Because sandals can be worn almost all year round, local nail salons are always full of customers. If you’re going to treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure, make sure you choose the salon carefully. All manicurists have to be licensed with the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, but some licensed operators don’t maintain the highest standards. If you encounter a dirty salon, report it to www.barbercosmo.ca.gov.

The best salons clean and disinfect all instruments after every client. Some safety experts recommend bringing in your own sterilized instruments to avoid the possibility of infections. Any items that aren’t disinfected (emery boards, buffers, drill bits) should be thrown out after every use. Manicurists should wash their hands after every client. Read more

We hear about so many consumer product recalls on the news that it’s easy to tune them out. But defective products injure and kill thousands of people every year, which is why the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was created in 1972. The CPSC’s job is to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death caused by thousands of consumer products under its jurisdiction. The agency is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that can injure children or pose fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazards. It also works with manufacturers to recall defective products and redesign them to make them safer.

The CPSC now has a searchable product database (www.saferproducts.gov) where you can learn of recalls before buying products. Read more

Picture a previously convicted unlicensed contractor who pled guilty to six felony charges, including elder abuse, grand theft and diversion of construction funds. Does this sound like someone you’d want to hire to work on your home? Of course not…but the man described above currently has an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in court, which means he’s still at large and could potentially prey on vulnerable, unsuspecting homeowners.

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is helping consumers avoid the worst unlicensed contractors in California by posting their pictures, physical descriptions and criminal records on its website (www.cslb.ca.gov/generalinformation/newsroom/mostwanted). If you see any of these people on the street or have information on their whereabouts, Read more

Prepaid cards are an alternative to debit and credit cards. They differ in many ways, but the most significant difference is that you load them with a set amount of money before using them. Prepaid cards are growing in popularity among people without bank accounts and those trying to better manage their spending. Recently, the nonprofit group Consumer Action compared 28 prepaid cards from 11 different financial institutions to help consumers make the right choice. For a copy of the survey and an educational booklet, go to www.consumer-action.org/prepaid.

Consumer Action’s key shopping recommendations are: 1) Choose a consumer-friendly card with fraud protection and free customer service; 2) Choose a card that fits with how you plan to use it (e.g., Read more

The good news for consumers is that it’s much easier to shop for credit cards than it used to be. First, consider how you plan to use the card. Most cards fall into one of three categories: cash back, travel and low interest. If you pay your balance in full every month, you should consider a cash back card with a higher interest rate. If your goal is to rack up frequent flier miles, get a travel rewards card, and if you can’t pay your balance in full every month, shop for a card with the lowest possible interest rate.

While I haven’t found an objective review of credit card comparison sites, Read more