Week of August 5th, 2013

I hear all about the recent squabble regarding increasing interest rates on student loans, and then the decision to bring the rate back down. I hear NOTHING about the students who are stuck in high interest rates from recent years past. My son, age 27, graduated with a Master's degree in 2010. His interest rate is over 8 percent on a roughly 70k loan. This was a government loan, not through a bank. He now pays just under one thousand dollars each month. You can only imagine the strangle hold it has on him. Fortunately, he found a job almost immediately and has never missed a payment. On the other hand, his car has over 200,000 miles on it and he is sharing a house with two others to make it "work". At this time when mortgages are refinancing at under 4 percent, what is HIS option? I've tried researching this with local banks and they offer nothing. Please don't tell me that the only folks left paying this ridiculous rate are our ambitious recent students who tried to "do the right thing" by getting an education! Reducing his monthly payment, only to extend his term(!) is not a solution in our opinion.

So you're heading to a country that has a travel warning or alert. What should you do? Advice from the airfare watchdog.

Looking back at the week's business news, from the London Whale to President Obama's remarks on housing and the economy.

Two encryption email providers — one of which Snowden supposedly used — are closing up shop. One of the companies put out a statement implying that the Feds were making requests, and analysts believe the firm decided to shut down rather than abide by requests secretly. And it’s Friday, so we review the week that was on Wall Street in the Weekly Wrap, including major settlements and lawsuits for big banks and worries about the Fed and monetary policy.

L.A. Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig looks to capitalize on meteoric rise, but companies may wait to sign him.

As AMC"s TV show "Breaking Bad" begins its final season this weekend, show producers know the product is about more than what's on your TV screen.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken you back to personal finance backs. Now that you’re all caught up in the fundamentals, it’s time to pay attention to you — the consumer. We’ve got advice on what to do when you’re vacation plans are thwarted by a travel alert. Plus, the art of using social media to get better customer service. Also, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was set up to protect you. We talk to the head of the CFPB about how to use the organization to improve your overall consumer experiences. And stories about what phasing out Fannie and Freddie means for you, what news is worth, summer reading suggestions, and the mystery of COLA (we don’t mean the beverage).

Why are we being prevented from buying over $10,000 in series-I bonds a year (online). History: I have used gov't bonds (now series-I) as my savings-account (for emergency use, etc. after keeping on deposit the required months). We used to get paper bonds (for grandchildren as well as ourselves) but now we are prevented for doing that. I think a couple years ago, the limit was $30,000 per year (which didn't make sense since the gov't seems to need the money). I tried to deposit over $10,000 this year installments and were told that if I continued, they would close my account. Why? Al, Kingston, N.Y.

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Sometimes it pays to use Facebook or Twitter to get effective customer service. Tips on how to get the results you want.

How Georgia is on the forefront of pushing equity crowdfunding. It's like Kickstarter, except that regular folk can invest in — not just donate to — a small, private company.

Following Lavabit's lead, Silent Circle ends its encrypted email service so clients can avoid government scrutiny.

As states struggle to raise revenue, should services be subjected to a sales tax like goods?

Don't go see "Elysium" without expecting a cinematic lesson in income inequality, racism and global poverty.

Our friends in finance share some of their favorite books for your summer reading list.

The share price of discount travel site Priceline has reached the same altitude it was at during the dot-com boom.

Two encryption email providers — one of which Edward Snowden supposedly used — are reportedly closing up shop.

JPMorgan is likely to settle with the SEC, but the Whale himself won't be facing any criminal charges — for now.

A pilot program in California is testing the idea that providing free counsel to poor tenants could actually save taxpayers money.

In anticipation of this weekend's big sci-fi epic, a look at how close we are to building a real-life space colony.

Major corporations and the government are creating apps and games to make non-game activities more game-like — and they're collecting a lot of data.

A survey issued by Credit Karma, a personal finance company, found that 72 percent of Americans would rather keep their current debt than gain 25 pounds and be completely debt free.

JPMorgan Chase is apparently moving towards settling with U.S. regulators over huge losses racked up by one of its traders known as the “London Whale.” The bank is reportedly ready to admit wrongdoing over the ill-fated trades. As many children head back to school across the country, school districts are facing 5.2 percent cuts in funding mandated by the sequester. That adds up to more than $1.5 billion. We’ll take a look at how schools and students will be impacted. And, if you’re a tenant facing eviction, chances are you’ll lose in court. Most landlords hire attorneys, and most tenants go unrepresented. But a pilot program in California might change all of that. It provides free counsel to low income tenants, and it could actually save taxpayers money.

A major tech company is facing bans on selling its gadgets in the U.S. — except this time, it’s not Apple, but their South Korean rival Samsung. It has to do with communications technology in older Samsung phones. You may remember Apple dodged a similar threat to selling some iPhone and iPad models last week. Today, the ITC is expected to make a decision on banning old Samsung phones because they infringe on Apple patents. Plus, Volkswagen has released a new app called “Smile Drive.” And, inspired by one percenter-filled space station in the new sci-fi epic “Elysium,” we find out how far away we are from establishing our own space colony.

The bankrupt city received a check from the local school system, but it wasn't deposited because it was left inside a City Hall drawer.

The Apple-Samsung patent case in front of an appeals court on Friday differs from the Apple-Samsung patent dispute before the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The sequester will cut K-12 school programs like special education and English-as-a-second-language.

Since 2011, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been collecting consumer complaints and helping people resolve their disputes with companies. Richard Cordray, the newly confirmed CFPB director, talks about using his organization as a resource.

Congress's proposed plans to phase out government-backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will almost certainly mean higher mortgage rates for consumers.

A look at how individuals decide to pay for information.

Financial expert Lynnette Khalfani Cox answers listeners' questions about big ticket items, like cars and homes.

Ranking coffee brands by caffeine amounts.

The city of Detroit has brought in Christie's to appraise its art collection to help bail the city out of its $18 billion debt.

Richmond, Calif., is attempting to seize foreclosed homes in the city using government eminent domain laws. There’s one specific company pushing the concept of using those laws to refinance foreclosures, but several banks have sued Richmond to stop the plan. The pop star Beyonce has unveiled a new look: A shorter hairdo. Sounds like a personal choice, right? Not when you’re a celebrity. At that level, a hair cut can be big money. Plus, the unemployment rate for young Greeks is above 60 percent. That scares many college graduates and young workers in the country.

In Britain, a recent government crackdown on illegal immigration has had trucks touring immigrant neighborhoods with signs inviting undocumented immigrants to go home or face arrest. Some say this is heavy-handed.

The 27-year-old actress has run through $1 million in recent months while acting increasingly erratically. Her parents are seeking a conservatorship to put them in charge of her finances.

It's good news for the approximately 640,000 furloughed Department of Defense employees that there will be only six furlough days instead of 11. But it's still a hardship for many of them.

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The pop star is sporting a new, shorn look, and there's a financial fallout when a pop or beauty icon changes styles.

Richmond, Calif., is trying to help distressed homeowners by reducing the principal on their mortgages using eminent domain.

There's less than two months before Americans can start signing up for health insurance through state exchanges, but many of the uninsured still don't know much about them.

The recovery is moving slow and steady.

Richmond, California is attempting to keep homeowners in their homes by using eminent domain to buy underwater mortgages, and the banks don't like it.

The SpinArt Records and TuneCore co-founder's has a new company that's generating a lot of buzz.

LG's flagship smartphone has features that could make it stand out in a crowded market.

A slow and steady recovery? Good economic news from China.

This morning, China reported strong trade numbers for July — exports were up 5 percent from a year earlier. The news is helping quell worries that the world’s second largest economy is slowing down. Today, the USDA will release its weekly crop export report. The U.S. exports about half of its wheat, and prices are a little high right now in some import markets as countries in the Middle East shun U.S. grain tenders. And, you’ve probably heard about the new health insurance marketplace scheduled to be up and running in October. But, it turns out there are other health care marketplaces — except instead of selling coverage, they sell services like MRIs and sonograms in a way similar to travel websites.

Marissa Mayer has been making lots of changes at Yahoo, from buying up smaller companies, like blogging platform Tumblr, to changing the company’s telecommuting policy. But for a modern tech company, there are few things more important than successful branding. Every day this month, Yahoo will be using a new logo on its home page, with a big reveal of its official logo next month. And, another newbie entered the already crowded pool of smartphone options. The LG G2 flagship phone has some unique features. The most intriguing ones involve sensors that tell the phone what you’re doing and help you do it.

Yahoo is rolling out new branding ideas in the days leading up to a new logo launch next month.

American wheat growers are facing stiff competition this year from cheaper crops in Romania and the Ukraine.

Imagine the Priceline.com of medical procedures.

Quick history: My first child was born at 20, two more in the subsequent 10 years. Both my husband and I have worked very hard at lower-wage jobs to try to keep our family afloat, but essentially we've always been broke. Our daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2005, we were insured, but just to get the diagnosis, we racked up close to $20,000 in medical bills, which is still climbing for her treatment. Now our youngest son has a severe medical condition and we reached our insurance out-of-pocket maximum of $12,000 between January and May this year. We will continue to have enormous medical bills going forward. We also made a very bad move and purchased a new Kia (which we couldn't afford), instead of paying our loan payments in 2007. We allowed it to get repossessed. The company that holds the debt periodically gets permission to garnish our wages until we're able to prove we don't have the means to pay. My husband has worked himself through the ranks over the past 8 years, finally earning enough seniority at a major railroad to make a very good salary. He was taking home $1,500-$1,900 a month and living in another state ($500 rent for his apartment.) As of this month, he's been and should continue to be able to hold a job as an engineer grossing about $6,000- $8,000 per month. I net approximately $200 a month working part-time. My question: My husband's family feels we should file for bankruptcy to give us a fresh start. We owe approximately $42,000 between the car and medical bills and an old overdrawn bank account. I think that since we finally, after 15 years, have the means to pay our creditors back, we should. I want a house one day. I'm torn. I worry it will take us years to pay back our creditors and we'll continue to be broke. Our oldest son starts college in four years, and we'd like to have the means to financially assist him. Do you think we should file for bankruptcy?

It's been a tough year in wildland firefighting with multiple deaths in Arizona and elsewhere. This mother-daughter pair grapple with the stress, danger and excitement.

Spain is punishing the British territory of Gibraltar supposedly over a row about fishing, but some British lawmakers say this is mere saber-rattling to distract attention from Spain's domestic economic problems.

Next in our series, "You Hate My Job" — a day on the other side of the counter at the DMV.

President Barack Obama canceled his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The president will still attend the G-20  summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. But what exactly do the high tensions with Russia mean for U.S. business, especially when our trade relationship with Russia is smaller than you might think? Atlanta is opening a brand-new school with a high price tag, the latest urban school district to spend hundreds-of-millions of dollars on a public school.

Commentator Beth Teitell says technology is ruining the camp experience because it allows parents to monitor kids 24/7.

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NASA's Adam Steltzner on the future of space exploration.

Nielsen says Twitter is inspiring people to tune in and participate.

A vague new law in Vietnam aims to censor what people post online.

The Department of Justice and the SEC are both suing Bank of America for allegedly misleading investors about the risks of mortgage-back securities.

Atlanta is opening a brand-new school with a high price tag, including spending on a fancy cafeteria and gym.

Flashy electric-car maker Tesla is struggling to become more profitable, and GM and Daimler are cutting prices on their zero-emission models

President Barack Obama canceled his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

With limited maternity leave, many teachers try to have their babies during the summer break.

Baby formula companies are in the hot seat in China again.

Baby formula makers are in hot water in China again. After tainted baby formula scandals, the Chinese government has fined six companies $110 million in penalties for price fixing. Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa by Al Qaeda. We look at how that day changed the way the U.S. protects its embassies, and what it’s costing taxpayers. And, as students across the country head back to school, a discussion of how public school families are being hit with fees for things like laptops and tablets.

We think of the internet as an endless expanse of data and interaction with big, bright points of focus, and a million dark corners. But more and more, your view of the web’s vast spectrum depends a lot on where you live. In Vietnam there’s an extreme example. A new law there will make it illegal to post news or “general information” online. And, a look back at one year of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover.

The Daily Beast reported the tip that led to closing U.S. embassies in the Middle East and Africa came from an Al Qaeda conference call.

The offshore-drilling giant Transocean is tied in with BP in the public imagination because of its involvement in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.

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Auction house plans to sell the bones of two fighting dinosaurs.

If your PIN number is 1234, 1111, or 0000 you're in trouble — not only for your lack of creativity, but also because you're at risk.

As more companies rush to go public, signs point to a healthier economy.

Despite the high cost, biometrics actually saves the banks money by reducing fraud and eliminating other problems that first world nations don't face.

President Obama lays out his latest thinking on how to reduce the government’s role in the mortgage market. Since the financial crisis, it’s been dominated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Also, it’s the ‘day after’ in the Washington Post newsroom. Jeff Bezos’s purchase of the newspaper for $250 million raises the question of just what does he get for the money. And finally, the Obama administration is counting on an army of influencers to get everyone signed up on the exchanges. How’s that going?

School budget cuts are wiping out traditional summer school programs, so more students are turning to the web.

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Amazon launches a fine art Marketplace, but will any reputable dealers use it?

By looking at a person's car, you can guess how much money they make a year.

President Obama proposes phasing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to shift mortgage-market risk from taxpayers to private banks

The Obama administration is counting on an army of these folks to get everyone signed up on the exchanges.

After a long winning streak, the price of gold has been going down.

What does Jeff Bezos get out of his purchase of the Washington Post for $250 million? (Besides a struggling media business, of course).

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What's behind the Obama administration's decision to overturn an International Trade Commission ban in favor of Apple?

The CEO of Amazon just bought The Washington Post for $250 million — chump change to a guy worth $25 billion.