now you and your ameripise advisor can get the real answers you need. well, knowing gives you confidence. start building your confident retirement today. gerri: hello, everybody, i'm gerri willis. right now on "the willis report." choice is one thing but this is getting ridiculous. "consumer reports" is here with an eye-opening report on what is going on at the supermarket. also the most popular hybrid car in america recalled, the prius, needs fixing. our users guide to love and money. the real cost of having kids in this country. we're watching out for you tonight on "the willis report." gerri: this is the winter at that never seems to end.

yet another winter storm, crippling the east coast. and today, well the south got the worst of it. more than 350,000 homes and businesses now without power from texas to the carolinas. businesses and schools have been closed for days as roads and trees are covered by sleet, snow, freezing rain and an inch of ice. forecasters say there won't be any relief for this region until at least tomorrow but the power outages, well, they could continue for days. the ice isn't just in the south. take a look at these pictures of the great lakes. look at this. lake superior is now almost 87% frozen. typically just 30% of the world's biggest freshwater lake freezes over. the record is nearly 95%, which is what happened in 1979. so we could be on track for another winter event for the record books. look at that. meanwhile, more than 2/3 of all scheduled flights to and from atlanta's airport have been

canceled and more than half out of charlotte. the storm is moving north and more impact -- travel will be impacted. fox's steve centanni live at reagan national airport with the latest. >> gerri, this could be the biggest storm of the year. atlanta which got hit hard today. it will hit washington, d.c. overnight and philadelphia to new york city playing havoc with the nation's airline system and making live very difficult for travelers who are trying to get anywhere. we can take a look at pictures from atlanta earlier. that airport having big problems. hundreds and hundreds of delays down there in atlanta which of course is the hub for delta air lines. also in charlotte a major hub for us airways. ice and snow on the road making driving dangerous and difficult. also the economic impact of all of this. for the airlines, lost revenue. for the passengers, lost time. it all amounts to billions of dollars. the cancellations, most of them in the southeast today. that will change. a ilk per share will be in the

northeast and mid-atlantic states tomorrow. today we can take a look at some numbers we compiled. 3571 flights canceled today alone. 3165 tomorrow. these are preemptive cancellations because they know they will have to get equipment out of the way of heavy snow. 11,140 cancellations nationwide so far this week. so, people are bracing for the worst. the best advice for travelers is, number one, of course, call ahead. number, two, be aware airlines waived change fees so you can reschedule if you want to, take the trip another time if you can do that at all. at the same time as i mentioned the airlines are trying to get their assets, their aircraft and crews out of here so they don't get stuck tonight when the heavy snow hits washington, d.c. here's an airport spokesman earlier on that. >> the airlines like to reposition their planes, keep them out of the heavy impact of the weather so they're easier to move around once the weather

clears. so we could end up with a very few planes, very few passengers in fact if they have precancelled flights for tomorrow. so the ideal option for passengers is to check with their airline, get the most up-to-date information possible. >> always check with the airline, and of course try to reschedule. the storm expected around 8:00 tonight to start here in washington, d.c. we could get five to eight inches of snow. so we'll be prepared for that. they will be out there with plows all night long trying to keep the runway clear. the airport itself will be open. whether or not they can keep the runway clear enough for flights to come in and out remains to be seen. there won't be that many planes in airlines move equipment elsewhere to stay out of the way. gerri, back to you. gerri: steve, tell you half an inch in washington is a big deal. thanks for coming on the show tonight. appreciate your time. >> you bet. good to see. >> good to see you. with more on the storm's impact we have the founder of air watch.com. always great to have you here. >> thank you. gerri: we're looking at two huge

hubs here, harlotte, atlanta, impacted just incredibly, maybe even newark. we just saw washington's airport. what are you expecting in terms of flights? >> a thousand more flights will be canceled, gerri, but there are things people can do. calling airline might not be the best airline to the best option because you will be on hold for two hours. another option to use twitter. for example, at delta as sis is the twitter handle for delta or at american air. these those two airlines are great at responding. >> let's back up a second. we're trying to get our arms how many flights will be canceled and what is going on right now. for example, at hartsfield-jackson atlanta, 25 flights were scheduled to go out today. only 300 were going. that is a big huge change. we know that delta is very important in that airport, right? >> absolutely. airtran. gerri: what are the follow-on, knock-on effects to this? what will happen coming days? >> thousands of people will be

canceled and inconvenienced and flights -- last few years. they would soldier through, have the plane at airport. gerri: i remember that. >> remember those days? a lost planes would take off. now they stopped doing that they just cancel flights, partly because of three-hour tarmac delay rule. they don't want to strand people on runways. gerri: there are some that make some sense. we know there is something like i believe 6,000 flights canceled since about 1:00 p.m. thousands and thousands of people will be out of place. what do you do? you said you might tweet something? come on, how do you, my understanding that these airlines are actually making people hold, allowing you to change? >> they are. you can cancel with a full refund. that is probably the best option. most airlines give you a total refund even if the flight is delayed 90 or 120 minutes you can get a full refund on non-refundable fare. another option, i'm going to los angeles tomorrow. gerri: maybe, maybe not. >> i don't think i'm going.

i think i'm going to be canceled but i'm going from laguardia. i was thinking maybe i try to book a flight from jfk on the non-stop as a backup using frequent flyer miles. gerri: what you're talking about here, if the airport you really want to use or typically use is out of the commission, try something else? i think that's a great idea. >> sure. if you're going to los angeles, maybe you go to las vegas if you can get there and drive from las vegas to los angeles. two-hour drive. gerri: you want those flight alerts. have to be signed up for the flight alerts absolutely. vacationers here, these folks will really get stuck. >> that is the sad part, gerri. this is when travel insurance really helps. if i were going on expensive vacation during winter months i would get travel insurance to protect my non-refundable land arrangements. hotels and so forth that won't be refundable. gerri: one of the big worries i have is not just the planes but the automobiles, trains, everything, nothing is working. we're seeing cancellations of acela, amtrak. >> sure. gerri: how bad will this get and how long will it last?

>> it will probably last until3 at least tomorrow night or maybe, the next morning. and yeah, the northeast corridor is going to be affected. you can't drive. best thing hunker down with netflix. "house of cards" is launching friday. make up -- gerri: that is not a bad idea. >> you can binge on "house of cards." how about that for a night? gerri: that's a good idea. the national weather service is calling this a storm of historical proportions. i can't believe it. i think south will get worst of it. >> wish me luck tomorrow morning. gerri: i wishing awe lot of luck. good news l.a. will be warm. >> if i get there. gerri: george, great to see you. >> thanks. gerri: hey if you're one of millions of americans suffering through the ice, the sleet, the snow and freezing temperatures you may want to think of an end of the season winter break. tonight's top five may help you. the city's with the highest temperatures today. they're not freezing cold, not in san diego, california. right now sunny and beautiful with temperatures right around 70 degrees. number four, phoenix, arizona.

today's high was only supposed to be 77. but some parts of sunny city are hitting the 80s. number three, los angeles. cloudier in the met dropped police, pardon me, but temperatures still well into the 70s. beach weather. number two, orlando, florida. hey go to disney world where temperatures are in the low 80s. number one major city with highest temperature, miami, my friends. 82 degrees. sunny, beautiful. beach may not be calling your name. forecast calls for showers, for rain. a lot more still to come including an answer to the question, how do you do that? as we help small biz owners navigate the tax code. too much of a good thing? as companies explode their brand, consumers are left in a state of confusion. you often have to pay more? we'll tell you all about it. ♪ ♪

♪ here we are, me and you ♪ on the road ♪ and we know that it goes on and on ♪ [ female announcer ] you're theoss of your life. in charge of making memories and keeping promises. ask your financial professional how lincoln financial can help you take charge of your future. ♪ ♪ oh, oh, all the way ♪ oh,h

gerri: have you ever gotten lost at the grocery store? consumers are confronted with

countless products and mazes of store shelves, a tactic companies use to make you spend more. todd mark, senior projects editor at "consumer reports" is here with details. welcome back to the show. nice to have you on set. >> hi, gerri. gerri: don't people love, choice, todd if. >> they love choice. it is part of what makes america what it is. but there is a breaking point, at some point you say how much is too much? we've seen product proliferation at unparalleled rate at supermarkets. when we did a story on too much choice, question mark, how have you noticed there are more products in 80% said yes. 36% said they have so much choice they actually feel overwhelmed. gerri: i can totally believe that. >> before they make a decision. >> the numbers in the story which is a great story in "consumer reports", you said back in 1975 there were something like 8900. >> per average store, yes. gerri: 2008, 47,000. 47,000. this is out of control. >> well, again, it is the why

are they doing it? there is business reason behind it. a lot of people don't realize new products to manufacturers are the lifeblood of a store. 80% of the products, 20% of product the account for 80% of all sales. what that means a lot of stuff just sits on the shelves and doesn't move. newness creates excitement. actually a study done that 50% of the people, shoppers, consumers are either serial or selective variety seekers. those people look for new products, they pinpoint and willing to pay more for them. ergo, that's why you see it. gerri: hence the 47,000. just to give you examples herhere, we have some on set. cheerios has 11 different kinds. >> i said 11. there are 14 i believe. gerri: we've got that. pringles nine? >> that's what i spotted, yep. gerri: campbell's 53. they have a lot of different soup. >> that is convention allred and white can. not only when i checked with the company, you sell 53. there are 21 more. gerri: head and

can there be 25 varieties of head and shoulders? different scents, conditions, you name it they have got it. gerri: on and on it goes. here is what consumers don't know, whether you get extra add-ons or scent a flavor, whatever it is it cost you more. give me some examppes. >> it can cost you more, it depends. we saw this especially in the toothpaste category. when we went to the store and found 27 versions of crest, 25 versions of colgate. they have the old kind that remind you and harkens the plain old crest with floristan in '60s. gerri: that's what i use. >> you probably weren't born in the '60s. the new 3-d whiteners cost $18 a pound versus five dollars a pound for plain ol' variety. addition of particular ingredient or attribute make as product more saleable. gerri: you're not saying people are paying $18 for a tube of

toothpaste. >> that is cost per ounce, per pound. on unit price basis it is astronomical. basically buy a smaller container but you don't get as much as bigger container but pay more per pound. gerri: that is 241% higher? >> yeah. gerri: what about ocean spray cranberry juice? >> we saw the difference between the cranberry juice cocktail and 100% juice and 150% price difference there. so you have to really look at unit price labels because again, it may not amount to a real significant difference but people are willing to pay more for certain attributes they perceive add enhanced value to the product. gerri: you're saying sometimes there is no perceived value. what is your message to consumers going to the shopping to beat the storm and looking at all the products? >> you know what? a lot of products have been around a long time are there for a reason. they perform they're good, they're tried and true. when you look at a new product, ask yourself is it worth the premium? often it is not much of an

additional ingredient. maybe it's a different flavor. a line extension or nancier box or bottle. if you want to pay for that god bless you. for most of us i rather keep coins in my pocket. gerri: me too, todd. always good to have you on the show. >> great to be here, thank you. gerri: coming up later in the show more evidence how out of touch washington really is and as if rising tax rates were not a burden enough, now small business owners may lose some important deductions. we'll have some advice coming up. ♪ [ male announcer ] e new new york is open.

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start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. it's not the "juggle a bunch of rotating categories" card. it's not the "signp for rewards each quarter" card. it's the no-games, no-messing-'round, no-earning-limit-having, do-i-look-like-i'm-joking, turbo-boosting, heavyweight-champion- of-the-world cash back card. thiss the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. now tell me, what'sn your wallet? >> first it was higher taxes. now the loss of some vital deductions. how small businesses can plan around these tax changes coming up.

gerri: with many new and expired tax provisions, many small businesses are facing big challenges with planning for not only their next tax return but the future of their businesses. here with more is rich coppa, the managing director of well health. welcome back to the show. >> thanks, gerri. gerri: congress didn't do its job so now small business people are on the hook. >> this is really a shame. this is the attacks benefit they have to think about expanding their business and improving buying products property. without these it is just putting a real spin on things because there is so much uncertainty, companies don't know how do i spend my money? do i spend it to get a deduction? do i wait and see if they change things retroactively. gerri: all up in the air. we'll explain some things up in the cross-hairs. section 179. what does that mattory small businesses. >> section 179 allowed, 500,000 doll deduction on tangible property you put in this service. you don't have to deappreciate

it over 15, 20, 30 years. that is going -- gerri: new equipment i buy? >> new equipment. could be computers, furniture, vehicles, things like that. gerri: anything. >> this year that 500,000-dollar deduction available in 2013, goes down to $25,000. huge difference. gerri: oh, yeah. >> whether or not someone spend money increasing cap-ex and getting a deduction making cash flow better or put it off? with the economy way it is we want to incent people to spend money. gerri: bonus depreciation. >> bonus depreciation is in addition to the 179 deduction. says in excess of the amount to the 179 you can get 350% deduction on other properties you put in service and remaining 50% you would write off and deappreciate over remaining time of the life of the property. gerri: all this bad news for small business makes the world much more confusing for them. tell us about the unemployment tax changes. >> that's a good one because the unemployment tax, for companies doing business in multiple areas or have employees in multiple

states i should say, some states like new york and new jersey, increased amount of income the employee gets paid where the employer has to put away taxes for unemployment tax. gerri: huh. >> it might not sound like a lot, in new york it is going from 8500 to $10,000,300. that increase in income you mead to put away tax on that income. if you have hundreds of employees in new york it could add up. gerri: could add up to thousands and thousands of dollars. >> absolutely. tough be aware of changes going on state to state with employees. gerri: what is going on with internet sales tax. >> that is wild subject and in my view one of the biggest concerns in the future. you have to look into each individual state. 2013 market fairness where congress is trying to pass something that said you do it under certain method and use a certain vendor to help identify what is owed to each state. there will be kind of a safe harbor. right now tough look. these are what we call remote sales. look at every state you're doing

business n it makes it extremely difficult. every state and even local municipality may have their own laws relative to state sales tax or local sales tax. it is big issue for small businesses. you can't handle it within your business, outsource it. gerri: wow. you know what is interesting about this? there is debate in washington. do we give people writeoffs or change the tax code for business and give them a smaller tax level that they're paying? >> right. that is the problem. gerri: this is all inning intended. this is not intentional. >> people are thinking we'll change the base and limit the deductions. well we haven't done anything except give up deductions and putting -- gerri: lose, lose. >> a loser situation for small businesses. very difficult for planners and accountants trying to advise small businesses. >> i'm sure you come back and talk to us about it, thanks very much. >> thanks. gerri. gerri: up next a look at wild weather gripping much of the eastern u.s. we'll bring awe tale of two economies as obamas

welcome a the president of france in a lavish state dinner, millions of americans are still out of work. details after the break. ♪ so ally bank has a raise your rate cd that wothat's correct.a rate. cause i'm really nervous about getting trapped. why's that? uh, mark? go get help! i have my reasons. look, you don't have to feel trapped with our raise yr rate cd. if our rate on this cd gooh that sounds nice.. don't feel trapped with the ally raise your rate cd. ally bank. your moneyeedsn ally.

you really love, what would you d" ♪ [ woman ] i'd be a writer. [ man ] i'd be a baker. [ woman ] i wanna be a pie maker. [ man ] i wanna be a pilot.

[ woman ] i'd be an architect. what if i told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you? ♪ when you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be, paying ourselves to do what we love? ♪ gerri: the latest obamacare score card being released now by the federal government. fox biz own rich edison joins us. how many people have signed up? >> well, gerri, in january alone more than the administration projected. for the first time monthly enrollment numbers are better than expected. the slow start leaves it behind in total signup. the administration said 3.3 million have selected a private insurance plan. 1.1 million did so in january alone.

app quarter select the plans between 18 and 24 years old. short of the 40% younger americans. officials say they hoped to sign up and pay premium. january beat projection the administration is still behind. expected million select a private insurance plan in january. more than did. a million behind the initial goals. downtowns show the administration had projected 7 million selected plans by the end of open enrollment on march 31st. that dropped the estimate to 6 million because the problem with the rollout. the administration said officials are encourage bid the numbers. there are a host of outstanding detail. the department of and health services has not shared. >> i'm wondering how many of those folks say signed up. how many of them actually already had coverage. >> right. there's a number of different questions. we don't know how many 3.3 million paid the premium. it includes those who simply

selected a plan. if they fail to plan they lose coverage. officials will let us know when they get the automatic payment system up and run. they refuse to say how many previously uninsured customers are signing up or how many are americans with canceled plans because the health care law phased out the insurance. gerri: thank you, rich. as we take a look at two headlines i saw today side by side on the front page of the "washington post." take a look headlines. the telltale two different realities in our country. the first the lavish star-studded state dinner. the article reads first lady michelle obama bypassed dior and said no and said she stood along the tux clad husband to greet the president. it's in stark contrast with the harsh reality facing countless americans today. terrible job prospects under the

president's watch. from the second article, another woman's tale little began was laid off from a photography company a year ago. now she's hoping to find a position that pays at least $10 an hour. she's had no luck. two very different teams illustrating the growing disconnect between the white house and the american public. joining me now rich low i are editor of the national revue. i know, you believe that these dinners are important in the essential and lavish them with money. but $500,000? >> well, the president of the united states is supposed to be the leader of the free woold. when you have other heads of state occasionally you have a state dinners. i think it's the least destructive and wasteful thing he does, probably. the bigger thing we have a job crisis and wage crisis in this country and washington not seized in the matter. we're debating over how much we're going to delay a job killing health care law. and the congress has been

debatinn whether to welcome an influx of low-skilled immigrant to compete with people further down the income scam. i think that account more for the disconnect. >> let's talk about disconnect and the bubble that seems to be around the district of columbia. is a zone like the tv show there's a bubble around the one town and nobody can get through. real estate prices in washington, d.c., higher and grew faster than anywhere else. people in d.c. have higher economic confidence than the rest of the country. by a long shot, we see over and over again this disconnect. the pulling away pep in washington see one reality. let face it when you live the reality the economic optimism, the happiness, it's hard for you to understand how people in the rest of the country feel. >> yeah. this is right. it is an imperial city, and it is sucks in resources for the rest of the country. you have various interests that fatten themselves on those

resources. so washington, d.c., never really experienced a recession the way the rest of the country did. and we often have the political commentary the debate over why is the public pessimist irk about the ee stock market has been going up and gdp has been increasing at least marginally. you have the labor force participation numbers. people are giving up which is one of the reasons you have unemployment rate dropping and that's the lived reality of people out there. that should be the foremost priority in washington. everything should be geared to how you address the jobs crisis and create more jobs. >> you have to are priority. i think it's a question do you agree with the priority washington has. now, janet yellen, the new head of the federal reserve disconnected also in washington. she had interesting comments when she was interviewed by congress about what she intended to do. listen to this. >> wear a lot of different hats. they play many different roles

in the economy. they may be retirees who are hoping to get part-time work in order to supplement their income. >> if you parch it carefully what you find out is she is saying perhaps the older people instead of trying to save and invest savers are getting terrible return because of the fed policy maybe a part-time job. it's like i'm living in "it's a wonderful life ." she's mr. potter and the rest of us are burt. you want retired people to go back to work. that's your idea? >> it's been terrible for savers, obviously. i think without pro-growth policies in washington, from congress and for the president, i'm not sure there's any alternative to the fed being loose the way it has been. and traditional monetary policy theory tell you inflation is low and unemployment elevated, you

want to be -- >> i have to tell you. we can be in for hard times because the policy in the future. because rates have been so low. a lot of people worried about the flip side of the equation. rich, good to see you. thank you for coming on the show tonight. when we come back a major car recall. we'll have the latest. our users guide to las vegas and money continues. nothing brings out more love and costs than children. we'll have a round table with advise on raising the pricey kids. ♪

gerri: nothing, of course, is stronger than the love between a parent and a child. raising that kid could bankrupt you. the department of agricultural estimates the average cost of raising a child born in 2012 will be more than $2 41,000 or if you use expected inflation rates on the number, $3 02,000.

think about that. and this doesn't include the cost of sending junior to college. for the users guide to love and money. we have advise on raising expensive kids. let's bring in dr. rob, lisa, a mother and writer, and david freeman a cofounder and president. welcome. great to have you here. everybody i talked to about the number is shocked. they tell me universally i would never had kids if i knew that. >> it was a shocking number when i hear it and we have four kids i'm like oh my gosh. i'm i think never going to retire. it's not going to be possible with the numbers. gerri: lisa? >> is it worth it. if they pay me back it's worth it. do they do that? no, of course not. gerri: we can't think about kids in term the cost. then we wouldn't have kids and we wouldn't all be as happy and also sleepless as we are. >> and our viewers agree with you. they've been saying that all day. it doesn't matter the cost. i have to tell you i think

people overspend. i see it all the time. especially in new york city here, oh my goodnesses. the private school, the clothes with the lessons. for goodnesses sake nobody is going to lend you money to retire. >> that's right. why saw the number i thought it's good birth control. [laughter] but i don't -- i agree with them you shouldn't be looking. the interesting thing is gnat average and people make it work. i mean, they don't think about -- gerri: it's unbelievable. >> it's unbelievable. but then we focus on the ultra wealthy. think about in new york i live in chelsea. >> you are fancy pants. >> in chelsea there's a new school for-profit called avenues. which is backed by hedge funds they raise probably $2 million. for a 3-year-old it's $45,000. it's after tax. >> gerri: that's if you get in. >> yeah. gerri: all right. >> dot math. that's $out ,000 you have to earn and after taxes $45,000.

k through 12 you look at $2 million investment, you haven't gone to college yet. gerri: maybe -- >> $300 ,000. gerri: maybe they don't need to go to college. >> i have written a lot about education. i call my children my exhibit. i feel like they are in process and i'm a scientist who didn't do well in science. i took exhibit b and the tour guide guide said that's what you get $200,000. that's on top of the other figure. i looked at my daughter lovingly and said you're not worth it. >> i to tell you how much are you spending on them in term of their health care. that's something we're not talking about. >> in health care these days are quite expensive. it's double from the 1960s. when we take a look at, you know, raising a child what comes in to their health, their

wellness, immunization, when you're pregnant prenaval visit and the cost of those. even the delivery of a newborn life. gerri: people don't shop around when they have their brother they deliver and pay tens of thousands of dollars more than they need to. i know it sounds crazy you save money giving birth. you actually can. >> if you walk around. i guess -- gerri: that's help too. let's talk about the stress that parents and i think you would a great response to this, lisa. what people are facing right now. they look at the $90,000. >> i think all of us who started breeding in the '90s, at least, i can only speak for 800,000 -- >> right. a lot of women. i think we didn't think about, of course we didn't think about what it would cost to have children. of course that didn't factor in. we a lot of love and a lot of here monos.

and that's for you. and we we were educated people who were ready to have families. gerri: you were confident at that point. >> at that point i was. i never -- i remember either working on market acon for private school and thinking yeah, $50,000 and then when i got my first bill for $50,000 from a college i thought -- hey, what a surprise. [laughter] and not in a good way either. gerri: you're talking about the cost and how they pile up in new york city. it happen all over the place. i was looking at national figures for daycare for kids. you can spend as much -- not even in new york city. as for daycare putting them through college each engineer. the costs are out of control. i think young people in particular get panicked about this. what is your advise to people who are stressed out. >> yeah. so, you know, we live in new york we have a 5-year-old. we have been through this. my wife tell you the same thing. i watched her go through this.

it's unfortunately this rat race you jump in to because you feel like you haven't done enough or did you do enough school. did he learn mandrin and chinese for the interview? i had to i grew up in charlotte, north carolina. gerri: i like the accent. >> single-parent family home. i went to a private school. there was an attorney in my church who paid for me to go. and i always tell my wife. listen we're okay. it's going to be okay. we'll figure it out. we didn't end up too bad. i went to yale and studied theologies. >> you're pretty impressive. i have to ask we don't a ton of time left. i need ideas and solutions. >> okay. spend time with your kids in lieu of sending them to the mandrin class and violin class and on weekends read them. take walks with them. it's not only saving money from all the activities but also really good for your kids'

stability. gerri: i think everybody would agree with that. >> healthy kids are less expensive kids. mach sure you give them away from the tv and the video game get them outside and playing imaginatively and make sure they're eating healthy food. healthier kids less expensive kids. >> that will be a good thing. gerri: yeah. i love that. >> small kids are expensive. if you advertise them by inches. grow them big. grow them big. >> teens eat you out of house and home. but you look at that you can amtize it. >> my interesting thing is we found in new york there are catholic schools everywhere. you have fantastic educations and fourth a price if typically, you know, $40,000. gerri: let me tell you you're not going believe it. in some part of the country you can got public school. it's good. >> right. gerri: regis school in new york

city is considered the best school by the eye have a league. all boy catholic school. free, free, free. >> i feel smarter having spoken to you. thank you very much. great job. enjoy it. now we want to know what you think. here is our question tonight. do parents spend too much money on the kids? log on and vote on the right-hand side of the screen. we'll show you the rut at the end of the show. coming were tomorrow our users guide to love and money continues with advice on surviving a financial tragedy for people who know firsthand. the street of atlanta have been desserted mostly today as they health careered down what they are calling a catastrophic ice storm. now it's time for the rest of the east coast to feel the pain. for the latest let's go to forks news weather center. the southeast has been feeling the pain.

they are learned the lesson a cum weeks ago. schools were canceled it helped. we have severe weather across florida. tornado warn together east of sarasota. that's the is veer side. snow across much -- a lot of across the app laces really a -- appalachians has been all ice all day long. some areas will pick up probably an inch of ice accumulating on every surface that brought all kinds of trees and power lines down. power outages south of atlantic forward south carolina and incredible tree damage from the storm. take a look how big it is. it is extends winter storm warnings across mississippi and new england. this is going transition to a coastal storm. traditional nor'easter. we see snow developing across the i85. i think eventually we'll see the

warmer air get in. keep l snowfall total down from d.c. to philadelphia and boston. we will see likely a kind of wide spread four to eight inch event from d.c. to new york. t starting tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. interior sections well over a foot snow. some areas probably about 18 inches of snow and windy day tomorrow. and big trouble today in the airport as carrot south. mid atlantic in the northeast big problems as well. a lot to talk about and big problems. >> so you to do better than that. next time i talk to you i want 70 and sunny. >> i agree. let's go find it. gerri: wow still to come my two cents more and another set back for toyota they are set to recall the popular prius. find out what is wrong. next.

we have a major worldwide recall to tell you about. due to a nasty software defect. towy that recalled nearly 2 million of the third generation prius hybrid vehicles around the world. here with more the executive editor of kelly bluebook. thank you for coming on tonight. what is wrong with the prius? >> well, as you mentioned, it's a software glitch. it could cause the pres you to stall. not a good thing. gerri: no. >> and toyota staying on top of it by recalling the vehicle and

getting it fixed. gerri: how dangerous could the stalled problem be? >> depending on what you're doing it could be dangerous. both the driver of the prius and to people around them. if it stalls suddenly and going a freeway speed, that could be a bit of a problem. gerri: wow. this is not the first time. toyota has been hit a couple of times. what was the last one? >> well, the most famous one was the recall for the so-called sudden acceleration which doesn't seem to hear it go away. we hear it over and over again. it died down a bit. there are still rumbling. it is troubling to them and why they changed the way they approached the things. they really want to get out in front of the things and limit the visibility and damage of the things. of course, get the fix for the consumer. and then move on about their business. >> it seems to me that prius is a critical brand for the company. probably one they don't want to see solely by any kind of bad

news. are they working overtime on this? >> absolutely. as you mentioned prius is a sub brand and prius has more press teeing than the toyota. they want to protect the brand. and this is something is occupying a lot of their time right now. >> as a consumer if i own one. what should i do? >> well, you should expectta recall notice from toyota. i wouldn't rush right over to the dealer today because they probably don't have a fix yet. and it is nothing where you have to quit driving the car or anything on that order. none of these have happened out in the public. it's a possibility this could happen as opposed to we have seen several instances of if it happening. you can continue to drive your car but be aware. >> how worried should people be about buying another toy toyota. is it an ongoing issue?

>> i think it is an ongoing, for the brand. it's more awareness than anything else. a perception issue. certainly toyota over the course of the 40 years has built up a lot of good will and a lot of loyal buyers. i think they look as a bit of an anomaly as opposed to a trend. if you have more and more it gets to be more of a trend than afollowly gerri: fascinating. thank you for coming on the show. >> well, we'll be right back with my two cents more and the an to our question of the day. do parents spend too much money on their kids. stay with us.

say it saint ain't snow. folks in the northeast and south are getting buried again. we have a few great resources for you to use for the storm or

any other problem in the future when you're flying. if you're flying delta go to twitter@delta assist. they are giving travelers real time advice and information for for up-to-date information on american airlines follow@american air. and united continental the best resource googling call me back united. don't wait on hold. have them call you back. and good luck out there. it's going to get ugly. and finally, as part of the users guide to love and money. a round table discussion with the price topping $300 ,000 by the 18th birthday. do parents spend too much money on kids? we asked the question. 77% said yes. 23% said no. i love that. log on for the online question every weekday. coming tomorrow our users guide to love and money continues with advice on surviving a financial tragedy from people who know firsthand. that's it for "the willis report."

thank you for joining us. don't forget to dvr the show if you can't catch us live. have a great night. companies many of them are terribly run and no accountability and -- let me finish. >> and little guy gets hurt. the country -- we have -- like in this country. the right guy gets to the top we don't have that now. right now a corporate leaders are not the right guy. they're the right guy for the fraternity house. neil: i can't get that particular exchange with carl icahn out of my head. he was talking about corporate accountability and the wrong guy for the wrong reason doing the wrong things. i thought