As WBBM Newsradio’s Brandis Friedman reports, foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac says one in every 369 homes in the state of Illinois received a foreclosure notice in January.

RealtyTrac says a total of more 14,369 homeowners received notices. That places Illinois at No. 7 among the states with the highest rates for foreclosures.

Illinois is outranked only by Nevada, California, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Florida.

Indiana came in at No. 10, with one in every 555 homes receiving a notice last month.

RealtyTrac says nationwide, foreclosures are up 3 percent from December, but down 19 percent since January of last year.

But experts predict the rate will worsen this year, after a $25 billion multi-state settlement with major banks is expected to pave the way for more foreclosures.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Brandis Friedman reports

About 90 percent of all businesses in Chicago are small, employing fewer than 100 people, but their smaller needs are often ignored by banks.

Many turn to pricey credit cards or risk personal retirement accounts to fund improvements or expand. They don’t have to.

You might say business is blooming for Sondra Thomas. A loan of just $15,000 gave her the ability to buy her neighborhood floral shop, My Bouquet, in the Beverly neighborhood last year.

That kind of micro-loan, which isn’t worth the effort of big banks, allowed Thomas to create a business that’s since hired three full-time workers.

“Being able to get a loan to not only to help me, but it’s helping a lot of other people, is a great feeling,” Thomas said.

“Big banks are not in the micro loan business,” said Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely.

But in a way, Neely is. The lease of the Chicago Skyway provided her office with $1 million dollars a year for small business loans.

Neely has created a program concentrating on micro loans, ranging from $50,000 to as little as $2,000. They are amounts businesses owners often can only raise through high-interest credit cards or personal savings.

“A lot of small businesses don’t have the ability to go to a bank with tiny loans. … People dig into their 401(k)s, into their IRA accounts, ” Neely said.

Since 2009, the program has helped approve more than 115 loans. Continuing the program requires support from City Council, and Neely was lobbying for that support on Tuesday.

“For every dollar lent, micro loans create and retain more jobs than larger traditional loans,” said Neely in her testimony.

Turning to a credit card for this kind of money can mean interest rates well north of 15 percent. Rates are as low as 5.25 percent through the treasurer’s program.

Six lenders run the program for Treasurer Neely’s office. For more information on the program visit the City Treasurer’s website.

CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker went on a little fact-finding mission of her own to find out what folks think about possibly paying more than $5 a ride.

As you might imagine, it’s not a very popular idea.

The CTA plans to survey 10,000 passengers. Most of the questions are not about a fare hike, but those are the questions that attract the most attention.

It’s been three years since the CTA raised fares and the increase was just 25 cents per ride. In this survey, the CTA has asked riders to weigh in on several fare options that are lot more than a quarter.

Right now, the CTA charges $2 for bus rides and $2.25 for train rides for passengers who use a farecard. Cash fares are $2.25 for both trains and buses. The first transfer is 25 cents and the second transfer is free. Reduced fares are available for children up to the age of 11, students, seniors and those with disabilities.

One of the options in the survey is a $3.50 fare for the bus, a transfer would be 75 cents and, if it’s rush hour, tack on another $1 to the fare. That would mean a cost of $5.25 for someone who took a CTA bus and transferred to a train during rush hour.

“That’s much too much. I mean, the service is bad, the buses are always crowded, they’re slow,” CTA rider Joan Haley said.

Michael Hagstrom said, “It’s a service they provide, I don’t know how you can charge more during certain times a day than others, especially when the buses are packed and you’re not guaranteed a seat.”

The survey also asks riders about hiking the price of the CTA’s three-day pass from $14 to $25; and the price of a 30-day pass from $86 to $150.

“That’s almost twice the amount that I’m paying now. That’s ridiculous,” said DePaul University student Kimberly Pearson.

CTA rider Fred Edwards said, “It’s a little bit stiff, but it’s well worth the investment; you know, when you think about savings on parking.”

CTA Spokesman Brian Steele said the survey is only discussing “hypothetical fare scenarios.” He also pointed out the survey is 20 pages long and offers the CTA a chance to learn who’s riding, when they ride, and more.

Steele said how much CTA riders are willing to pay is just a small part of the survey that shouldn’t be taken out of context.

But when asked directly if the CTA is considering a fare hike, Steele said, “at this point, there are no discussions for any fare changes for the CTA. Those will be part of much later discussions.”

CTA officials also pointed out they’ve been doing surveys like these for 20 years, so it’s not new.

The results of this latest survey are expected this summer.

As CBS 2’s Susanna Song reports, it’s unusual but welcoming news for Chicago drivers.

While the national average for gas prices has gone up in the past month, the Chicago average has gone down.

“As you see, I’m watching the tank, because I don’t want to go over a certain amount,” motorist L.V. Mayfield said as she pumped gas Monday morning.

No matter where you live in the country, you’re watching the prices because it’s more expensive now to fuel your car, than compared to one year ago.

“I want to fill up, but I can’t,” Mayfield said. “I’m still unemployed, I’m looking for work, and so I have to be careful about spending.”

Driver Akta Sehga said, paying for gas “unfortunately cuts my budget a lot, because I’m actually, am a resident and so, unfortunately we don’t really make a lot of money.”

But, for Chicagoans known to pay some of the highest gas prices in the U.S., there’s a silver lining.

While the national average for gas prices has gone up 12.3 cents per gallon in the last month, Chicago has seen a dip of 8.8 cents per gallon from one month ago.

“I’m really shocked, because, I mean, since I moved to Chicago, gas prices have actually been unbelievably high, so I’m definitely shocked,” said Sehga. “But, I mean, it’s a good thing for us, so we’re happy to hear that.”

Larry Rogers said, “We’re going down to meet the national average. It’s not a true decrease. The question is why were we so high in the first place?”

Chicago gas prices are still 16 cents higher than the national average.

Beth Mosher, director of public affairs for the AAA Motor Club in Chicago, explained why prices have been falling locally, but not nationally.

“Demand for oil is at a 10 year low … and refineries are really cutting down on production and, so, that’s why we’re seeing these prices come down a little bit,” Mosher said.

As for why the national average is still going up, Mosher said, “places like California are way, way up.”

So will Chicago’s gas prices continue to fall?

“Trends tell us that, as we head into the spring and into the summer months, trends would show us that prices go up,” Mosher said.

Even with the recent positive trend, Chicago drivers still pay more than most of the nation for gas.

The average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Chicago is $3.63. The national average is 3.47.

As CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reports, on Monday morning, a gallon of regular unleaded was going for $3.85 at the Citgo station at Division Street and California Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

AAA says the average for Chicago is $3.58, seven cents more than the $3.51 average the Lundberg Survey has calculated for the entire country.

ChicagoGasPrices.com says the average retail gasoline price has actually fallen 1.6 cents per gallon in the last week, but they are up 26.8 cents per gallon since the same period a year ago.

“Retail gasoline prices have continued to slowly rise across a majority of the United States,” GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said in a news release. “With the exception of one state- Wyoming- all states are seeing their gasoline prices averaging over $3/gallon again, with some of the largest cities- New York City and Los Angeles closing in on $4/gallon,” DeHaan said.

Prices already hit their highest level ever for the month of January this year, with an average of $3.69 for Cook County. AAA spokeswoman Beth Mosher said last week that the spike would have been even worse if not for sluggish demand.

Experts added last week that with Persian Gulf tensions ratcheting up over Iranian nuclear ambitions, oil prices are not likely to come down anytime soon.

CBS 2′s Dorothy Tucker takes a look at this year’s best bargains.

From must have tech toys, to new hot wheels, the new year brings lower prices.

A good deal is on the horizon for the iPad 2, because the iPad 3 is around the corner. That announcement will instantly knock $50 to $100 off the iPad 2.

Jennifer Strom said “that would definitely make me buy an iPad 2.”

Expect a drop in price for Roku streaming video player boxes. They have competition from Blu-ray DVD machines that both stream and play movies.

Westinghouse is coming out with a new 3D HDTV this summer. That will force the competition to drop prices below $1,000.

Last year, GPS units cost about $160, but this year experts say you can get one for half that because “they have a smartphone that can do the same thing,” according to Lindsay Sakraida, Features Director for dealnews.com.

In the market for a new car? Save $9,000 on the the 2012 Volkswagen Passat. It’s dropped from $29,000 to $20,000.

The high cost of gas has taken a toll on car rentals. Sakraida said “you should be seeing a lot more promotions.”

“Domestically, internationally wine prices are fantastic,” according to Mike Baker from the Wine Discount Center in Chicago.

There are two reasons why: First, stores are forced to lower prices because thrifty consumers are economizing. And, second, France and California no longer have a lock on the market.

Baker explained “there are great wines produced around the world…all these producing companies are in competition with each other to grab the consumer’s attention.”

Some 2012 Jeep and Dodge vehicles are cheaper than the previous model year.

Also, watch out for good deals on 17-inch laptops that are full of features.

As 2 Investigator Pam Zekman reports, owners have been complaining about it for years and were unable to get help.

One of them was Brian Kowalkowski, who paid $1,500 for his new Samsung LCD television two years ago. Recently it began clicking, until it eventually turned on. Then, it would not turn on at all.

“It was just dead,” Kowalkowski says. “It was the most amount of money I’ve ever spent on a TV, so I had a hard time believing it. I had no idea what the problem was but I knew I had a serious problem.”

When Brian checked on the Internet, he found thousands of people with the exact same problem. And it turns out repair shops are quite familiar with the problem as well.

It’s caused by apparently defective capacitors that help store energy to smoothly operate the televisions. Each capacitor is relatively inexpensive, about $5 a piece. But if it’s defective it can overheat and shut down your TV.

“You can identify the bad capacitors by the swollenness of the top portion of the capacitor,” Ray Samrah, ABT Electronics Service Manager, says.

“It’s less expensive to repair and replace these capacitors versus replacing the whole TV,” he adds.

Class-action lawsuits filed in three states charge that Samsung Electronics has known for years about the “design and materials defect” that can result in “capacitors failing.” The suits charge that Samsung failed to notify its customers or issue a recall.

It’s a reaction corporate strategy experts see all the time.

“I think companies are doing the cold hard math of what an actual recall is going to cost them,” Paul Larson, an equities strategist at Morningstar, says. “Even if it’s a relatively inexpensive part, it’s quite a significant expense or it can be.

Because his warranty period ended, Samsung told Kowalkowski he had to pay to get his TV repaired. It cost $167 at a television repair shop near his home.

“It should have been zero,” Kowalkowski said. “I feel it should have been taken care of by Samsung.”

Samsung told CBS2 in a written statement that it confirmed in early 2010 that a small percentage of certain models manufactured between 2006 and 2008 had issues caused by capacitors.

But the Samsung spokesman said he could not tell us what the company’s definition is of a “small percentage.”

CBS 2 has learned that a Samsung attorney admitted in an Oklahoma courtroom, where one of the class-action cases is pending, that as many as 7.5 million televisions could have problems.

The company is close to settling that case, which would result in a national resolution of the problem, Samsung says. Once the settlement agreement is approved by the judge, the company will notify consumers about how they can get repairs needed in the future or reimbursed for repairs they have already paid for.

Samsung’s proposed notice says the affected models manufactured between 2006 through 2008 are as follows:  

LCDs: LNT******/XAA; LN**A******XZA; LNS4041DX/XAA; LNS4051DX/XAA; LNS4052DX/XAA; LNS5296DX/XAA

  The asterisks indicate that the affected models include any that begin and end with the combination of letters listed.

PDPs: HPT5034X/XAA; HPT5044X/XAA; HPT5054X/XAA; HPT5064X/XAA; PN42A410C1DXZA; PN42A450P1DXZA; PN50A410C1DXZA; PN50A450P1DXZA; PN50A460S4DXZA

DLPs: HLT5087SAX/XAA; HLT5087SX/XAA; HLT5089SAX/XAA; HLT5089SX/XAA; HLT5687SAX/XAA; HLT5687SX/XAA; HLT5689SAX/XAA; HLT5689SX/XAA; HLT6187SAX/XAA; HLT6187SX/XAA; HLT6189SAX/XAA; HLT6189SX/XAA

Samsung’s written statements:

“A small percentage of certain models of  Samsung televisions have experienced performance issues caused by a component called a capacitor.  Since originally confirming this issue in early 2010, Samsung has voluntarily provided free repairs for U.S. customers with affected televisions. 

As the leading supplier of televisions in the United States, we remain committed to delivering superior technology and excellent service to our loyal customers.  We encourage our customers to call 1-800-SAMSUNG if they experience any problems with Samsung products.

We have recently reached a preliminary settlement, subject to court approval, for a nationwide resolution of a related class action lawsuit in the District Court of Oklahoma County in the state of Oklahoma. Under the settlement, Samsung will continue to offer the free repairs that have already been extended to affected consumers.

The problem does not affect current models so there is no need to contact retailers. Affected consumers will receive a notice as provided for in the settlement agreement, once approved by the court. Per Samsung’s standard policy, in-home repairs are offered for all sizes above 32”. For 32” and smaller, products must be shipped to NJ, but Samsung will cover all costs (in both directions). Also, once the settlement is approved a process will be put into place to compensate consumers who have already paid for a repair.”

CBS 2′s Dorothy Tucker explains how they did it and how it can help you save too.

The Wrights have three cars, and three drivers, one of them a teenager.

They were paying a premium of more than $2,600 a year to a major insurance company. Looking to save money, they asked for a better rate.

Marcus Wright said he told their insurance company, “We’ve been here five years, we haven’t made any claims. … We need a little help, so what can you do to help me out with?’”

The company offered to knock $400 off the Wrights’ bill. They were hoping for more.

They compared insurance rates on a website called lowermybills.com. You put in all your information and companies compete for your business. After several quotes the Wrights chose Farmers Insurance.

“We have the same coverage, exactly the same,” Wright said.

The Wrights saved $1,200 by making the switch.

“I love it,” Wright said. “Imagine that you’re going to save $1,200 in a year, just by switching – $600 up front, $600 on the back end – that’s freaking magnificent.”

Switching worked out well for the Wrights, but if you want to stay with your current company, experts say there are still ways to save.

“There are numerous discounts that are offered by the insurance companies,” Andrew Schrage, editor of the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

• At the top of the list, don’t pay in monthly installments;
• pay up front and save at least 10 percent;
• get a 5 percent discount if you’re retired or if your teenage driver is away at college;
• ask for a reduction if you haven’t had any claims;
• and check out discounts for certain low-risk professions, including teachers, engineers, scientists.

Other insurance deductions include being a member of the military, or belonging to certain professional organizations.

The Wrights will make the switch to their new insurance company at the end of the month, which means their total savings will amount to $2,037 since CBS 2 started helping them cut their expenses by consulting various experts.

Federal and state authorities across the nation have agreed to the settlement with Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Ally Bank, formerly GMAC.

Under the agreement, approximately $1 billion will go towards relief for Illinois homeowners who lost their homes, are underwater on their mortgages, or are at risk of defaulting on their home loans, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports

The case involved allegations of widespread “robo-signing” of foreclosure documents — the practice of employees signing foreclosure documents they have not reviewed or signing with fake names — and other fraudulent practices regarding home loans.

“After many months of investigation and negotiation, I’ve concluded that this settlement accomplishes two major goals: it provides timely help for struggling homeowners, and it establishes new rules for mortgage servicing that will protect homeowners in the future,” Madigan said in a news release. “While the settlement is a big step forward in our efforts, it is not the end. In Illinois, we will continue to take strong legal action against lenders, banks, servicers and others who contributed to the housing and economic collapse.”

Julie Jaloszynski of Lombard was widowed six years ago, then diagnosed with breast cancer and had to switch to a lower-paying job in order to get health insurance benefits.

She told WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger she’s struggled to keep up with her mortgage payments, and she’s up nights worrying about losing her home.

“The harder I work, the farther behind I go,” she said. “I did nothing under-handed. I’m trying and struggling and really I just need a little bit of help. I don’t want them to pay off my mortgage for me. I want the ability to come out of this successful on my own. Just a little bit of help is all I’m asking.”

She said she hopes the settlement will make it easier for her to modify her mortgage or perhaps reduce the principal so that she and her two children can keep the roof over their heads.

The settlement will not help any homeowners get back property lost through any fraudulent foreclosure process. It also does not include mortgage giants Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

However, the settlement will provide some assistance to struggling homeowners in obtaining loan modifications and reducing the principal on their home loans to avoid foreclosure.

It also seeks to change some industry practices in an effort to avoid similar foreclosure problems in the future.

Madigan urged consumers seeking more information to contact her Homeowner’s Helpline, (866) 544-7151, or visit her website.

Among the options is something for mom from GMC – the 2013 Acadia.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

• RELATED: Rebounding Auto Industry Should Give Boost To Auto Show

“Pick your cliché – soccer mom, or whatever – but soccer, football, it meets that life stage need,” said Roger McCormack of GMC.

The Acadia has three rows, can seat eight, and gets 24 miles per gallon on the highway.

“Kind of a muscular, athletic stance,” McCormack said.

Some pretty cool bells and whistles are also part of the package.

“If things are out of your field of vision, the Acadia warns you about that, so I think that offers people a level of comfort – your blind spot is covered,” McCormack said.

There is also an infotainment component.

“A beautiful color touch screen,” McCormack said.

They call the feature Intellilink, connecting your smart phone to the car.

“You can say things like, ’Play Bruce Springsteen,’ or whatever,” McCormack said.

The Acadia is one of many vehicles featured at the Auto Show, which is underway at McCormick Place through Feb. 19.

CBS 2′s Vince Gerasole reports on a positive sign for the economy.

From the fast and the furious, to the sporty and fuel efficient, there is a different, upbeat buzz motoring through this year’s Chicago Auto show.

“People are conscious about money. They’re spending it wisely,” said Auto Show co-chair Michael Ettelson.

Ettelson said he sees evidence of the 10 percent rise in U.S. auto sales every day at his Chicago area dealerships.

Last year, 12.7 million cars were sold in the U.S., and the industry expects to reach nearly 14 million car sales in 2012.

“We see more people happy to buy a car, not because they have to, but because they want to,” Ettelson said.

Away from the show floor, manufacturers who lived through 2009′s deadly drop in sales were again stepping up production. With sales of the Ford Explorer up 60 percent, Chicago’s Torrence Avenue Ford plant is adding another 1,200 employees.

“We made a concerted effort to restructure our business, resize our business, and match our production to the natural demand in the marketplace,” Hau Thai-Tang, executive director of Ford Motors said.

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik said, “Almost every car maker made money, a lot of money, in 2011.”

Krafcik said, with the average age of the U.S. car right now at 11, there is pent-up demand for new cars.

“That’s the primary reason right now that the industry expects some growth in 2012, is people have held onto their cars for so long,” he said.

But to create fuel-efficient cars that last longer, the average cost of a vehicle has now risen to some $30,000.

“The industry made some tough choices,” Krafcik said. “Prices are higher now for cars for consumers, and that’s not necessarily good for the viewers,” Krafcik said.

The road to recovery for U.S. automakers will be a slow one. Even if auto sales do reach 14 million in the U.S. this year, that would be well below the 15 to 17 million annual car sales in the years leding up to the 2008 recession and analysts don’t expect to reach that level anytime soon.

As CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot reports, frequent fliers who meet certain requirements could soon enroll in a new federal program that could be in place by the end of the year at 28 airports nationwide, including O’Hare.

To take part in the Transportation Security Administration’s “PreCheck” program those fliers would have to undergo rigorous background checks and take part in an interview before they are enrolled.

The program is already in place at seven airports, but only for passengers on Delta or American airlines.

It’s a familiar routine for airline passengers to wait in long lines at security and take off their shoes and belts and take their laptops out of their bags for screening.

But, for frequent travelers enrolling in the TSA PreCheck program, all of those security formalities could be a thing of the past.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said, “This could include no longer having to remove shoes, laptops, jackets or belts.”

Traveler Jerry Jennings said, “Oh, that would be a great thing. I’d really enjoy that. It would be a time saver.”

The TSA has tested the PreCheck program at seven of the nation’s busiest airports. The goal is to add the program at O’Hare and 27 other airports this year.

United, U.S. Airways and Alaska Airlines would take part. Frequent fliers would need to register at globalentery.gov and provide personal information.

“As long as they have all of my information in the system, I think they should let business travelers check in, in this expedited way,” Jennings said.

While some passengers said they see the benefits in this program, there are some who have concerns.

“It is a little odd that some people have to go through one step and others that don’t. So, I do have a problem with that,” Mitchell Roberts said.

TSA Administrator John S. Pistole said, “What TSA PreCheck does is it allows us to spend more time on those that we know the least about – only name, date of birth, and gender – through a secure flight, or that we know the most about because they are on a terrorist watch list.”

Those enrolled in the program will have their information embedded in the bar code of their boarding pass, so they may enter a TSA PreCheck lane to get through security faster.

As CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reports, a new published report says we need to get ready for wild swings in the price at the pump.

Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service tells the Chicago Sun-Times that we should expect a spring of wild fluctuation. Kloza tells the Sun-Times’ Gary Strauss that averages are likely to peak at $4.05 nationally, but climb higher in Chicago and many other cities.

In Chicago and other major metropolitan areas, prices could jump to $4.60 or more by May, Kloza tells the Sun-Times.

Habermehl says such severe spikes may result in a trend toward downsized cars in the near future.

Prices already hit their highest level ever for the month of January this year, with an average of $3.69 for Cook County. AAA spokeswoman Beth Mosher said last week that the spike would have been even worse if not for sluggish demand.

Experts added last week that with Persian Gulf tensions ratcheting up over Iranian nuclear ambitions, oil prices are not likely to come down anytime soon.

CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker’s got the scoop on the top free apps to help you with food, fitness, finance and fun.

Whether you’re looking for information, counting calories or saving money, the hottest apps today have one thing in common.

“What I look for in an app is ease of use, an attractive interface and something that keeps me coming back for more,”  CNET Associate Editor Sharon Vaknin says.

Vaknin says her top financial app would be Mint because it allows consumers to monitor their bank accounts and budget their money. Gas Buddy is also a great finance app that gets excellent reviews for helping motorists find the cheapest gas near them.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Melissa Dobbins says MyfitnessPal and Lose It! are two apps she recommends to help stay in shape.

“They help keep you on track with your food, with your fitness, with your behavior-change goals,” she says.

When it comes to food, Epicurious offers recipes from gourmet publications. AllRecipes gets high praise for putting thousands of reviews and homemade recipes right at your fingertips.

Jeff Willinger uses the AllRecipes often. He also uses their feature “Dinner Spinner,” which allows users to pull up random recipes, such as birthday martinis, by simply shaking their phones.

And if you’re looking for fun, you can take a picture of your favorite tourist attraction and turn it into a postcard. It’s easy with the Postagram app. You customize your postcard using your photo. The Temple Run App is a very addictive game. It challenges users to race down ancient temple walls and see how far they can run.

Below are the top free apps that Vaknin recommends.

Fitness:

1. MyFitnessPal

2. Nike Training Club

3. RunKeeper

Food:

1. AllRecipes

2. Epicurious

3. Foodspotting

Finance:

1. Mint

2. Gas Buddy

3. PageOnce

Fun:

1. Temple Run

2. TED

3. Postagram

After a CBS 2 investigation, the city began inspecting food vendors at sports venues during games — something they had not done before.

2 Investigator Pam Zekman has previously reported on the potentially dangerous food temperature violations at Wrigley Field, Soldier Field and U.S. Cellular Field.

Now the results of inspections at the United Center are in and violations found at eight different concession stands resulted in the United Center getting an F, a failed inspection.

“We found a lot of findings that are pretty common in other places as well, temperature-control violations,” Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says. “They are critical because they are the gateway to food-borne illness, and we want to make sure that when we identify temperature-control issues that we address it right on the spot.”

He added: “What we were happy about is the immediate response from these food stand operators to fix these problems.”

The inspectors found 12 critical temperature violations similar to violations they found at other Chicago sports arenas.

The Steakhouse concession stand was cited by health inspectors for critical temperature violations because operators did not keep tuna burgers and coleslaw at the right temperature.

Inspectors found pizza at The Breakaway stand and Italian beef sandwiches at the Back Stage counter below the acceptable hot temperature of 140 degrees. The Mex It Up concession stand was cited because its prep cooler was not maintaining food at a temperature of 40 degrees or below. The cooler was tagged until it was repaired or replaced.

The eight vendors cited with the critical violations during the inspection had to throw out 47 pounds of potentially hazardous food.

Food safety expert Kantha Shelke reviewed the inspection reports and was alarmed at the findings.

“I’m surprised that the enterprises operating at United Center did not pay attention and follow the simplest rules of food safety,” she says.

Dr. Choucair said the unannounced inspections on game day have proven to be valuable.

“I am very happy with this program. We’re going to continue operating under this policy in 2012,” he says.

Choucair added that with education of workers and continued spot inspections, they hope to end food temperature problems.  All violations at the United Center were corrected at the time of the inspections.

“We were happy about the immediate response from these food stand operators to fix these problems. Choucair said, “and the continuous ongoing dialogue with them to ensure that these problems are not happening again.”

Levy Restaurants, the company that runs the United Center concessions, declined to answer specific questions about the inspection reports. But a spokesperson issued a statement:

“A world-class experience for our guests is our passion and, needless to say, this requires great attention to every detail in both the front and the back-of-the-house. To that end, we provide in-depth training, maintain the highest standards and aim for perfection in health department reviews. It takes a no-nonsense commitment and a vigilant eye at every level, in every area of a facility, to adhere to these standards and we expect nothing less from our team members.”

Levy Restaurants turned down CBS 2’s request to see and videotape its food preparation process.

Click here to see the full report of health inspections at the United Center.

Sinora Wright knew that and had been doing it for years to clothe her four children.

What she didn’t know: She was missing out on even bigger savings.

Shopping expert Jill Cataldo showed the Wright family where they could find those extra savings.

“These sweaters started off at $16.99. I paid $1.50,” she tells CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker.

The closets of Cataldo’s two children is filled with new clothes bought on sale. So, the queen of bargain shopping was just the right person to guide Wright.

Like many people, Wright’s main problem was not knowing what to buy and when to buy it.

“It’s hard for me because I don’t know how to discern what’s a good bargain,” she says.

With a few good tips, Cataldo turned her shopping confusion into success.

First, she says, visit discount stores — frequently.

Sears outlet, for example, is full of $5 clothing racks every day.

Though she advocates outlet store shopping, Cataldo visits department stores but sticks to the clearance aisles.

Another tip: She told Wright to look for things off season and stock up.

“Cargo shorts, T-shirts, little tank tops — these things aren’t changing style too much year to year,” Cataldo says.

For a good price, Cataldo also takes advantage of winter clearance item for next year.

She paid $6 for a $44.50 jacket by combining a clearance sale with department store coupon.

Local newspapers and department store websites offer incredible deal saving coupons, Cataldo says.

With a coupon, she paid only $1.99 for jeans that were originally $23.99.

At the end of the day, Wright’s shopping trip was a success. With Cataldo’s help, she saved about $28.

“It’s awesome, it’s great,” Wright says.

Evanston city sustainability coordinator Catherine Hurley said the aggregation process allows municipal officials to negotiate on behalf of all of a community’s residential and small business customers for one, lower rate — instead of paying what ComEd charges.

“The alternate suppliers are incentivized to give a lower price, because they can switch over a lot of customers at the same time,” she said. “It’s like buying in bulk.”

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

Typically, Hurley said, the discount a community can negotiate is far steeper than those offered by alternate suppliers to individual customers.

Statewide, 130 communities could vote on such referenda next month.

The website www.pluginillinois.org indicates that 19 communities approved similar referenda last year, with savings in some communities of more than 25 percent.

In all, the site indicates that 261,000 residential customers have made a switch; some through aggregation and some through individual opt-out contracts.

But there is possible fallout for those who stick with ComEd, should enough communities approve aggregation contracts. In that case, ComEd could move to have the Illinois Commerce Commission, the body that regulates utilities in the state, declare the residential and small business markets “officially competitive.”

That means customers still buying power from ComEd could be subjected to spot-market, month-to-month fluctuations in prices, instead of the firm prices they have typically seen.

The earliest that could happen is 2013.

The city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who chairs the City Council Transportation Committee, said Thursday that a hearing on the fare hike request will be held after a set of new taxi regulations is in place in July.

The city granted Chicago cabbies a hearing on their request for a fare hike, even though taxi drivers did not collect the required number of valid signatures on their petition.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

To get a hearing on a fare hike, cabbies must collect the signatures of 10 percent of all active, licensed cab drivers. The city has 11,202 active, licensed taxi drivers and cabbies submitted 1,500 signatures on their request for a 22 percent fare hike, but the city determined 430 signatures were void because the drivers’ licenses were suspended, expired, inactive, revoked or otherwise invalid.

Several cabbies lined up at a taxi stand at Randolph and Michigan avenues Thursday morning said they felt like they’re being pushed around by the city.

“So we need a rate increase for the cabbies. Then, if they increase rates, they increase the lease in a sensible way, I won’t complain,” one taxi driver said. “But the mayor doesn’t seem to be on our said.”

“The gas prices went up, okay? Like air fares, the trains, the buses; all transportations, you know, went up. But not, except for cabs. I don’t know why, it’s not fair,” another cabbie said.

Although the Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on the request for a fare hike, Beale wanted to wait until new rules and regulations for the taxi industry go into effect in July, so the hearing won’t be held for six or seven months.

Earlier this month, the City Council approved plans for a permanent $1 fuel surcharge for all cab rides, meaning a passenger would have $3.25 on the meter before the cab moves.

The new taxi regulations also include a limit on the age of vehicles that can be on the roads, by lowering the maximum number of miles on a newly-converted taxi to 75,000 from 150,000.

Also, on-the-road training will be required before cab drivers are licensed and driving records will be reviewed more than once a year.

Drivers will also be restricted to 12-hour workdays – excluding breaks – and taxi companies must keep detailed records of how long their cabbies are on the road every day.

The new rules also authorize the city’s consumer protection department to create rules to require GPS technology in all cabs to help enforce the 12-hour driving limit for cabbies.

The ordinance also provides incentives for cab companies to use vehicles that are fuel-efficient and wheelchair-accessible.

Cabs must also have swipe machines in the back so passengers can pay with credit cards.

“I don’t think it’s right,” Leslie Pilkington, 56, said as she prepared to fork out an extra $15 for 10 rides between Elgin and her downtown job. “If the tickets didn’t expire at the end of February, I would have bought lots more.”

Metra says the fare increase is necessary to plug a $53.6 million budget gap and to fund infrastructure improvements.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

One-way fares within the city from downtown increase from $2.50 to $3 Wednesday, while 10-ride tickets increase from $20 to $27 and monthly tickets go from $63.45 to $85.50.

One-way fares from downtown to inner-ring suburbs go from $4 to $4.75; 10-ride tickets go from $32.30 to $42.75; and monthly tickets increase from $102.60 to $135.25.

From downtown to the farthest outlying towns one-way fares will go from $8.50 to $9.25; 10-ride tickets will go from $68.45 to $83.25; and monthly tickets will go from $217.35 to $263.50.

In the past, 10-ride tickets were good for a year. But all tickets sold between November 11 and Tuesday expire Feb. 29. Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said in previous years customers had “stockpiled” the passes before price rises came into effect but “we couldn’t afford that this year.”

From Wednesday, the higher-priced 10-ride tickets will again be valid for a year, he said.

Commuters lining up to buy passes at Union Station Tuesday were frustrated but resigned to the changes.

“It’s to be expected,” Law student Kristen Serna, 26, said as she waited to buy passes for her ride between Grayslake and downtown. “Nobody likes to pay more, but there are things that bother me more in the world.”

Mike Maxwell, 30, was unhappy to see his monthly ticket increase from $63 to $86, but he said, “It’s still way cheaper than putting gas in my car, so I’ll just have to deal with it.”

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, Illinois realtors say housing prices dropped 4.9 percent last year, and Hurst, of the Booth School of business, says it shouldn’t get any worse.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

“We have hit the bottom,” he said.

But Hurst says over time, houses don’t appreciate more than about 1 percent per year in constant dollars. Sometimes, they don’t appreciate at all.

Hurst says the $500,000 house you buy in Chicago this year should be worth about $500,000 next year, and the year after that.

Hurst says the Case-Shiller housing price index shows housing prices are just about where they should be, given historical trends.

There was, indeed, a tremendous bump up in the average housing price in 2006, but Hurst points that the spike didn’t reflect common sense.

“That was not based upon any fundamental that can be sustainable over long periods of time. When house prices go up that much, they’ve got to come down,” Hurst said. “That’s exactly what we saw. They went up, and they’ve come down.”

In 2006, a house that should have been worth 175-thousand dollars was going for 275-thousand on average across the entire United States. .

Chicago housing statistics break down the 4.9 percent drop in city home prices through December 2011. That month, the following neighborhoods saw the following average home prices:

Lincoln Park: $496,000
Bucktown: $486,000
Bridgeport: $260,000
Beverly: $251,000
Englewood: $150,000.

In case you haven’t, couponing is collecting and using coupons for groceries, household items or clothing to save money. You may have a lot of coupons at your home.

The Wright family certainly does. The suburban family of six uses coupons every time they shop.

CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker introduced the Wrights to a “coupon  queen” who shares her secrets that will increase their savings – and yours, too.

Jill Cataldo has gained national recognition for her tips on how to combine coupons with sales and save big.

Sinora Wright is already a fan of Jill’s tips and tricks and has even taken one of her classes. It’s already gotten the family’s grocery bill down, but Sinora is hoping to reduce it even more.

Currently, the family spends about $600 a month. Cataldo offers more tips that could increase their savings.

For instance, on a good deal for butter – 50 cents a container – she advises stocking up, even if it’s not on your grocery list.

Although you seldom find coupons for meat, Jill’s advice: take advantage of a good meat sale.

“Freeze it,” she says.

Cataldo also advised Sinora to collect more coupons from major websites such as  coupon.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com or from a manufacturer’s website. Jill also says Facebook offers coupons from manufacturers such as Coke.

As CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker reports, that’s good news for some, not so good news for others.

Mortgages, credit cards, car loan payments — these are the traditional bills credit bureaus consider when calculating a consumer’s credit score.

But tradition is being challenged. Some credit score agencies are now looking at alternative information.

“They look at things like your rent payment history. They’ll look at things like how well you’ve paid your cell phone or your utilities,” says Kenneth Lin, CEO of Creditkarma.com.

Creditkarma is a company that offers free credit scores. Lin says some bureaus also look at whether you’ve paid your furniture rental bill on time or took out a payday loan.

“And they’ll create a credit score based off of that to determine your risk profile,” he says.

Many consumers are open to the idea.

“I think it makes sense, given how our economy is changing. You have to look at more factors as to whether a person’s creditworthy, besides the traditional factors,” Jason Orth says.

A company called CoreLogic is the latest to use “alternative information.” It’s a formula that can affect any consumer, but certain people benefit the most.

“Borrowers who would typically have insufficient credit history in traditional credit reports could now have new opportunities,” the company says.

Lin says those borrowers include immigrants, young adults and people who rely on cash.

“They pay their bills on time. They pay their rent on time. But if you go to the credit bureau they’ll actually have no credit file,” he says.

But consumer advocate Chi Chi Wu of the National Law Center sees a downside. She’s concerned that people who have legitimate reasons for not paying certain bills, like rent, could be penalized.

“If there are mice running around, if you don’t have any hot water, you’re allowed to not pay your rent, under some jurisdictions. Is the new credit report going to reflect that?” she asks.

According to experts, the credit reporting agencies may soon include anything you post on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn about your financial or job situation.

It’s just being talked about now. But in the future, who knows?

Here are traditional credit-rating agencies:

Myfico

TransUnion

Equifax

Experian

“It always frustrated me when I really needed a cab and there were just no open cabs to be found,” Dan Fedor tells CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole. “Cab after cab would go by me, typically with one person in it.”

So, Fedor came up with the app Taxi Share Chicago.

Click through and you’ll find maps with locations of other users who are looking for shared rides to certain destinations. Users then text each other to make the sharing arrangements.

Gerasole gave it a try, and it worked. The map showed that someone named Jen was waiting up the street for a ride. CBS 2 picked her up at Lou Mitchell’s restaurant.

Rashid Temuri is a high-tech cabbie who has used the system. He says it shows him where potential customers are.

But he admits some colleagues want nothing to do with it.

“They’re skeptical about losing business,” Temuri says.

Commissioner Rosemary Krimbel of the Department of Business Affairs believes at rush hour it will actually put more people in the same taxi, which will generate more revenue for them.

“The entire concept is based on spontaneity, the need to get a cab when there are no open cabs to be found,” Fedor says.

Taxi Share Chicago uses data from city websites to help create the app. Right now, it’s available only on Droid phones, and there are about 2,000 registered users. Next month, it becomes iPhone accessible and even more will be able to register.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports, the flimsy, bendable magnetic-stripe cards replaced hard plastic — and much more durable — smart cards issued under the Seniors Ride Free program that ended Sept. 1, 2011.

Since then, the RTA concedes, 10,000 of the new cards have broken, been chewed up, lost or stolen.

Seniors have grumbled about the change since the new cards were issued, but RTA spokesperson Diane Palmer said it had no choice. She said it could not obtain enough of the smart cards to do a full replacement, so it opted for the readily-available magnetic stripe cards.

The replacement cards are only temporary.

Palmer said, by 2014, Chicago-area transit agencies intend to replace all transit cards used today on the CTA, Metra and Pace so that payment can be made by smart credit cards, and possibly even smart phones.

In fact, that’s the number one issue facing the Wrights, a suburban family of six. But they are now on a financial diet.

CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker reports on how family members are finding ways to still eat out but save money.

Marcus and Sinora admit that fast food is a family favorite meal.

Chicken nuggets and fries is a meal-time favorite for 7-year-old Autumn, who says she has it every time the family goes to McDonald’s.

The family says they used to visit McDonald’s and other restaurants at least two or three times a week, spending an average of $500 a month. But after starting their financial diet, they saved $360 just by limiting their outings.

Recently, they began looking for other ways to save even more. Their favorites include “daily deal” sites such as Groupon and restaurant.com, which sells gift certificates at discount prices.

The Wrights also like valpak.com, where you’ll find online coupons you can print out and use right away. With the help of these sites, in the last month alone the Wrights have saved another $90 a month.

CBS 2 did a little research and found a number of sites to get coupons to save money on restaurants. But be aware, most of them require your email address. So, it’s better using an address that collects all your junk mail.

So far to date, the Wrights have added an additional $809 to their savings.

Sound disturbing?  CBS 2′s Vince Gerasole takes a look at how marketers are getting in your face.

During a recent trivia night at Declan’s Bar, a new app, called Scene Tap, had the answers to some not-so-trivial questions.

“I can see how many people are in the bar, the guy-to-girl ratio and the average age of the guys and girls,” Steve Eberle tells CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole.

Most were unaware that a Scene Tap camera overhead has scanned the face of every single person entering the bar. It determined the crowd was is 37 percent female and 63 percent male; the average age for the men was 27 and for women, 25.

Patrons had different reactions to the high-tech analysis.

“It doesn’t bother me. I figure anytime you go out in public you are on camera everywhere you go,” Tali Korrub says.

But Jeremy Spector said, “I think it’s creepy.”

Eberle says there’s nothing Big Brother-ish about it.

“There are no privacy issues. Once the data is calculated, which takes a matter of seconds, it’s immediately erased,” he says.

It’s called facial-detection software, which can scan the features of your face, reducing them to a mathematical formula, and comparing that to a database of more than 10,000 other faces to determine age and gender.

Ed Kaczmarek, Kraft’s director of innovation, says the system technically isn’t taking your picture.

Kraft Foods is using the software to scan faces at test kiosks, dispensing samples of a new adult-flavored pudding only to those who look old enough to buy it

Retail marketer Ben DiSanti of TPN Marketing says there are mixed feelings in the marketplace.

But he says it could help consumers make decisions. For example, Adidas scans faces at an interactive wall to display shoes tailored to a consumer’s age and gender.

“As people see it being used more and more, they will become more comfortable with it,” Disanti says.

Meanwhile, Verizon has adapted more detailed facial recognition software with its Samsung Galaxy Nexus smart phone. The owner’s face unlocks its features.

Though marketers say these applications are benign, some consumer groups worry that as they become more elaborate they have the potential to create serious privacy risks.

The Federal Trade Commission is even suggesting the scans be made more obvious and that consumers have the ability to opt out of the experience.

CHICAGO (CBS) — A plan approved by the City Council Wednesday will mean higher cab fares for everyone.

As CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reports, aldermen voted Wednesday to make a $1 taxi fuel surcharge permanent, which would mean $3.25 on the meter before you even move.

Currently, the surcharge is instituted when gas prices go up, and removed when they go back down again. But that has not happened in quite a while.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

“We took the surcharge, which is $1, and we’re moving it into the flag pull. The surcharge has been in place since 2009 consistently, which means every time you get into a cab, the flag pull is 2.25, plus ding- ding, $1,” Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Rosemary Krimbel said Tuesday.

Krimbel warned that the new $3.25 flag pull “does not necessarily give the drivers a fare increase. That’s not on the table at this time.”

But, she said, “We believe with this ordinance, the industry will dramatically improve and when it does, we will be more than happy to relive a fare increase.”

The permanent change in the flag pull was not enough to appease cabbies, who have petitioned the City Council for a 22 percent fare increase. They say they don’t benefit from the fuel surcharge, which goes directly to the gas stations.

The move for the permanent fuel surcharge is tied to a comprehensive taxi reform plan proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, which was also approved by the City Council Wednesday.

The reforms, which touch all aspects of the industry, were largely prompted by a CBS 2 investigation of dangerous drivers.

They include a limit on the age of vehicles that can be on the roads, by lowering the maximum number of miles on a newly-converted taxi to 75,000 from 150,000.

Also, on-the-road training will be required before cab drivers are licensed and driving records will be reviewed more than once a year.

A new tiered lease system is also planned, which would allow for with discounts on medallion fees for companies that buy fuel-efficient and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. But some cabbies have complained that the savings would be obliterated if fares are not raised.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had softened some of the planned reforms, in particular an increase in the bond cab companies must post to the city from $100,000 to $1 million.

Emanuel has been under fire from struggling cabdrivers for changing everything about the their industry but taxicab fares, which have been frozen since 2005.

That’s even though Rosemary Krimbel, commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, had declared her intention to get away from fuel surcharges that go off and on with the rise and fall of gas prices, leaving passengers thoroughly confused.

“We want to … build those surcharges right into the flag pull, instead of having it be, `This week it’s 50 cents. Next week, it’s $1.’ … We want it to be clean and clear so the passenger knows what they’re gonna pay, and they don’t have to do any negotiating with the cabdriver,” the commissioner said last fall.

On Tuesday, Krimbel made good on that pledge.

“We took the surcharge, which is $1, and we’re moving it into the flag pull. The surcharge has been in place since 2009 consistently, which means every time you get into a cab, the flag pull is 2.25, plus ding- ding, $1,” Krimbel said.

“We get so many complaints from passengers because they don’t understand why are you adding a dollar. Since it’s consistently been in place for two years, we’ll move it to the flag pull. That will be easier to understand for passengers and consumers.”

Krimbel warned that the new $3.25 flag pull “does not necessarily give the drivers a fare increase. That’s not on the table at this time.”

But, she said, “We believe with this ordinance, the industry will dramatically improve and when it does, we will be more than happy to relive a fare increase.”

The permanent change in the flag pull was not enough to appease cabbies, who have petitioned the City Council for a 22 percent fare increase.

“We don’t get that money. It goes to the gas stations. Gas is $4.07-a-gallon now. We have the lowest cab fares in the country and the highest gas prices in the country,” said veteran cabdriver Ken Cooper.

“It would be a raise if gas wasn’t up and we got that $1. We still need a fare increase.”

Veteran cabbie George Kasp welcomed the city’s decision to fold the $1 fuel surcharge into the flag pull.

“It helps ease the burden and the headache of having to explain the fuel surcharge. It’ll make my job much easier. But, it doesn’t help me economically in any way,” he said.

Chicago cab fares have been frozen since an 11.7 percent increase imposed by the City Council in 2005.

The fuel surcharge took effect in April, 2008. It requires passengers to pay 50 cents a ride when gas prices “equal or exceed” $2.70 a gallon for seven consecutive days and $1 a ride whenever the price at the pump tops $3.20 a gallon for one week straight.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore Reports

The sweeping reforms advanced Tuesday by the City Council’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection pave the way for cabbies to drive newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles, be yanked off the road more quickly for dangerous driving and spend no more than 12 straight hours on the road.

It puts more money in drivers’ pockets indirectly — by raising lease rates on more fuel-efficient vehicles in a way that gives cab companies a financial incentive to upgrade.

The city would have “real-time access” to the Illinois Secretary of State’s database of moving violations to get repeat offenders yanked off the road immediately, instead of waiting for an annual review. Three moving violations in a 12-month period and the mandatory chauffeurs’ license would not be renewed.

As promised, the mayor softened the blow for the taxicab industry — by reducing to $200,000 the bond cab companies must post and from $25 per vehicle to $15 the affiliation fee they must pay.

But, Krimbel pulled yet another surprise. The 75,000-mile cap on placing cabs into service for the first time will be phased in — with 100,000 the first year and 75,000 in 2014 — to give the industry time to “ramp up” to the “dramatically different” requirement.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, the Citizens Utility Board has said the combination of higher natural gas production and the lower prices that come with it, a mild winter so far, and simple energy-saving techniques could help you save $150 on your natural gas bills.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

CUB offers a free “Energy Saver” program, an online service that offers tips on cutting your monthly utility bills.

“People are used to getting nickeled and dimed by their utility bills. Energy efficiency and CUB Energy Saver can help you nickel and dime them right back,” CUB spokesman Jim Chilsen said.

He also said the combined savings in the Chicago area this winter could offset the amount of the rate increase recently granted to Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.

The Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates the state’s power and gas utilities, approved a $68 million rate hike for Peoples Gas on Tuesday. The company originally sought a $125 million increase.

A People’s Gas spokeswoman said she could not say what that would mean for ratepayers, since the utility has not received the ICC ruling in writing.

But based on the original rate-hike request’s impact, the ICC action appears to show that Peoples Gas customers would pay slightly more than $4 extra each month, or $48 a year.

The utility’s original increase would have amounted to an additional $9 a month, or $108 more a year, for a typical residential customer.

People’s Gas requested the increase last year to cover rising expenses in delivering natural gas at a time of declining sales. The latest increase is on top of a People’s Gas rate increase of $48 a year that went into effect in early 2010.

Even before seeing the final numbers, the Citizens Utility Board said Tuesday it would appeal the gas rate hike, even though the ICC approved even less of an increase than its administrative law judge had recommended.

“Chicagoland gas customers are struggling in a tough economy,” said CUB Executive Director David Kolata in a statement. “The rate increase comes at the worst possible time for consumers, hitting bills in the heart of the Chicago winter.”

The ICC gave permission for the new rates to become effective in mid-January.

(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports, the ICC, which regulates gas and electric utilities, approved the $68 million increase on Tuesday.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports

Peoples Gas had asked for a $125 million rate hike to cover delivery costs.

A Peoples Gas spokeswoman said she could not say what that would mean for ratepayers, since the utility has not received the ICC ruling in writing.

But based on the original rate-hike request’s impact, the ICC action appears to show that Peoples Gas customers would pay slightly more than $4 extra each month, or $48 a year.

The utility’s original increase would have amounted to an additional $9 a month, or $108 more a year, for a typical residential customer.

Peoples Gas requested the increase last year to cover rising expenses in delivering natural gas at a time of declining sales. The latest increase is on top of a Peoples Gas rate increase of $48 a year that went into effect in early 2010.

Even before seeing the final numbers, the Citizens Utility Board said Tuesday it would appeal the gas rate hike, even though the ICC approved even less of an increase than its administrative law judge had recommended.

“Chicagoland gas customers are struggling in a tough economy,” said CUB Executive Director David Kolata in a statement. “The rate increase comes at the worst possible time for consumers, hitting bills in the heart of the Chicago winter.”

The ICC gave permission for the new rates to become effective in a matter of days.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

It’s the fourth consecutive year that consumer debt complaints ranked No. 1 in the annual top 10 list of complaints, a release from Madigan’s office said.

Of the nearly 5,900 debt-related complaints, more than 1,100 were filed against debt collectors who illegally threatened and harassed consumers.

Madigan said the complaints and calls to her office demonstrate the extent to which consumers are struggling to pay off debt and are being targeted by abusive, aggressive debt collectors, the release said.

Abusive debt collection is a growing problem nationally, Madigan noted, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting in 2010 its top complaint was abusive debt-collection practices, the release said.

In 2011, more than 200,000 consumers contacted Madigan’s office for assistance and a total of 24,516 formal complaints were filed.

The following are the top 10 consumer complaints for 2011:

1) Consumer debt, 5,878 complaints

2) Identity theft, 3,207

3) Construction home improvement, 2,263

4) Telecommunciations, 1,903

5) Motor vehicles/used auto sales, 1,160

6) Promotions and schemes, 953

7) Mail order, 944

8) Fraud against business, 843

9) Motor vehicle/non-warranty repair, 737

10) Utilites, 574

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2011. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The Wrights, a suburban couple with four children, has been getting help from CBS 2 to “Survive This Economy.”

CBS 2’s Dorothy Tucker looked at how setting up a holiday fund now could save the Wrights a lot of Christmas cash later.

The Wrights took a pay-as-you-go approach this year when they went Christmas shopping. While the couple was able to cut a couple hundred dollars off their annual Christmas budget, next year they’d like to make life easier by only spending what they save.

“We set a goal and we kept it, but it would be a lot easier if you have it already saved; it’s there, so you know when you’re going to make that withdrawal, it’s already accounted for,” Marcus Wright said.

He said he plans to save $20 to $25 a week for the holiday fund.

Financial expert Cheryl Krueger has been helping the Wrights choose the best plan. They’ll contribute $20 a week, from February until the last week in November. That’s 44 weeks and $880, without interest.

The Wrights have several options

Option one would be a traditional Christmas fund at a local bank. Seaway Bank offers an interest rate of 0.1 percent, so the Wrights would save $880.36. But they couldn’t touch the money until November.

“The advantage of those would be that you have the discipline. You can’t make the withdrawals whenever you want,” Krueger said.

Option two would be joining a credit union, like Alliant. It offers an interest rate of 1 percent, giving the Wrights $883.65. But the Wrights would have to pay $10 to join the union, which means they’d have less than when they started.

Another option is internet banking. American Express offers a 0.9 percent interest rate, which would give the Wrights a total of $883.28. Marcus Wright said he liked that option the best.

“I like the whole online banking thing versus the traditional; and that is just, you know, from working in technology,” he said.

All the options offer direct deposit, which means you connect the Christmas fund to your regular savings account and have the money taken out every week.

The biggest advantage of those options is that putting money in the account is automatic and, before you know it, you’ve saved a bundle for Christmas.

So far, with the help of experts, the Wrights have saved $719.00 since mid-November.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Brandis Friedman reports, retail experts say every year, shoppers splurge ahead of Christmas and the in the post-holiday sales, and then disappear.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Brandis Friedman reports

But this year, they say U.S. retailers are facing the biggest post-holiday depression since 2009, Reuters reports.

Many high-end retailers on Michigan Avenue, as well as State Street in the Loop, are mounting major sales in an effort to get customers in the door.

Reuters reported stores from Macy’s to Zara had discounts of 30 to 50 percent this week, and New York & Co. had gone up to 70 percent on some women’s work clothes.

America’s Research Group tells Reuters as shoppers felt more confident about their finances and shopped more online during the holiday season, credit card use rose after three years of major cutbacks.

Now, those credit card bills are showing up in mailboxes.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Felicia Middlebrooks reports, on the March 20 ballot, dozens of towns in Kane County and nearby counties will ask voters for permission to shop for bids on residential and small-business electricity providers.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Felicia Middlebrooks reports

There’s no commitment in the referendum language by the municipalities to switch providers, and residents can opt out of the program if they want to stay with ComEd. The question is simply required before a municipality can move forward with bids.

The program was created by passage of legislation called the Community Choice Aggregation, which has a goal of allowing local governments to offer their residents a cheaper energy supply.

Elburn, North Aurora and Sugar Grove all approved similar referendums a year ago.

Among the Fox Valley government bodies which have submitted the question for the primary ballot are Kane County, for its unincorporated area, and Aurora, Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plano, Big Rock, Campton Hills, Plainfield, Hinckley, Maple Park, Minooka, Millington, Sandwich and Somonauk.

Other Kane County towns which have submitted the question for the ballot include Elgin, Algonquin, Barrington, Burlington, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Gilberts, Hampshire, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, South Elgin, Pingree Grove and West Dundee.

More towns also may raise the issue, as municipalities have until Thursday to submit referendum questions to the county clerk for certification, according to Kane’s director of elections, Mark Mossman.

The Aurora Beacon-News contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire.

Reports by the 2 Investigators have already resulted in major reforms. But now reporter Pam Zekman has found a loophole involving cab drivers and red-light camera violations.

Take the case of cabdriver Bukwang Yang. He has been caught on camera and issued red-light tickets — eight times.

When confronted by Zekman, Yang at first blamed the design of the lights, saying they should have timer displays showing how long a yellow light will last.

Pressed about his own responsibility, Yang conceded, “I paid (the tickets). My fault.”

So far, Yang has paid $750 in fines, according to the Chicago Department of Revenue.

A spokeswoman for that agency says the department does not forward the red-light camera violations to the City Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Services, which regulates cab drivers. That’s because red-light camera tickets are not considered to be moving violations.

Rosemary Krimbel, who heads the city’s cab licensing agency, thinks that doesn’t make sense. She was interested in the information about Yang.

Under state law, if violators pay their red-light camera tickets the violations do not become part of their official driving record.

If they fail to pay the tickets, however, a cab driver’s license can be suspended. In the past, city cab regulators have relied on the drivers to get copies of their official driving record from Secretary of State’s Office when the city decides whether to renew a cabbie’s license.

Krimbel says she will now get that information from the revenue department as part of her effort to weed out dangerous cab drivers.

“The more data I can get on a driver that we license, the better,” she says.

Besides his red-light camera offenses, the 2 Investigators found Yang has had nearly 60 tickets for moving violations since 1989. If city regulators had known about those red-light violations, he might have lost his license before he hit pedestrian Diego Torres Galvan last year.

“I didn’t see him,” Yang told Zekman. Yang said Galvan was crossing in the middle of the street when he heard a loud noise.

Yang told the police that Galvan “ran into the side of his taxi,” according to the police report.

But Galvan’s attorney, Brian Kusper, says photos of the cab show the damage was done to the right front part of the cab and the windshield.

It would be “virtually impossible” for that damage to occur if Galvan ran into the side of the cab.

Now Galvan is suing Yang for negligence for failing to operate his cab in a safe manner or exercise care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian, charges Yang denies.

Yang was ticketed by the police for failing to reduce his speed. But the ticket was dismissed because Galvan was not in traffic court when the case was called. At the time, Galvan was still recuperating at his home in California from a brain injury, broken shoulder, knee injury and broken leg caused by the accident.

“There was no way that he was going to be able to travel to Chicago to attend the hearing on the ticket,” said Joseph Bosco, Galvan’s other attorney.

Because the ticket was dismissed, the city Department of Consumer Services was not aware of the accident.

As a result of cases like this, Commissioner Krimbel says her agency will now get cab accident reports involving injuries from the police as well as information on red-light camera violations.

That information will be added to the department’s “watch list” along with passenger complaints to help the city weed out potentially dangerous drivers.

“That is my main concern and the public’s concern as well,” Krimbel said.

She urged the public to call 311 to report complaints they have.

Krimbel also says there’s been a real “shakeup” of personnel at the agency’s licensing facility, and disciplinary action taken against one employee who renewed the license of a cabdriver convicted of drunken driving.

The number of cab driver’s licenses that have been suspended or revoked increased from 11 in 2010 to 29 in 2011. Most of the increases happened after the new administration took over last May, she said.

As for Yang, he told Zekman he would try to be a better driver.

“No more ticket, OK? I try,” he said

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, Jim Chilsen, spokesman for the the Citizens Utility Board, says federal figures are predicting a 7 percent decrease this winter in Midwest gas heating bills.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

“We’re definitely seeing lower gas prices right now for Chicago consumers, and a big part of that is lower consumption,” Chilsen said.

Chilsen says this means sticker surprise – if not shock, in a nice way – when heating bills get opened.

“The typical Chicago customer could save roughly $7 this month, compared with to what he or she paid in January of 2011,” he said.

Chilsen says you should enjoy the shrunken bill while possible, because gas companies want Illinois regulators to approve a $120 million rate hike.

The law does not apply to most drain cleaners that consumers typically buy at grocery stores, but only to high-grade industrial cleaners that are normally only sold at hardware stores. Even so, it’s getting a rough reception from customers and merchants alike although perhaps none more than a cashier at Schroeder’s True Value Hardware in Lombard.

“They’re not very happy about it at all,” said Don Schroeder, one of the store’s owners. “One of the customers actually threatened the (cashier) and threatened to throw the acid on her.”

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports

Although the customer did not make good on the threat, and no one called police, other employees of Schroeder’s said they would call police immediately if any similar threat is made.

The law, which took effect Sunday, requires those who seek to buy caustic or noxious substances, except for batteries, to provide government-issued photo identification that shows their name and date of birth. The cashier then must log the name and address, the date and time of the purchase, the type of product, the brand and even the net weight.

Schroeder said that when he called his local legislator, the legislator claimed not to know about the new law. Neither, he said, did other retailers in the area. He said he and other store personnel had to call to a number of stores before they could get details.

Non-compliance results in fines: $150 for the first offense, $500 for the second and up to $1,500 for the third and subsequent violations.

Schroeder estimated that there are “easily” 30 or more products in the store that must be reported when sold.

Jewel-Osco has removed the few items it carried from its shelves, but Schroeder said he does not have that option as a hardware store. He said he does not believe that the precautions written into the bill will prevent such crimes from occurring.

“How are they going to find out, by asking every customer, what kid might have done that? It’s not going to solve any problems,” Schroeder said. “It’s not going to cure anything.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined in making the announcement Wednesday with ComEd Chief Operating Officer Anne Pramaggiore, an old friend of Emanuel’s who is promising more reliability and better customer service.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the promises sounded like those Chicago area residents have heard many times before from ComEd; usually after bad storms, power outages, and painfully slow restoration of service.

There’s a history of friction between ComEd and Chicago mayors. Former Mayor Richard M. Daley frequently sparred with the utility giant over service issues.

Emanuel pledged Wednesday that not even the promise of all those jobs would give ComEd a pass on providing reliable service.

Asked how he would hold ComEd’s feet to the fire in following through with its promises, Emanuel said, “I don’t think anybody’s ever said ‘Rahm is a very quiet, meek person.’ That’s never been said of me, but I look forward to it one day.”

“I will be using my voice and they have a responsibility to be a good deliverer; a good company at delivering energy power,” Emanuel added. “They don’t get a pass because they made this investment. They have a responsibility and I will hold them to that.”

That investment, in the form of jobs related to physical improvements to the power grid, was already underway in Chicago. ComEd also demonstrated those improvements for the mayor, by replaying last July’s violent storm, which hit Chicago with more than 5,000 lightning strikes.

“You’re going to see a bunch of yellow dots, those are the lightning strikes,” a ComEd official said while showing off new “Smart Grid” technology. “Reds are the meters gasping and saying ‘I lost power,’ but notice how immediately the green comes back saying the power’s been restored. … Also notice that there are some red areas left over. Lightning did some physical damage in those areas. … They don’t even have to wait for customers to call.”

ComEd came under fire for their response after those storms last summer, as well as for the pace of repairs in Chicago and the suburbs. The new “Smart Grid” bill approved by the legislature and Gov. Pat Quinn allows ComEd to raise rates to pay for both the high-tech diagnosis, as well as improvements to make its power lines more resistant to storm damage.

“We are taking more lines underground and we’re going to be reinforcing some of the overhead lines with just heavier cable that will be more resistant to trees,” Pramaggiore said.

Emanuel and Prammagiore have a history. They worked together on the lucrative merger deal involving ComEd, a deal which made the mayor rich.

But Emanuel made it clear Wednesday that his job now is to get the best deal for taxpayers, no matter who is on the other side.