• evaluatelifeinsurance.org - Consumer Federation of America’s service for evaluating policies

The price of oil has dropped steadily in price over the past few weeks. In fact, oil prices are the lowest they’ve been in a year and a half. Sounds like great news for the driving public right? Well, oddly enough, the price of gas has not declined along with the price of oil. The price of unleaded at wholesale is $1.42. At retail, it’s about $2.15 in low-tax states and higher in high-tax states. It will go down over the next few weeks, but it probably won’t dip down below the $2 mark by summer. In fact, the price may be about 15 cents higher. The good news is that your natural gas costs should go down. Clark is making a prediction here, but he’s willing to make a guess. We’ll see if he’s right come summertime.

Some people prefer driving because they don’t like to fly. But, overwhelmingly, people fly when traveling long distances. As you’ve probably heard, Delta and Northwest are “in talks” regarding a merger. Delta did not respond well to the America West/US Air offer, and Clark agrees that would have been a bad idea. America West hasn’t run its own airline very well, so swallowing up Delta would be a nightmare. If Delta and Northwest come together, however, it would be a very powerful airline. Some reports have said it would be detrimental to consumers, but that is not true at all. Fares won’t change. In fact, it may spark even more mergers, which would decrease fares even more. The only way you might get hurt is in the frequent flier realm. So, if you have miles, use them!

People are earning more than 5 percent in savings accounts and other short-term investments these days. You can find them if you look around. But people who have a lot of money invested are also getting ripped off because of the companies they’ve chosen. Stock brokerages used to offer higher interest rates than banks. But some brokerages have realized that people who have that amount of money often take their eye off the ball when investing. So, these companies have reduced the interest significantly. Merrill Lynch, the world’s largest stockbroker, is paying 1.5 percent interest if you have a quarter million dollars or less in your account. That’s terrible! But it gets worse. Morgan Stanley is paying customers 1.25 percent, and Smith Barney is at 1.5 percent. Wachovia brings up the rear with 1 percent on accounts under $100,000. So, that bank you think is working for you may really be ripping you off. How? They give you that measly interest rate on your money and then loan it back out to other people at 5 or 6 percent. If you have idle cash with one of the full-commissioned stock brokerages, get your money out!

Have you heard about the new trend in the medical industry, the “nurse-in-a-box?” These are the nurse practitioner “offices” that are popping up in discount stores and pharmacies. Walgreens is the mastermind behind this concept. The store has posted nurses in some of its stores, adjacent to the pharmacy counter. The nurse can write prescriptions and treat patients for much less than a doctor would, and the trend is growing by leaps and bounds. The Chicago Tribune reports that Walgreens is about to add 200 more. There is a list of services offered with the price right next to it in big, bold letters. Clark loves that! There is no waiting and no bureaucracy. Now, if the illness is too extreme, you are sent to a hospital or doctor. But, if you need routine care, it’s a win-win for everyone.