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Catherine Lane

North Carolina Family Dollar Stores Shockingly Fined Again For Charging Customers Too Much

Author Catherine Lane
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

It’s a good rule of thumb to always check your receipt after every purchase at every store. I admit I am guilty of not doing this each and every time. And that could cost ya. Several North Carolina Family Dollar stores fined again for charging customers too much.

North Carolina Family Dollar Stores Fined Again

2 of the 9 North Carolina Family Dollar stores fined are in the Charlotte area. So far this year the stores were fined nearly $162,000 combined for the overcharges according to our source, the Charlotte Observer. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Standards Division revealed this week that the fines were due to excessive price scanning errors.

Officials urge customers to make sure the prices at the register match the ones on the shelf. Back in April, 5 Family Dollar stores were cited in the Charlotte area. That means so far this year, Family Dollar has reportedly been fined nearly $420,000. That includes dozens of stores throughout the Tar Heel state that’s overcharged customers.

Family Dollar Is Not The Only One

Family Dollar is not the only retailer allegedly guilty of this. According to the report in the Charlotte Observer, dozens of stores from Walmart to Walgreen were fined a combined whopping sum of nearly $463,000. Every now the then state officials will randomly check stores to make sure the shelf prices match the register prices. It is all in an effort to protect the consumer.

North Carolina Family Dollar Stores Fined
seb_ra/ Getty Images
seb_ra/ Getty Images

2 of the Family Dollar stores recently fined include the one on 4005 Sunset Road. And the Family Dollar at 7907 Idlewild Road in Indian Trail. For more information on the most recently fined stores, get details right here from charlotteobserver.com.

Catherine Lane is the morning show co-host and midday host on Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for the past 24 years and is a recipient of the Academy of Country Music Major Market Personality of the Year award. Catherine has been on air in both radio and television in the Queen City for 38 years. As a content creator for Country 1037, Catherine writes blogs on local events and restaurants. She also writes about great travel spots and out of the way places in the Carolinas. Anything outdoors, travel, food, animals or the many country artists from the Carolinas.


Make Your Money Grow with These Low-Risk Investments

If you have some money wasting away in a savings account that doesn’t have interest, then you might want to consider making your money grow with low-risk investments. Financial experts say that certain low-risk investments can really help pad your savings.

What Are Low-Risk Investments?

Before we get into the best low-risk investments, let’s look at what exactly is a low-risk investment. The official definition is basically what you would expect from the definition of a low-risk investment. According to the financial experts at Capital.com, it’s “an investment where there is perceived to be just a slight chance of losing some or all of your money. Low risk investments offer you a security blanket as they’re not likely to suddenly drop in value.”

In contrast, according to Investopedia.com, “A high-risk investment is one for which there is either a large percentage chance of loss of capital or under-performance—or a relatively high chance of a devastating loss.” They add that, “The first of these is intuitive, if subjective: If you were told there’s a 50/50 chance that your investment will earn your expected return, you may find that quite risky.” So, for example, a 50/50 risk might not seem risky to some, but it might seem risky to others. An investment with a 99% risk will obviously seem risky to everyone. But, with high-risk investments come big payouts, so that’s what lures people in. For example, a separate article from Investopedia.com states that some high-risk investments can double your money. That’s obviously a much bigger return than you would see in your average investment. As they state, “Make no mistake, there is no guaranteed way to double your money with any investment. But there are plenty of examples of investments that doubled or more in a short period of time.”

So, if you’re interested in making a ton of money, or losing it all, high-risk investments such as investing in foreign emerging markets may be of interest to you. “A country experiencing a growing economy can be an ideal investment opportunity,” experts at Investopedia.com state. “Investors can buy government bonds, stocks, or sectors with that country experiencing hyper-growth or ETFs that represent a growing sector of stocks.” They add “spurts in economic growth in countries are rare events that, though risky, can provide investors with a slew of brand new companies to invest in to bolster personal portfolios.”

Now, let’s move onto some low-risk investments for those who don’t want to risk losing their money. Of course, talk to your financial advisor before making any of these moves.

  • Invest in certificates of deposit (CDs)

    You’ve probably heard of CDs being low-risk investments. Fidelity.com explains that “CDs provide reliable, fixed-rate returns on a lump sum of money over a fixed period of time, such as six months, one year, or five years.” They add that the great thing is that if you “get a traditional CD at a bank or credit union where they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Association (NCUA).” Usually, CDs have a minimum deposit, and you’ll have to pay a penalty if you take your money out too soon.

    Woman putting money in piggy bank.

    Getty Images / AaronAmat

     

  • High-yield savings accounts

    High-yield savings accounts are like your regular savings account, but they earn more interest. “You can use these accounts for long-term savings goals or to hold extra money from your checking account,” CreditKarma.com states. “For example, if you want to start saving for a house or building up an emergency fund, this could be a great option.”

    Money.

    Getty Images /

  • U.S. treasury bills, notes and bonds

    Forbes.com says that right now, the risk level for U.S. treasury bills, notes and bonds is “very low.” They add that, “U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Historically, the U.S. has always paid its debts, which helps to ensure that Treasurys are the lowest-risk investments you can own.”

    Coins.

    Getty Images / sommart

  • Money market funds

    Fidelity.com states that, “Money market funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term, low-risk assets like Treasury and government securities, commercial paper, or municipal debt—depending on the focus of the fund.” They add that, “Because their underlying investments are typically high quality, they are generally less volatile than other types of mutual funds, such as stock funds.”

    Coins and a plant.

    Getty Images / Khongtham

  • Fixed annuities

    Fixed annuities are a pretty safe bet. As Forbes.com explains, “Fixed annuities are a popular type of annuity contract that are frequently used for retirement planning, but can also be useful for medium-term financial goals.” They add that, “Sold by insurance companies and financial services companies, a fixed annuity guarantees a fixed rate of return over a set period of time, regardless of market conditions.”

    Cash in a cup.

    Getty Images / artisteer

     

  • Invest inside your comfort zone

    People talk about stepping outside of their comfort zone in life, but really, investing isn’t a place to do this. You know how much money you have to “play” with, so if you’re worried about putting too much money in the market, these low-risk investments could still help you make money on your money.

    Piggy bank

    Getty Images / Nattakorn-Maneerat

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