Auto Recalls Continue at General Motors, Other Automakers

General Motors has just made its third vehicle recall in the last seven years. According to news
reports, many GM vehicles are leaking oil and catching fire. Garages and homes have been
damaged in some cases, and “More than 1,300 cars caught fire after they were fixed by dealers,
the company said.” In most cases, the fires started not long after the engines were turned off.
This is not the only vehicle recall in the news lately. Fiat Chrysler is recalling Ram pickups and
Jeep Cherokees. And Mazda has its own recent recall, affecting millions of vehicles.
Automakers often send recall notices to owners when parts need to be replaced and repairs made.
The defects might be cosmetic, such as paint chipping off vehicles; or they may be responsible
for injuries and loss of life. In any event, whenever your vehicle is recalled, you will do well to
heed the warning. Even if your safety is not at risk, the company will pay for the work on your
car.

Unfortunately, many vehicle owners never get their recalled vehicles fixed. Some of them ignore
the recall, in which case it is their own fault if something bad happens. But not all affected
owners hear about the recall, and that is a problem. It is an even bigger problem with defective
tires, as news yesterday showed that there is no effective system to let owners know that their
tires are not safe. And drivers and passengers are dying because of it.

This is good reminder of how important it is to check out any vehicles you are considering
buying, whether new or used. You should check the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, to
see if there is a recall on the car. And you can register your tires with the manufacturer. NBC
News says that “Registering tires requires sending your name, address and tire identification
number with the company that made it. The number is on the tire sidewall and starts with the
letters DOT.”

Yes, there should be a better way for this reporting to take place when you buy the tires. But for
now, it is up to you. Even if you are not yet of driving age, your diligence could save your life
and those of your family members and other passengers, as well as others you encounter on the
road.

(Please also see our previous blog entry, Check for Defects When Buying a Used Car. Links to
all stories referred to in this entry appear below.)

READERS, what do you think?

1. How safe do you feel in your current vehicle? Your family’s vehicle?

2. Have you known anyone who had a safety problem with their car? Was it recalled? Were

they notified of the recall?

3. How would you deal with any safety issues you encounter with your vehicle?


References:

Associated Press. (2015, October 22). Mazda Recalls 4.9M Older Vehicles Over Ignition Switch

Fire Risk. NBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/mazda-recalls-4-9m-older-vehicles-over-ignition-

switch-fire-n449331.

Associated Press. (2015, October 27). GM Recalls 1.4M Older Vehicles for Fire Risk After

Earlier Fix Fails. NBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/gm-recalls-1-4m-older-vehicles-fire-risk-after-earlier-

n452361.

Blackman, J., & Gardella, R. (2015, October 27). System to Recall Defective Tires ‘Completely

Broken,’ Says Official. NBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/system-recall-defective-tires-completely-broken-say-

officials-n452506.

Reuters. (2015, October 27). Fiat Chrysler Recalls Ram Pickups, Jeep Cherokees for Different

Issues. NBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/fiat-chrysler-recalls-ram-pickups-jeep-cherokees-

different-issues-n452106.

Landing a High-Paying Job with a Two-Year Degree

Are you looking for a good career that pays well, but afraid you will not be able to pay for a
four-year degree? Or do you not want to spend that much time in school? Although college is the
best choice for some students, many careers only require two years of education and career
training beyond high school. Depending on what field you choose, an associate degree might pay
very well.

Attending a community college or career/technical college can be cost-effective and can lead to a
well-paying career, especially in technical fields. More students are choosing to enroll in two-
year institutions, developing important skills in their field.

Although early career earnings can be higher with an associate’s degree, those with bachelor’s
degrees tend to have higher lifetime earnings. However, Forbes says that 28 percent of workers
with associate’s degrees ultimately outearned those with a bachelor’s degree. Generally
speaking, the more education you have, the more money you can earn; but there are exceptions.

Some majors pay higher than others. While an associate’s degree in Management Information
Systems pays $45,100 per year early in one’s career, and $72,100 at mid-career, an associate’s
degree in Early Childhood Education only pays $23,100 – at mid-career! (A bachelor’s degree in
Early Childhood Education pays $38,000 at mid-career, but also is much more expensive than a
two-year degree.)

Other associate’s degree programs that pay very well include Construction Management,
Economics, Engineering and Health fields, and Computer Science.

READERS, what do you think?

1. Do you know yet what you want to do for a career? If so, how much education and training does it require?

2. How important is a higher paycheck to you? Are you making your education and training
choices based on how much you can earn, or on other factors such as interest in a certain field or type of work?

References:

Henderson, J. M. (2012, December 31). Forget Four More Years: Why Community College

         Could Be Your Ticket to Financial Success. Forbes. Retrieved September 2, 2015, from

         http://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2012/12/31/forget-four-more-years-why-

         community-college-could-be-your-ticket-to-financial-success/


Highest Paying Associate Degrees by Salary Potential. (2015). PayScale. Retrieved September 3,

           2015, from http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/majors-that-pay-you-back     

           /associate.

10 Things I Wish I Knew While Preparing and Applying For College

by Ilana Pinsky, graduate student, University of Kentucky

            It’s hard to believe that six years ago I was getting ready for my college search and application. I remember it was one of the most stressful times of my life because it was such an expensive and tedious process. I had to take both the SAT and ACT multiple times, create a list of schools that I might be able to get into with my GPA and test scores, and plan trips to visit these schools. All this might seem exciting to high school students, but it can also be nerve-racking. Following is a list of things I wish I knew when I was preparing for college.

1. You might not need to take an SAT or ACT prep course

           

            While preparation classes may help students perform better on the test, they might not always make enough of a difference to be worth it financially. These courses can be expensive and time consuming. With a heavy course load and multiple extracurricular activities, the last thing I wanted to do was to attend more classes. In order to make an informed decision about whether to take such a course, research the ones available to you. Look up prices and success rates. I personally recommend buying a test preparation book because it can save time and money, however not everyone has the discipline to study on their own. Ask your school guidance counselor and then use your own judgment on how to prepare for these tests. Without preparation, you will have no idea what is on the test and what are the best test-taking strategies. Scores do matter! Along with grades and extracurricular activities, SAT and ACT scores make a great deal of difference in which colleges and universities will accept you. Always remember, if you are not satisfied with your test scores, you can re-take the tests. I highly recommend it! 

2. Begin taking the SAT and/or ACT during your junior year or during the summer

            You will thank yourself if you knock these tests out during your junior year because once senior year approaches, you will want to solely focus on your school work and applying, which is stressful enough already. Also consider taking the SAT or ACT during the summer before your senior year. The summer is the best for it because you will have more time to focus on studying and improving your score. Beginning to take the tests early also gives you more time to retake them. Taking the tests several times could bring your scores up enough for you to get into a better school than you could otherwise.

3. Be realistic when you apply to schools

            Beware of what each college application costs and only apply to ones for which you have a realistic chance to get in. Know the admissions criteria for each school Do you have the GPA and test scores they are needed? And what about extracurricular activities? I will tell you I did not apply to my dream school because I knew I was not competitive enough to get in there. If you are not sure what schools to apply to, visit collegeboard.org. You can look up any school and find their admissions requirements, academic programs that are offered, clubs and organizations, etc. It is a wonderful resource for applying to college.  

4. Visit schools before you apply or after you are accepted

            Have you visited any of the schools you are considering? Without visiting their campus and interacting with students, admissions personnel and faculty, you might not know which ones to apply to. However, another option is to visit the school after you are accepted and see if it will be a good fit. I visited my undergrad before I applied and after I was accepted to make sure if I really wanted to go there. It is important to see if you will fall in love with the campus or not. Do not apply to a school that you did not like! If you apply to that school, and it is the only school that you got into, you may be stuck going there. However, if that does happen to you and you seriously do not want to give the school a chance, do not fear because some colleges will take late applications. Again, it is still important you do your research and visit the campus.

5. The more colleges you apply to, the more you might be able to reuse parts of essays

            Many college essay questions are similar, so you might not need to rewrite a completely new essay for each school. Many will involve answering questions such as, “tell us about an obstacle you had to overcome”, “discuss an accomplishment in your life”, or even a choose your own topic essay. Choose the essays that allow you to shine. Reuse parts of earlier essays where you can, but be sure to tailor your application to each school

6.  Do not be afraid to talk with your school’s guidance counselor

            You do not need to be nervous to see your school’s guidance counselor. They are there to help you. I remember I was nervous about seeing my guidance counselor because I was not very confident in myself when applying to college. She helped me decide on which schools were realistic for me, which could be best for me, and helped me with the application and admissions process. Some guidance counselors have anonymous lists of previous seniors who applied to schools of their GPA was, tests scores, and whether they were accepted, rejected, or waitlisted After talking with my guidance counselor, I felt much better about my chances of getting into college.

7. Get involved and be a leader!

            Not being involved in any school sports, clubs, or outside extracurricular activities could hurt you in the application process. Most colleges and universities look beyond academics when selecting students. Leadership and involvement makes you look more well-rounded and is a necessity on college applications.

8. Challenge yourself

            Are you afraid you are not a strong enough student to take AP and honors courses? I was in the same boat. Taking these courses does not have to be scary.  They not only look goo d on your college applications, but they also prepare you better for the challenges of college. College admissions look for AP and honors courses on your transcript, and they want to see you succeeding at challenges. An added bonus to taking AP courses is that it might count toward college credit and waive you from taking certain courses in college. This could potentially lead to an early graduation depending on how many AP courses you took.

9. List the pros and cons for each college or university you are considering

            You might know which colleges you want to apply to, but have any no idea how to choose one once you have been accepted Listing pros and cons for each school you apply to will make your decision easier in the end. Do you know what you want to major in, and does the school have your major? If it doesn’t, why apply there? Does the school have clubs or organizations that interest you? Think about everything you want from a school.

10. Do not slack off

            I made this mistake and it really hurt me when I applied to college and it hurt me in the college application process. Take your freshmen and sophomore year seriously! If you wait until you are a junior to think about grades, you will have a harder time pulling your GPA up. When senior year rolls around, it is easy to develop senioritis and lose your motivation. Do not let it get to you because colleges want a final transcript from you and if your grades fall off at the end, your admissions could be revoked.

           

READERS, what do you think?

1. If you plan to attend college or a university, how are you preparing?

2. Do you know what you want to study?

3. What do you expect from college, and what do you want to do when you finish?