr. John J. Mangoni is author of Avoiding the 15 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make He talks about what he sees as todays most disturbing trends in parenting. He discusses the epidemic of obesity in todays children, the role parents must take to stem the tide, and explains how parents can help their children to avoid drug and alcohol abuse.
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Suicide Among the Middle Aged Recent federal statistics found that suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have increased drastically in recent years. Ann Haas, Research Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention outlines the results of the government report and theorized on the possible causes of the increase. She also discusses the possible warning signs for someone at risk of suicide.
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