You're driving along when a pebble kicked up by the vehicle in front of you hits your windshield... and cracks it. Chances are that little rock just cost you $800 to $1,500 or more, depending on your ride. These days, a windshield is more than a big piece of glass; there's a lot of technology embedded in it or located behind it. These sensors feed data to software controlling automatic wipers, lane-departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, and advanced steering and braking systems.

No matter how big or small the job, you want it done quickly and for a fair price. In this episode, Checkbook Editor Kevin Brasler explains how to choose a good shop, how to decide about replacement parts—original manufacturer or third-party parts—and how to deal with your insurance company.

Additional Resource:

Auto Glass: Repairs and Replacements

False or deceptive advertising costs American consumer billions of dollars a year. Companies big and small now use blatant lies, clever wording, and fine print to confuse or mislead us.

Truth in Advertising (TINA.org), a consumer advocacy group based in Connecticut, points the finger at bad actors and calls them out for their deception. It also works to empower people to protect themselves against false advertising and deceptive marketing.

In this episode, we’ll explore some of the tricks advertisers use to fool us, explain why some big-name celebrities are on the group’s Wall of Shame, and provide tips on how to spot misleading ads.

Special Guest: Bonnie Patten, Executive Director, Truth in Advertising (TINA.org)

Additional Resource:

Think You’re Getting a Deal? 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Make You Pay Up and Pay Too Much

Most American don't even have simple wills, and even fewer have living wills or designated healthcare surrogates. While doing this work might seem sobering, once you've made an estate plan, you'll find it calming and reassuring to you and your family. The goal is to communicate your end-of-life healthcare wishes, document what you have and who gets it after you die, and set up a trouble-free way to transfer your assets to your heirs or preferred charities while minimizing payouts to probate courts, attorneys, accountants, and Uncle Sam.

In this episode, some basic do's and don'ts when it comes to planning what happens after you leave this world. We hope these tips will save you hassles and money—and enable you to avoid some common mistakes.

Additional Resources:

Estate Planning Tasks and Tips

Creating a Roadmap for Your Heirs

Hiring Estate-Planning Experts

Wills and Living Wills: Help with Preparing Yours

After more than 45 years, Robert Krughoff, Consumers' Checkbook’s founder and president, is retiring. Robert joins us to chat about how he got the idea for Checkbook, and the challenges he faced getting it started—and gathering all the relevant data he needed to help members. Plus, what he learned as he became one of the world’s foremost consumer experts and advocates.

Special Guest: Robert Krughoff, founder of Consumers' Checkbook

Rising demand for fewer seats has airfare soaring. Hear advice from seasoned traveler Kevin Brasler, Checkbook’s executive editor, in this episode. He shares strategies for finding low rates and warns about common problems when searching for deals. We also tackle frequent air-travel booking questions, such as: When is the best time to book? Should I avoid basic economy tickets?

Grieving for a loved one is acutely difficult just after the loss, and it's not a time when you want to sit across the desk from a salesperson in a high-pressure, time-sensitive situation. You’re vulnerable to making hasty, costly decisions that might not make sense if you'd just had a little more time.

Funeral homes provide important services, but they are businesses with a goal of maximizing each sale. They make money by selling products and services, some of which you and your family may not want, need, or be able to afford.

In this episode, we review the many choices you have when a loved one dies, what funeral homes are required to disclose, and the marketing tricks some use to push unnecessary or high-end products. Plus, we explain why it’s important to pre-plan your funeral.

Special Guests: Joshua Slocum, executive director of the nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance, and Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Checkbook.org.

Read Checkbook's full report on funeral homes including ratings and undercover price research, plus advice and resources to help plan a funeral.

For years, we’ve been promised that new technology would stop those annoying robocalls. But the phones keep ringing—and now, we’re being flooded with spam texts. Fraudsters use these bogus calls and texts to steal our money and personal information.

In this episode, we talk how to spot a robocall scam, how con artists use them to trick you, and ways to protect yourself.

Special Guests: Aaron Foss, president and founder of Nomorobo, one of the oldest call-blocking services, and Amy Nofziger, director of victim support, AARP Fraud Watch Network.

Additional resources:

FCC: Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts

Even the greenest thumbs need help sometimes—and a lot of it—with where to buy plants, how to keep the lawn lush, and how to keep the landscape in shape. The best-run garden centers, landscape contractors, and lawn-care services have the answers.

In this episode: How to find great lawn-care services, and what to consider when hiring a landscaper. Plus, for DIYers, how garden centers rate for price and quality.

Here are more resources on lawn care services, landscapers, and garden centers. Checkbook’s ratings find that the quality of the work—and the prices charged for essentially the same services—vary greatly.

Higher gas prices have a lot of people thinking about making the switch to electric vehicles, and automakers are racing to provide customers with options—sedans, sports cars, SUVs, and trucks.

In this episode, we look at where things stand right now, what’s coming down the road, and things to consider before buying a plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicle.

Special Guests: Paul Eisenstein, Automotive Journalist and Publisher of thedetroitbureau.com, and Mike Monticello, Manager of Road Tests & Reviews at Consumer Reports Autos

Additional resources:

How to Decide If a Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, or Fully Electric Car Is Right for You

Most & Least Satisfying Electric Vehicles and Hybrids

With Chevrolet’s Under-$30,000 Equinox EV, Battery-Electric Vehicles Go Mainstream

How Much Do Cold Temperatures Affect an Electric Vehicle’s Driving Range?

Just like humans, pets get hurt or sick and need routine healthcare. While most vets get high marks for competency and caring, Checkbook's undercover shoppers found huge differences in prices for the same procedures.

In this episode we share tips to help you choose—and deal with—a veterinarian who will provide the care, service, and reasonable charges you want. We also discuss the pros and cons of pet insurance, and what to look for if you decide to buy a policy.

Read Checkbook's full report on vets, plus our in-depth investigation into pet insurance.