FEDINFO E-Letter
Issue 2008-4
Welcome to the July/August 2008 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's (FCIC) FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent six times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information on our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, Kids.gov, and GovGab.gov.
This issue includes:
- Summer Travel Tips
- Food Poisoning Dangers Peak in Summer
- Road Safety for Kids and Teens
- Good News for Windows XP Fans
- Thinking About Buying a Foreclosed Home?
- If You Are Facing Foreclosure
- Hurricane Season is Here
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Passports for visiting Canada and Mexico, fees for checking luggage, fees for peanuts! What else will the travel industry and government throw at us? Your best defense against a stressful travel experience is preparation and patience. Read this round-up of time-saving tips for summer travel for recent changes to ID requirements, baggage restrictions and security checkpoint procedures.
And don’t forget to check FCIC’s News and Notes page for the latest travel-related advice, like this one on important vaccines for international travel.
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Food Poisoning Dangers Peak in Summer
Though the Food and Drug Administration has lifted its warning on eating certain types of tomatoes, it’s advising consumers to avoid raw jalapeño and raw serrano peppers now. And those aren’t the only food-related problems to watch out for. Summer itself brings a variety of hazards:
Power outages from storms and hurricanes that can jeopardize the contents of your refrigerator.
Heat and humidity that encourage the growth of bacteria.
Outdoor cooking that lacks the safety controls—running water, refrigeration, a thermostat-controlled oven—a kitchen provides.
This guide to refrigerated foods tells you which foods you can keep and which to throw out after a power outage. For safety guidelines all year long, check out these free publications:
And sign up for email updates of our News and Notes page for bulletins like this consumer alert on keeping foods safe during an emergency.
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Road Safety for Kids and Teens
Summer activities mean lots of kids on the road—younger kids with their parents, and teens driving themselves. Help keep your kids safe with advice from the Department of Transportation.
Check DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site for guidance on bicycles and child passenger safety. And be sure to register your child restraint so you’ll be notified in case of a recall.
Check your tires before summer road trips, since hot weather and overloaded vehicles can add significant stress to tires. “How to Maintain Your Tires” can help.
Parents of teens know the risks their kids face behind the wheel. Some states have enacted Graduated Driver Licensing programs, which have helped reduce fatal crashes involving teenage drivers. But with or without a graduated licensing law, parents can establish rules based on the graduated model.
Is your high school graduate moving to another state for college this summer? Look at DOT’s “Your Move Packet” for tips on a successful interstate move.
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Despite what you may have heard, Windows XP is still available on some new computers. In fact, you have at least until January 2009 to buy a PC with XP. And at least some forms of technical support will be available until 2014, maybe later.
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Thinking About Buying a Foreclosed Home?
Home foreclosures offer great bargains—and real risks. The steepest discounts are found at auction, but you have to buy the home sight unseen, in cash.
Pre-foreclosure sales—prior to auction—are less risky, and provide savings of 10 to 20 percent. But not only will you have to deal directly with the owners, you may have to close the purchase within 30 days, depending on the state. That’s not a lot of time to secure a mortgage, especially with today’s stricter lending standards.
To help you get that loan, for a foreclosed home or any other home on the market, take a look at “The New Climate For Mortgage Borrowers.” And be sure to visit MyMoney.gov. Both resources will help you find a good loan and steer clear of your own foreclosure nightmare.
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If You Are Facing Foreclosure...
Watch for a letter from the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA is mailing letters to 675,000 at risk homeowners offering them the opportunity to refinance into affordable, fixed rate FHA loans.
If you’ve been trying to work something out with your current financer and have been hitting stone walls, relief may be on the way. Major mortgage lenders agreed in June 2008 to streamline and speed up the process for assisting distressed homeowners.
Seventy percent of homeowners facing foreclosure don’t ask for assistance. That’s a mistake. There are many resources for preventing foreclosure, including aid specifically for veterans. “The New Climate For Mortgage Borrowers” and MyMoney.gov can help too. But beware foreclosure rescue scams.
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Though Katrina didn’t make landfall till late August, major hurricanes have struck as early as June.
If you are among the 35 million people living most in harm’s way—in a coastal state between North Carolina and Texas—and you haven’t yet replenished your disaster supply kit and reviewed your family disaster plan, don’t delay. Hurricane season is with us through November, and forecasters predict six to nine hurricanes, including two to five major ones (Category 3, 4, or 5).
“Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now” will help you prepare for natural and man-made disasters. It includes a template and printable wallet cards for a family communications plan, which is important because your loved ones may not be together when disaster strikes.
Don’t forget to make financial preparations, such as a written and videotaped inventory of your possessions. And if you live in a flood zone and don’t have flood insurance, check this National Flood Insurance Guide. Your homeowner’s policy won’t cover flood damage. On the other hand, your car may be covered for flood damage.
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From the ArchiveFEDINFO e-letters.
Consumer Focus articles
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