John Holt, President and CEO of Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union.
Building an Emergency Fund to Avoid Financial Risk. John says an emergency finds is needed to cover unexpected expenses, such as emergency room visits, home appliance repair or replacement, major car repairs or payments and any unemployment costs. Only 39 percent of households would be able to cover a one-thousand-dollar emergency bill by using money from their savings. John says the emergency fund should be separate from a bank account one uses daily so you will not be tempted to dip into reserves. He says a high-yielding savings account is a good place for one’s money. John says people should assess monthly expenses and look for wasted funds like unused memberships to a gym and more, he suggests refinancing high-interest credit cards as well as auto, home and personal loans and put the difference between the two payments into savings. He says saving should be a priority. He also says tax refunds should be deposited into the account for emergencies, John says the savings account should be part of a larger financial plan that involves insurance and retirement savings.

Tom Hennick, public education officer with the Freedom of Information Commission, discusses the Connecticut's FOI law.

Alison Watson-Maston, Genealogy Researcher at the Simsbury Free Library. Alison said the best way to get started researching their family tree is with family stories and personal resources. A Free 5 Generation pedigree chart is available on the library's website. The library also has resources and expertise to help. Alison says the library has a unique collection of local historical resources that can connect to the founders of Simsbury and other towns in the area. She says there are a number of websites that can help with the research including Familysearch.org the National Archives and Vital Records are available from the government to assist in research. Alison says some of the most important information when searching for a person or relative are full names and nicknames, dates and places of birth, marriage and death, names of parents, siblings, spouses and children, locations and occupations, which can be found in vital records, census records and city directories. Alison says for people who do not have the time to do all the research themselves he Association of Professional Genealogists has a list of professionals that can be hired to do the work in part or in full.

AARP Connecticut's John Erlingheuser discusses the push to eliminate Connecticut's third-party electricity market. 

Dr. Paul Stanislaw-founding practitioner of Stanislaw Facial Plastic Surgery
Subject: Counterfeit Cosmetics. Dr. Stanislaw says Restylane, Juvederm, Botox or Dysport are legitimate injectable facial wrinkle reducers and fillers. But the says there are imitation products out there that pose significant risks to consumers as they often contain toxic chemicals and are almost never in line with the tenets of the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. He says many times these counterfeit injectable are administered by an unlicensed practitioner. He says the damage that can be done is irreversible because physicians cannot determine what the actual; product is made of, making it difficult to treat. Dr. Stanislaw says the most common physical problems with counterfeit cosmetics include skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns. Among the toxic substances often found in counterfeit cosmetics are cyanide, arsenic, mercury, lead and urine in addition to immediate reactions these chemicals can cause other long-term health problems. He says over half the counterfeit products come from China and Hong Kong