hi, everyone, welcome to "on the money," i'm becky quick. who's listening in? it might be your kids' toys. your new smart home devices. or even your p. robots instead of realtors? really. now you can check out the apartment you might rent withou. good idea? so the tax bill passed. interest rates are climbing. what does it all mean for your money and what should you do? and a bit of bubbly. if you're planning on a holiday celebration or need a last-minute gift we're going to make a huge sacrifice and do some taste testing for you of some of the most relaxing beverages. this is "on the money," your money, your life, your future. no

holidays. there is nothing like seeing the joy on a child's face, who's opening presents, and many of this year's hottest holiday toys compacted with the latest technology. but buyer beware. are these gadgets actually safe? andrew day has more in our "cover story." >> i'm listening to you. >> reporter: t talking through . >> i'm listening to you. >> reporter: it's just a demo, but the public interest research group is concerned that my friend kayla could double as a spy. >> if a stranger is within distance of the bluetooth connection then they can actually lisn in on your child, they can talk to your child. >> reporte the interactive doll is already banned by german regulators. kayla is just the beginning. >> we're already seeing that more of these internet of things toys are coming onto the market. >> reporter: genesis toys, which makes my friend kayla, did not respond to our request for comment. but according to the t

industry trade group there have been no reported incidents for the doll. but at least one consumer group has filed a complaint, with the federal trade commission which regula. >> toy safety is the toy industry's number one priority. that not just the physical safety of the toy but the online safety of the child playing with their toy. >> reporter: the consumer product safety commission or cpsc regulates toys. >> cpsc is beginning to look into this. the internet of things. and what does it mean for the safety of the toy? and security. >> reporter: another hot toy on the agency's radar? fidget spinners found for sale at target. but loaded with lead. according to tests by cpsc accredited lab. >> one of them had a whopping 33,000 parts per million of lead. which is 330 times the legal limit for lead allowed for a prod >> repor but get this, that fidget spinner is perfectly legal because the label says 14 and above. so cpsc toy regulations don't

apply. >> if fidget spin remembers marketed to 12-year-olds and younger, then they do have to meet our standards that are very stringent for children's toys. >> reporter: bull's-eye toys, who makes the spinner sold at target tells us, quote, safety is one of our top priorities. all of our products are tested and comply with cp and according to target, while these two products comply with all cpsc guidelines for fidget spinners, based on the concerns raised we're removing them from our assortment. additionally we're working closely with our vendors to ensure all of the fidget spinners carried at target meet the cpsc's guidelines for children's products. to protect kids from lead make sure you check the age on the label. most security experts have when you connect any device to the internet change the default password. no some toys like the doll kayla, don't have a password at all, so that just leaves the toy for "on the mo

child an internet connected toy or an amazon echo what should you be looking for when you buy one of these gadgets? joining us is ed lee, managing editor at reco. thanks for being here today. >> of course. >> you hear these stories. the idea of doing this, i thought about it with the amazon echo. it never occurred to me that a child's toy could be a listening device or like a hacking device either. >> exactly. the technology is getting so fast now they're putting it into pretty much everything. an internet connected toy has a lot of great features, but that just means it's another entry point for a hacker to get in. i your room.o if it's got a camera, they can speak to your child. if it's got a microphone. it's there have been some hacking incidents already. and it's very much buyer beware. >> what are some tips that you would tell people, say they've already got some at home. let's say they're buying it because it's the hot toy. there any way to protect yourself and your child? >> when the kid is playing with the

you want to make sure they're using it in a way it's supposed to be used. when they're not playing with the toy, turn it off, take the batteries out, so it's not something that can turn on by itself. at the same time, educate yourself, make sure what these toys can do. if it's got a camera, a microphone, is it gps enabled? these are all potentially dangerous things. >> you say that and i start thinking about the number deaf vices around our homes from the laptops to the phones -- >> echoes for that matter. >> all of these different things. what -- >> so we're just now going to increasingly live in a world where devices are connected. it could be your refrigerator in addition to things like amazon echo. so it's up to the consumer to be more savvy about how the world works around you. >> as somebody who course technology, who's in the center of all things technology, is it worth it, the tradeoff that we do for these things? >> well, so i think ultimately, peop are grabbing tons of value from the things we get. whether it's google search or being able to get things from amazon within two days. i think the benefits really outweigh the

in terms of silicon valley itself. the people behind these products, are they really taking an extra step to think about how these things are going to be used or how they could be exploited? i think that's something that they're still coming to grips with. >> when you look at the devices like the amazon echo or the google home or any of these things, i've had people tell me that i'm paranoid when i worry about somebody hacking in on it. maybe i am. >> i think paranoia should be the baseline. you should be paranoid. you should always be paranoid. you should always assume someone's tryin to hack it, someone's trying to get in. and so if you just court of approach the world that way, frankly, you'll be better off. much smarter, and savvier as a consumer. and i think congress ultimately has to get in and sort of build laws, build regulations around -- >> without overregulating. >> i don't think that's the point. we should be aware that they could be dangerous and so therefore should be looked at and considered, and regulated in the right way. e cameranow, i am still paranoid that's right here on your laptop. >> put the tape over it. >> and

smart and somebody pointed out yeah, but whatr phone? oh, yeah every person in my family who is over the age of 14 has a phone. and, they're laying around the >> and they're incredibly sophisticate devices. >> not to mention the stupid tvs. >> t cameras sometime as well. it's going to become a point where the concept is called ambien computing. you're to have desktops everywhere, but every device is going to have a connection to the internet. it makes certain things convenient but paranoia should be the way you should approach the world as you approach your fridge, or whatever it might be. again, it's -- >> don't go into the kitchen naked. >> that's for sure. be careful what you say. >> and on that note of paranoia, we wish everybody a merry christmas. ed, thank you for being here. >> merry christmas t now here's a look at what's making news as we head into a new week "on the money." america's housi

booming. new home sales rose by 17.5% in november. th the biggest monthly jump in more than 25 years. and it's partly due stocks climbed during the week. the dow setting a record on monday for the 70th time in 2017. that's the most of any year ever. the nasdaq crossed 7,000 for the first time on monday but it failed to hold that number. stocks were mixed later in the week. and imagine a walmart with no cashiers. it may be closer than you think. the retail giant is reportedly testing technology that would track and charge store purchases ha, good luck with that all you shoplifters. stores would probably be much smaller than a traditional membership fee for joining. >> up next we're "on the money" looking for a new rental? imagine opening wait for it. wait for it. yeah, thera rea robot that can tours, answer ques and later, the first time

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looking for you arental home? need to see one right now? one california rental management company is offering home tours at a moment's notice. but, don't expect a person to answer the door when you ring the bell. >> reporter: ahmas is a millennial so she's used to doing everything on an app. but this was a first. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: she took a re >> the hardwood floors. >> reporter: kind of a robot. a robot with a rental agent. >> all right. i'm going to do it. >> yes. >> reporter: yep, even in the bathroom. it the latest high t

francisc based rental management company. >> what our robots really do is reduce the leasing period, and cut down vacancy time for owners and make it a much easier process for tenants who can now literally go from seeing a place that they like to renting it out in a matter of minutes. versus the days and weeks it traditionally took. >> reporter: zen place developed the app for the robot. there is a human agent on the other side, but the robot can also provide the customer with realtime data on the neighborhood, amenities, and rental trends. it also has a lease application bu >> thanks. >> it was fun. it was definitely weird. >> reporter: weird, perhaps. but efficient. >> i've gotten more used to having to do everything through apps and technology. so it's kind of nice to make it convenient, and i didn't have to wait on anybody else. and i was able to do it on my own time frame. >> reporter: the technology allows people who might just be drivin

immediately. of course it only works for rentals because they're usually empt but it does raise the question of s. walking in to >> we ask you to quickly take a picture of i.d. and then we instantly verify who you are and check your background. and if it all comes clear, we send you a unique code that you can then enter into our smartlock. >> it didn't even feel like there wasn't somebody there, because she was in the room with me. >> reporte zen pla currently offers the robot rental service in california, but will soon put it in rental homes in five other states. . if it catches on, it could open the door to more robots in real. this could only work in a for sale home if the house was empty, or perhaps a newly built home that was empty. or but in any case, it's all about making real estate easier and more efficient for buyers and

up next, we're "on the mone" tapping in to your home's equity just got more expensive. why the new tax plan is changing the eq and later, looking for a new holiday wine? food and wine's expert has the top pic resolution #1: binge more. resolution number o join the uncarrier and get four unlimited lines for only 40 bucks each. plus, netflix for so they get their shows.

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this week congress passed

has raised interest how will all these changes impact your money? greg mcbride is chief financial analyst at bankrate.com, the consumer finance site. greg, thanks for joining us today. >> thank you, becky. happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you. we are at the end of the year, there's only a few days left. so let's start off with these tax changes. is there anything that anybody should be doing at the end of the year, tax moves that you could make now that you won't be able to make in just a few days? >> yeah, i think there are a couple action steps to take this week given the latest tax reform. if you're in a situation where you're in a high tax state and you're going to bump up into that $10,000 threshold for deducting state and local taxes in 2018, you may want to look at paying your 2018 property taxes this week, before the end of the year. get that on the 2017 taxes so you can deduct it. now you can only do that if you've actually been billed for it. also some states will actually give you a discount for paying

>> i hear what you're saying about prepaying your property taxes if you can. but, i've also had people tell me that you cannot prepay any of your se tax. that the courts have ruled against that in the past and be careful if you do that, you could get ought itted for it. >> exactly. that is an important distinction. e just talking about the ability to prepay property taxes. not your state and local income taxes. >> okay, great. another question for you, home eqn interest, that's no longer going to be deductible. so what should you do if you have that type of a loan? >> you know, i think this really shifts the calculus in terms of how people think about debt repayment. because, not only are you losing the ability to deduct the interest on the home equity borrowing, but there's no you can't sit back and say, oh, well good thing i got mine already, i'm good. no you're not. at the end of the year, everybody loses the ability to deduct that interest. so, when you look at the cost of that debt on an aftertax, after-inflation basis, the cost is going to look a whole lot different in 2018 than i

2017, because, "a," you can't deduct the interest anymore. from your taxes. and "b," the fed is raising interest rates. so you've got the rate on your home equity line marching higher at the same time you can't deduct the interest. >> that was my point, though, if the fed's raising interest rates it's not like you could suddenly say i'm going to pay off my home equity line of credit and put it on a credit card. those rates are going to go up, too. and it's likely a higher interest rate there. >> absolutely. and by virtue of the december rate hike from the fed, you know, by the time that january statement coit card borrowers a see that higher rate. welcome to 2018 your rate is going to be a quarter percentage point higher. >> what about charitable deductions? a still going to be allowed to be deducted next year if you itemize. but the number of people who are going to be itemizing is expected to drop pretty dramatically. >> yeah, absolutely. because the standard deduction is doubling there are a lot of t be itemizing in 2018.

you don't think you're going to be itemizing your deductions in 2018, make the charitable contribution this week. get it on this year's taxes where you can deduct it. now the plus side is, tax filing's going to get easier for a lot of people in 2018, because of the fact that they're going to be taking the standard deduction, ratr than having to worry about itemizing. >> greg, thank you so much. pretty complicated stuff. >> thanks for having me. up next "on the money," a look at the news for the week ahead. and if you want something bubbly to toast the holidays, we have champagne alte liberty mutual stood with me when this guy got a flat tire in the middle of the night. hold on dad... liberty did what? yeah, liberty mutual 24-hour roadside assistance helped him to fix his flat so he could get home safely.

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here are the stories coming up that may impact your money this week. on monday the markets will be closed for the holiday. merry christmas, everybody. on tuesday, we're going to get a read on real estate with case-shiller home price index for october. almost as exciting as christmas. but not quite. and for those with a sweet tooth it is national candy kane day. on wednesday, pending home sales for november will be released and it marks the 85th anniversary of new york's radio city music hall. friday is the last business day of the holidays bring special occasions, and if that includes wine, ray isle is here to help. he's the executive wine editor of "food and wine" magazine with suggestions for toasting the holidays without breaking the bank. >> great to be here. thanks for

>> what have you brought us? >> i brought you some -- so it's not too late, you know, to buy wine for the holidays. we're in the holidays but it's not too late to buy. i've brought some really great values perfect for parties, also taste great. first one, white wine cote de rhone. >> i was going to ask how to say that. >> pretend you're french from one ofe producers in the rhone. split the difference between people who love chardonnay and people who love sauvignon blanc. this is right down the middle. >> oh, yeah, that's so mild. >> the full body of a big wine like chardonnay but it's got some of the acidity. goes with food. you know, it's a steal at 15 bucks a bottle. >> this is my favorite one already. i know before we try any of the others. >> and also -- >> okay rile give it back. >> remember a lot of places offer case discounts. this is a cabernet

>> this is cannonball cabernet sauvignon. it's made with fruit from around california. it not a huge company but they set out to do one thing which is to make a great under 20 buck represented thi this a number times. >> that's really gentle, too. >> mm-hmm. >> i'm not saying the right tht when i say it's gentle it's not like whoa. >> cabernet can be aggressively tanic, and this is much more on the sort of fruity and forward side. >> how much is this again? >> $15.99. >> that's amazing. really two gre wines that i would drink. >> they're bot sparkling wine. you've got to have some sparkling wine fo the holidays. thisch because it doesn't come from the champagne region in france, it comes from california, but it's made by rhoderrer which is the great

champagne house that makes crystal. califo as opposed to france. >> which means much better on your pocketbook? >> way better. you can't touch from champagne from champagne for under $35 or so. this is $19.99. >> cheers. >> and it's, you know, straight up g >> you know, i don't even like champagne but this is pretty good. >> it's crisp, it's clean, it's affordable enough that you can pour several bottles at a big party. it's also nice enough that you could do it as a special dinner kind of thing. and then, we're going to splurge. >> good luck with this. g to drink this. i'm not a fan of port. >> i'm going to convert you. this is a 10-year-old tawny port from graham which is one of the great port producer. port comes from portugal. this is a 10-year-old tawny which means it's a blend of wines from 10-year-olds to 3 years old. the average age is 10. it's a dessert wine. >> it's sweet. it's going to remind you of

>> oh. >> it's going to remind you of like toasted nuts and caramel and coffee a th. >> i'll keep that in mind. >> think of a holiday dessert. a creme caramel or something. >> actually when you say that it does taste like that. >> and yeah, it does. i mean that's actually the flavors that are in there. and it's not -- >> i've never liked port. but that- i need you to describe it to me like that. >> sort of toasted, you knod al of like orange peel caramelized orange peel with the chocolate dip. >> that is really good. >> yeah. >> how ms bottle. it's a great gift. >> very pretty. >> and i've converted you to port. u are like my cultural adviser. >> cheers. >> thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> that is the show for today. i'm becky quick. thank you very much for joining . next year we'ly tr. newest gadgets that will be out next

each wee, e "on the money." have a great one. i'll see you next year. we're going to leave you with some of the names of people who put this show together for us every week. best crew out there. happy holidays ♪ ♪

good morning, america. this morning, white knuckle christmas eve. hazardous conditions. on the roads. visibility down the zero. drivers slipping and sliding through the holiday. two dozen states under winter weather alerts. what you need to know before setting off to friends and family. plus, will those presents arrive on time? fighting back. the white house is denying claims president trump alledgedly made derogatory comments about immigrants in the oval office. the reports of tempers flaring. plus his twitter attack on the fbi's deputy director. miss america executives dethroned. top officers resigning following