Summer usually means vacation time and hot weather conditions.

by: AARP Driver Safety | from: AARP

Summer usually means vacation time and hot weather conditions. To keep yourself safe and cool on the roads, follow these summer driving safety tips:

1. The summer sun can create dangerously hot temperatures in your vehicle: Be sure to check that your air-conditioning system is functioning properly before traveling. Do not leave pets or children waiting in a car.
2. Summer temperatures can wreak havoc on your vehicle:Before you head out on the road, especially for a long trip, be sure to have your car serviced and inspected for safety. Read more »

From: Echo Press

With kids out of school, summer is the perfect time for a family trip. To save money, many families will be bypassing the airport and hitting the road. In fact, according to a survey by TripAdvisor, 70 percent of those traveling this past Memorial Day, got there by car.

With kids out of school, summer is the perfect time for a family trip. To save money, many families will be bypassing the airport and hitting the road. In fact, according to a survey by TripAdvisor, 70 percent of those traveling this past Memorial Day, got there by car. A separate survey by Harris Interactive revealed that Americans plan on racking up an average of 1,172 miles in leisure driving over the next three months. If your summer vacation travel starts in the car, Farm Bureau Financial Services offers these tips to help you prepare. Read more »

When consumers pay more, writes Evan Fraser, farmers get more. It’s volatility that does the real damage

BY EVAN FRASER, OTTAWA CITIZEN

According to a recent United Nations report, food prices are rising again. Since 2008, the world has been treated to a roller-coaster of commodity price rises and crashes. While we Westerners are somewhat buffered from these changes – only a small amount of our grocery bill is actually spent on commodities whereas the majority of our money goes to packaging, processing and retail – this may still spell bad news for people all over the world. In 2008, food price rises triggered riots in dozens of cities. In 2010, they were the opening act in the drama of the Arab Spring.

But seeing rising food prices as a harbinger of the apocalypse is the wrong way to look at the situation. In fact, higher prices may actually be a godsend. Low prices, by contrast, are a real problem. Read more »