It's a brand-new year, and consumer auto safety groups are hoping to avoid further deaths from faulty Takata air bags by raising awareness about the ongoing recall.

More than 41 million vehicles from 34 brands, and from model years 2000 to 2018, are affected.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, warned the ammonium nitrate which causes the air bags to inflate has become unstable and can explode, with even a small fender bender.

"When there's an air bag trigger, that means that you're just going to have an uncontrolled explosion that, instead of pushing the gas into the air bag, simply destroys the entire housing of the air bag and shrapnel out towards the driver or the passenger, and causes injuries or death," Brooks explained.

Thirty-four deaths have been recorded worldwide so far since the recall started in 2018, with 25 in the U.S. including five of them in 2022 alone.

Fiat Chrysler issued a "stop drive" warning for 276,000 vehicles in November for model years 2005 to 2010 Dodge Magnums, Chargers and Challengers, as well as model years 2005 to 2010 Chrysler 300s. At least two of the deaths this year involved 2010 Dodge Chargers.

Brooks called the vehicles "ticking time bombs" which get more dangerous as time goes on, and he wants states to require owners to get the defect fixed.

"Maybe states need to step in and refuse registration to vehicles that haven't had the recall repair performed yet, effectively forcing consumers to save their own lives," Brooks suggested.

The repairs are free, and some manufacturers are even offering $100 gift cards to entice people to bring in their vehicles. People can check to see if their vehicle is on the recall list on the website SafeAirBags.com.

The collapse of two banks has put the U.S. financial sector into focus this week.

Some are considering the alternative structures of institutions like credit unions. Troy Stang is the president and CEO of the GoWest Credit Union Association, which represents more than 300 credit unions in Oregon and five other states.

He said tumult in the financial market historically generates interest in the local structure of credit unions.

"Whether it was with the dot-com bust, whether it was with the activities that led up to the Great Recession," said Stang, "consumers at their kitchen tables started having these conversations more intentionally about who is it that we do our financial services with?"

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse is the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history. To get depositors their money, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has stepped in.

Stang noted that the National Share Insurance Fund administered by the National Credit Union Administration is the equivalent regulator for his institutions and is paid for by the credit union system.

Stang said credit unions are not-for-profit and member-owned.

"We're not accountable to Wall Street investors," said Stang. "We're not accountable to other forces outside of our membership. And so it's a much different model."

Stang said many of the credit unions in his association have spent the last week reassuring customers and noting differences in their institutions' structure from others.

He added that a strong financial system is important for consumers, regardless of which institution they bank with.

Renters these days are getting hit with all kinds of extra charges, and consumer advocates want the federal government to crack down on the so-called "junk rental fees."

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center found many landlords charge excessive fees, not just for utilities but to process a rental application, move trash to the bins, allow roommates or pets, accept certain forms of payment or notify you of late payment.

April Kuehnhoff, senior attorney at the center, said with rents already sky-high, all extra fees must be disclosed ahead of time.

"There are fees that people can't opt out of, so it's very difficult to comparison shop or to actually know how much does it cost to rent this apartment," Kuehnhoff explained.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission are both looking into the issue of junk fees. Advocates want the government to crack down on abuses by large landlords and debt collectors, and work with private companies such as Zillow and Apartments.com to make sure fees are disclosed upfront.

Kuehnhoff pointed out pest-control fees may even be illegal.

"The duty of a landlord is to provide a habitable space," Kuehnhoff stressed. "So you should be delivering an apartment that's free of rodents free of cockroaches, and it shouldn't be up to the tenant to pay an additional sum."

The California Legislature is considering Senate Bill 611, which would force landlords to disclose upfront the true rent and any required fees. It is part of a six-bill legislative package to combat junk fees in housing, hotels, car rentals, ticketing, electric-vehicle purchases and small-business financing.


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Seventy percent of those who reach age 65 will need long-term care services or expensive in-home nursing care, and 42% of it nationwide is paid for by Medicaid.

With long-term care costing nearly $100,000 a year in Nebraska as of 2022, assets can quickly be wiped out.

Ann Mangiameli, an attorney in Omaha, said states are required to "recover" funds Medicaid spends on in-home or out-of-home nursing care for those 55 and older, but the Spousal Impoverishment program allows the healthy spouse to preserve a portion of their assets. It includes their house, if the spouse continues to live there.

She pointed out if one member of a couple may need nursing home care, they should request a "Spousal Impoverishment" assessment through the Department of Health and Human Services, which involves dividing their total assets in half.

"And then they look at the half of the assets that goes to the spouse that's going to be considered the one needing the nursing care," Mangiameli explained. "That person needs to spend their assets down to $4,000 in Nebraska to qualify for Medicaid."

Mangiameli noted the house is not considered when totaling the couple's assets. She said once the spouse needing care qualifies for Medicaid, the house should be transferred to the name of the spouse living there, referred to as the "community spouse." If it is not done, and the community spouse dies first, the house becomes eligible for Medicaid recovery since it is considered an asset of the spouse who's receiving Medicaid.

As of 2022, the "community spouse" can keep a maximum of roughly $137,000 and a minimum of roughly $27,000. They can also keep their income up to just over $3,400 a month, with amounts adjusted annually based on inflation.

Mangiameli emphasized by delaying the Medicaid assessment until the couples' assets have further dwindled, the community spouse may qualify to keep a lower amount. She also cautioned seniors assets given away within five years of applying for Medicaid -- the current "look-back" period -- will be considered when determining total assets. Although it will not permanently disqualify a person from Medicaid, it will result in a "penalty period."

"So, let's say you gave away $100,000, and the nursing home that you're going into is $10,000, you are ineligible for a period of 10 months," Mangiameli outlined. "It's the actual cost of the facility up to whatever that amount of money is."

Mangiameli added since 2017, the state law said all assets, with or without a probated will, and including those in a trust, may be eligible for Medicaid recovery.

Nebraska's Spousal Impoverishment Program and Medicaid Recovery both include a number of exceptions and special considerations, so Mangiameli urged seniors to consult with an elder law attorney and not delay seeking a Spousal Impoverishment assessment if they anticipate needing Medicaid in the future.

"People need to know that Medicaid Recovery is a thing; that they will get letters," Mangiameli stressed. "Nebraska is required to try to get paid back for any Medicaid payments, specifically once they are in nursing homes. And families usually don't know that until they get those letters in the mail."


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