How to make the smartest purchases

Every Consumer Reports editor is used to family members, friends, and acquaintances asking about the products we cover, hoping to get the inside scoop—and ratings and money-saving information—on appliances, cars, electronics, exercise equipment, investments and other key money matters, lawn gear, prescription drugs and health insurance, and more.

Sometimes they'll regretfully tell you that they bought product X just days before the latest report and ratings appeared in the magazine and on ConsumerReports.org. One person, ruing the purchase of something that didn't earn a recommended or Best Buy nod, calls this situation "Consumer Reports remorse."

Of course, we editors know what's coming up in the magazine. For instance, on any given day, we might pass labs where engineers are testing refrigerators and toilet paper (available to subscribers). Near one of our parking lots, we'll see racks holding panels with exterior paints and stains undergoing longevity testing (shown), while up on the roof of our Yonkers, New York, headquarters solar water heaters are being put through their paces.

If you depend on our ratings, there's no surefire way to avoid mistiming a purchase. But we do tend to cover the major categories in the same issue each year. For example, April is the annual auto issue, May traditionally features lawn mowers and tractors, August usually offers our special section on kitchens, and October brings product reports on energy-saving products and expert advice on ways to save money on your utility bills.

One way to stay on top of our latest news is to sign up for our free e-mail newsletter. If you're looking for specific information, click on the e-mail link at the end of this post and send us a note.

While today's tumultuous times are vastly different from December 1941, the resolution the Consumers Union board of directors adopted three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor does in some way resonate today:

That's no to say that knowing you bought a top-rated product is all that important, but Consumer Reports and Consumers Union can serve as an objective, informative guide during these early years of the 21st century. e-mail | Twitter