It's a word we seem to hear a lot these days: Inflation. Everything from auto insurance to groceries have spike over the past few years. In fact, recent published reports indicate buying groceries have gone up a whopping 23 percent since the pandemic. That means what used to cost you $100 at the grocery store now costs $123. So, what can you do to …

Prices are going up for pretty much everything. That includes subscriptions. Think about how many you have, from streaming services, to wholesale clubs, to gym memberships, and music. According to tech site CNET, "subscription creep" is a very real thing and it’s eating into a lot of budgets. On average, we spend $91 bucks a month on subscription s…

We earn. We save. We spend. But how much of that work are we sharing with our kids? April is Financial Literacy Month and our guest today is Sharon Lechter, the New York Times bestselling author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." She’s going to help us raise smart savers. We’ll talk about introducing basic financial concepts to little ones and how to get tee…

Have you ever thought about how much fine print you actually encounter? From big purchases to smaller contracts, we sign our names on the dotted line a lot. The National Association of Consumer Advocates just issued a report showing some of the worst of the worst in standard form contracts that consumers regularly sign. So today, we’re chatting wit…

Chances are you have at least one if not more credit cards in your wallet. In fact, a recent report indicated that half of Americans have two or more credit cards. And rewards credit cards seem to be pretty popular with consumers. These kind of cards have perks like cash back or points that you can apply and reduce airfare. But with all the benefit…

Getting a notice that your vehicle has some type of manufacturer recall is never good news. However, in most cases, dealerships can get you in and fix the problem for free. But, when they can't...that's a problem. Sometimes, parts are not available, leaving motorists driving a potentially dangerous vehicle. In fact, right now, there are 3.7 million…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released its first results from tests on more than a dozen partial automation systems. What they found may be concerning and reveals there’s a lot of potential for drivers to misuse those features. Today, David Harkey joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He’s the President of the Insurance Institute …

Rising interest rates have made all kinds of loans more expensive. They’ve also made lenders pickier about who actually gets money. A recent Bankrate survey shows half of people who’ve applied for a financial product have been denied since the Fed started raising rates in march of 2022. So today, we’re talking with Bankrate’s Sarah Foster about thi…

Spring break season is right around the corner, and summer vacation will be here before you know it. Once you’re at your destination, the fun can begin. But actually getting there can be full of annoyances, like hogging that middle arm rest on the airplane. We’re talking with travel expert Katy Nastro from Going about some of the top traveler compl…

If you have a car payment, is it a little bit more than you can afford? You're not alone. The average auto payment right now for a new car is $726, and for a used cars it's $533. Brian Moody joins us on the podcast. He's the executive editor for Autotrader and he tells us what the pros and cons are right now if you're thinking of refinancing, or bu…

It's a topic many of us don't talk about until we absolutely have to: Planning a funeral. When people are faced with losing a loved one, many don't know exactly what to do, who to contact or how much a funeral or cremation is going to cost. So in this episode, Ed Reggie joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's a consumer advocate who specializes …

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so we’re talking about love and money. If you’re dating someone, when should you start talking about finances? Our guest is Angelica Prescod. She’s a financial advisor is Scottsdale. She’s going to help us tackle some big questions about budgets, retirement accounts, debts you owe to old flames, and what …

With tax season here, we’re talking with Mark Steber, the Chief Tax Information Officer at Jackson Hewitt who is the company’s liaison with the IRS. He’s the perfect guy to help us understand what we need to know about filing our tax returns this year. What’s the best way for taxpayers get organized and get ready to file? And is there actually a be…

It's a common problem. You wait patiently for concert tickets to go on sale and the moment they're made available, you discover they're sold out. It's called Scarcity Marketing and it's not just happening with concert tickets. Popular video games, name brand handbags, even shoes have been known to have Scarcity Marketing. Today, Jesper Essendrop jo…

We just entered a new year and it's time to take inventory of a few important items, and one of them is insurance. We're talking about home, auto, and even life insurance. Chances are you may be paying too much for them. So, today on the On Your Side podcast, we're talking to Mike Gallagher of Trusted Choice which represents the members of the Inde…

Many consumers will soon be getting their credit card statements for last month's holiday shopping season. Will you be in good financial shape, or will you have a little sticker shock? Today, on the On Your Side podcast, we're talking to Kelsa Dickey. She's a financial coach with Financial Fitness. She'll tell us what we need to do to start reeling…

The holiday season means merriment, parties, and good food. It also means we may also be packing on a little extra weight. Between parties and dinners, the calories can quickly add up. So what can you do to get back in shape without a big gym membership or an expensive piece of exercise equipment? We're joined by Jim Bathurst, who is head of Nerd F…

We're approaching the end of 2023 and we want to take a look forward to see what 2024 may have in store when it comes to real estate. 2023 was a roller coaster ride for real estate. Interest rates sky rocked and as a result, that meant home sales decreased significantly with leaving little inventory. So, today Trevor Halpern joins us on the On Your…

For next school year, there’s a new, easier-to fill-out FAFSA. That’s the free application for federal student aid. The FAFSA is typically available for students and their families in the fall. This year, it won’t be ready until the end of December. But there are plenty of ways to get ready for the new school year right now. Our guest today is Ariz…

The holiday season is here and chances are you'll be doing some if not all of your shopping online. But with that convenience comes risk. Scammers are waiting for you to make one small mistake allowing them to hack into your computer. You don't want that to happen, so today we're talking to Luke Secrist who's the CEO of a company called BuddoBot. B…

The holiday season is here which means we’re shopping for the perfect presents and putting up decorations. It’s also time to think about holiday tipping. Who are you supposed to tip during the holidays? And how much? Today on the On Your Side podcast, we’re talking with Jacqueline Whitmore. She is an author and etiquette expert who has some good “t…

Thanksgiving is almost here. For a lot of us, it’s our favorite meal of the year. But it can also be stressful for the host because it’s a lot of food to prepare. Today, we’re talking with Kenneth King from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. He’ll walk us through the best ways to prepare and cook the turkey, the most important things to…

If you’ve ever bought or sold a house, you know how costs, including realtors’ fees, can add up quickly. With that said, the National Association of Realtors and several large brokerages were ordered to pay $1.8 billion dollars in damages after a jury found real estate agents conspired to inflate home commissions. On this episode, we’re talking wit…

The kids just finished trick-or-treating, and we’re moving on quickly to the holiday season. This year, holiday shopping started earlier than ever as people try to spread out their spending and manage inflation. On this episode, we’re talking with Angelica Prescod, a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Scottsdale. She’s going to help us stick to…

On Your Side is always working to warn people about the different tactics bad guys are using to steal money and information. Today we’re talking with Brian Watson on the On Your Side podcast. He’s a retired special agent with the IRS’ Criminal Investigation and now he works with an organization called ROSE which stands for "Resources and Outreach t…

October is National Estate Planning month, which may be more important than you think. It's a time when individuals and families are reminded of the importance of creating or maintaining a trust or will. One myth is that you have to be wealthy or have a substantial real estate portfolio in order to have a will or trust. But nothing could be further…

October here is here already and that means it's time to make sure you enroll in health insurance and everything else that goes with it for 2024. We're talking life insurance, hospital indemnity plans, disability. It can all be overwhelming. For instance, should you go with a high-deductible policy and if so, what are the risks? Remember, the decis…

Today we’re talking about smart TVs. Of course, we flip of the TV to stream our favorite movies, shows and sports. But the latest TV technology could also help us stay healthy with access to telehealth and virtual clinics. Our guest today is Patrick Pannett. He is the Director of Industry Communications with the Consumer Technology Association. He’…

Sixty-eight percent of American households own a pet, and many of them are of course dogs and cats. But owning a pet comes with added expenses. Vaccinations, healthcare and unexpected visits to the vet all add up quickly. And one of the number one reasons owners have to take their pets for an emergency vet visit has to do with eating something they…

When it comes to finding a good restaurant, a caring doctor or maybe even a talented contractor, consumers have learned to rely on Internet reviews. But how legitimate are those reviews and more importantly, can you really trust what they all say? The answer is "no" because many of the reviews we read are "fake," put on the Internet to reel in new …

For all parents, the path to parenthood is unique, and for many families, it includes adoption. It can be an emotional process. And now scammers are preying on people who desperately want a child. Today, Nicole Witt joins us on the on your side podcast. She is the executive director of the adoption consultancy – and the host of ‘adopting! The podca…

Student loan payments have been on hold for years. But they’re back beginning in October. At the same time, millions of borrowers are enrolling in a new income-driven student loan repayment plan called “SAVE” which is reducing monthly student loan bills. It may feel complicated, so today Robert Farringdon joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He’s …

Like it or not, Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. We have self-driving cars, smart assistants, manufacturing robots and countless other examples of machines acting like humans. Artificial intelligence is already available in hundreds of different industries and it's only a matter of time before the number starts to increase. So, don't get le…

The real estate market across the nation, including here in Phoenix, has really slowed down due to higher interest rates and low inventory. So, if you're even thinking of trying to sell your home, what can you do to get it SOLD? Well, you want to set your home apart from your competition and that includes updating your house. Olivia Mariani from Cu…

This has not been a good year for American workers, as more than a quarter million people were shown the door after getting laid-off. The tech industry was hurt the most with big companies like Facebook and Zoom laying off thousands. Unfortunately, many of those affected didn’t see it coming and were financially unprepared. Today, we’re talking to …

Have you ever heard of an airline offering super cheap airfare, but once you try to but those tickets, they are all gone? There's a reason they get gobbled up so fast, and it's not because some consumers are quicker to react. On this episode, we're talking to Jesper Essendrop, the CEO of Queue-It. He reveals the results of his investigation into ho…

It's estimated that a little over 2 million weddings will take place here in the United States by the end of the year. That's significantly higher than the past three years. And while more weddings are taking place, the price tag for the big day has sky rocketed. In fact, a whopping $29,000 is the national average cost for a wedding. Today, Ann Kap…

When you send your kid off to college, are they ready to clean? Do they know how often to clean, or how to wash their bedding? According to a new survey, a lot of parents aren't so sure, and neither are their college-bound kids. On this episode, we're talking to Brian Sansoni, a cleaning expert and the Senior Vice President of Communications, Outre…

If you’re on the house hunt, you know the real estate market is competitive. Turns out, it’s competitive for real estate agents, too. A new report by the Consumer Federation of America shows there are too many real estate agents for too few home sales. And it is coming at a cost to consumers. On the On Your Side podcast, we are chatting with Steven…

Are you looking for a job and you feel like you're not getting a lot of interest from potential employers? Well, it may be that your resume isn't AI friendly. Artificial Intelligence is weeding out job candidates based on certain words that may or may not be in your resume. But don't worry, you can turn that resume around. Today, we're talking to J…

Summer is officially here. And by now, you may have some bored kids out of school for summer vacation. So on this episode, we’re chatting with one of our favorite money-saving moms. Her name is Andrea Woroch and she tells us how to help salvage summer fun without breaking the bank, whether you’re home or away on vacation.…

It’s hard to keep up with the real estate market these days. One month, it seems housing prices are falling. The next month prices are creeping up. A lot of it has to do with interest rates that the fed has increased 10 straight times in a little over a year. Another factor is where you live. So, some lenders have come up with something called the …

How often are you Googling for answers? On this episode, we're talking with Bailey Tomson, a Google Trends expert. We'll go behind the scenes of some of the most recent trends that have millions searching like how much to tip and what we're dreaming about.

Graduation is here, not only for college students but high school students as well. But looking for job opportunities after leaving school can be ripe with scams. Fake job postings, phony offers, and high pay are all techniques that scammers use to lure unsuspecting job seekers down a road to financial loss and big disappointment. So, today Kevin R…

Is AI killing customer service? On this episode, we're talking with Micah Solomon, a customer service expert and author of several books including "Ignore Your Customers (and They'll Go Away)" and "Your Customer is the Star." We'll discuss what companies are doing wrong with customer service, what they're doing right, and what customers can do to g…

Summer is coming up and chances are you might be taking a vacation somewhere. Maybe you booked a cruise, bought airline tickets, or plan on driving to a theme park like Disney World. If so, did you purchase travel insurance? Some consumers buy travel insurance when it comes to big ticket vacations like flying overseas, or booking a cruise. It gives…

No matter where you’re at in your career, you’ve probably dreamed of retirement at least once or twice. But a growing number of workers and retirees are worried about retirement. This year’s new retirement confidence survey shows 64 percent of workers are confident they’ll have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years. Tha…

If you want to hire a babysitter, you want to make sure it’s the right fit for your family. So you consider background checks, experience, certification, and availability. And now, parents are even dealing with something called sitter stealing. So on this episode, we’re talking with Natalie Mayslich. She is the president of care.com. She says there…

Arizona has many notable industries. We're known as the Copper State because mining has been around for years. And of course tourism is the state's bread and butter. But there's one category that's frequently overlooked and that's the wine industry. In fact, Arizona has more than 120 wineries and tasting rooms across the state generating more than …

It's becoming more and more expensive to own a car these days. Between gas prices and the cost of repairs, it can really add up. And depending on where you live in the country, the cost of owning a car can vary greatly. So, what states are some of the cheapest places to own a car, what states are the most expensive and where does Arizona fit into t…